Nearly three-quarters of golfers (72%) find the sport's jargon confusing – with 31% clueless as to what “snowman”, “barkies”, and “fried egg” mean.
Other top golfing terms that leave players scratching their heads include “chili dip”, “buzzard”, and “airmail”.
And 29%, of 1,000 golfers polled, aren't aware that the phrase “banana ball” is used to describe a very sharp fade shot.
As such, more than two-thirds (68%) feel out of their depth when questioned about the sport – although 78% say they find the terminology funny.
The research was commissioned by Lottoland.co.uk – which is challenging readers to guess the famous golf faces in this puzzle ahead of The Masters tournament this weekend.
A spokesman for the online gambling company said: “Golf seems to be getting more and more popular all the time – but it’s interesting to see how many fans don’t know their bogeys from their birdies, and even the most famous faces in the sport.
“It looks like a lot of people feel that actually playing golf takes a lot of “know-how”, which often leaves them feeling reluctant to join – but once you get the basics down, it’s actually very simple to follow.
“And the Masters is a great place to start with getting into golf – we’ll all be watching it here.”
The results also found that 45% are unable to tell the difference between a “birdie” – a score of one less than par – and an “ace”, when hitting the ball into the hole in one swing.
However, 36% do know what a “cat box” is in golf – another term for a sand bunker.
It also emerged that eight in ten find watching the golf relaxing, and consider the Masters a really interesting tournament to watch.
And 71% would have it as their first recommendation when it comes to a newcomer watching any televised golf.
The Masters is also inspiring them to play, as 78% of those polled, via OnePoll, pick up a golf club after tuning in.
When asked how many famous golfers they would know walking down the street, nearly half would recognise Tiger Woods – but only a quarter could say the same of Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, or Rory McIlroy.
Lottoland’s spokesman added: “They may not know their fairways from their flyers, but it’s relieving to know that some people would be able to recognise the greats if they passed them on the street.
“And for those who’ll be watching along this year and want to get involved in the action, our Sportsbook is a great place to start.
“Who knows, if your luck comes in you could be buying yourself a set of clubs.”
TOP 20 GOLFING TERMS FANS AREN’T SURE OF:
- Snowman
- Barkies
- Fried egg
- Chili dip
- Buzzard
- Airmail
- Banana ball
- Dance floor
- Back hander
- Cat box
- Carpet
- Dribbler
- Albatross
- Nineteenth whole
- Ace
- Eagle
- Flyer
- Handicap
- Fade
- Birdie
