baffy
Definition
Noun (countable): A golf club with a wooden head and a short shaft, used for making high-lofted shots, typically from difficult lies or to clear obstacles. This term is largely historical and has been replaced by modern clubs like the "wood" or "hybrid."
Usage Examples
- (He used this specific golf club for a high, obstacle-clearing shot.)
- (The old golf club is a historical artifact.)
- (This club was a standard tool for short, high-lofted shots.)
Advanced Usage
- "Baffy" in historical context: The term is rarely used in modern golf, but it appears in literature or discussions of early 20th-century golf equipment.
- The golfer’s set included a baffy, a brassie, and a cleek. (These are all names of old-fashioned golf clubs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Baff (verb, rare): To strike a golf ball with a baffy or to make a high, soft shot.
- He baffed the ball onto the green with ease. (He used a high-lofted shot.)
Synonyms
- Wood (n): A modern golf club with a large head, used for long-distance shots, though the baffy was shorter and more specialized.
- Spoon (n): Another historical golf club with a wooden head, similar to a baffy but with slightly less loft.
Related Idioms
- "To baffy one's way out of trouble": To use clever or resourceful means to escape a difficult situation (derived from the club's use in tricky golf lies).
- He baffied his way out of the financial crisis with creative accounting. (He found an unconventional solution.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Baffy out (rare): To retrieve or use a baffy from the golf bag.
- He baffied out his old club for the tricky shot. (He took out the baffy.)
Additional Notes
- The word "baffy" is now considered archaic or historical in golf terminology. It is not used in official modern golf rules or equipment lists.