| Sand iron - A lofted, weighty club that is used to play from bunkers. Also known as a sand wedge. |
| Sand trap - A sand bunker. |
| Sand wedge - An iron golf club designed to hit balls out of sand hazards. |
| Sandy - When a golfer makes par after being in a bunker. |
| Scoop - When a golfer scoops the ball when hitting it. |
| Scotch foursome - Where golfers play in teams and take alternate shots. They also take it in turn to drive. |
| Scramble - A tournament where golfers play in teams. Where they play the best ball of a team member following each shot. |
| Scratch Player - A golfer that has a handicap of zero. |
| Semi-private course - A golf course/club that has members, but also allows those that are not members to play. |
| Set - A set of golf clubs. The maximum number that a golfer is allowed to carry is 14. |
| Shaft - The part of the club that is connected to the club head. |
| Shag bag - A container used to store balls whilst practising. |
| Shagging - To collect balls from practice ranges. |
| Shank - When a golfer hits the ball with the heel of a golf club. |
| Shiperio - When a golfer is allowed to take a second shot in friendly play when they have incorrectly hit their first shot. The golfer is then allowed to decide to play either the first or second ball. |
| Short game - Short range shots: Pitching, chipping and putting. |
| Short irons - Iron clubs that are highly lofted. |
| Shot hole - Par three hole. |
| Shotgun Start - A competition when players start at different holes at the same time. A shotgun is often fired to start play. |
| Shotmaker - A golfer who is able to play several dissimilar shots. |
| Sidehill lie - A lie with the ball on a slope. |
| Sink a putt - When a golfer hits the ball into the hole. |
| Skins - A wager or competition where money is awarded to the golfer with the lowest score on a hole. |
| Skulling - When a golfer hits the ball at or above it's centre. |
| Sky - When a golfer strikes beneath the ball. This causes the ball to fly higher than anticipated. |
| Slice - When a golfer takes a shot that curves from left to right, the opposite applies to left-handed golfers. A slice is the result of too much backspin. |
| Smother - When a golfer hits a ball with a closed clubface. The ball either flies very low or does not leave the ground. |
| Snake - A long putt, which travels over breaks in the putting green. |
| Snap-hook - When a golfer hits a shot with a severe hook. |
| Snipe - When a golfer hooks the ball and it then drops quickly. |
| Sole - The base of the club head. |
| Sole plate - The metal base of a wood's club head. |
| Spike mark - Marks on the green that are made by spiked golf shoes. |
| Spoon - An alternative name for a three wood. |
| Spray - When a golfer hits the ball inconsistent in different directions. |
| Square stance - When a golfer positions their feet parallel to the direction they wish the ball to go. |
| Stableford - A process of scoring that uses points rather than strokes. |
| Stance - The position of a golfer?s feet when preparing to take a shot. |
| Starter - A person whose responsibility is to decide when and where golfers tee off. |
| Stick - The pole in the hole on the green with a flag attached to the top of it. |
| StimpMetre - An instrument that reads the speed of a green. |
| Stipulated round - To play the holes of a course in the correct order decided by the committee. |
| Stony - When a golfer hits a ball that lands close to the pin. |
| Straight-faced - A club with little loft. |
| Strike off - When a golfer drives from a tee. |
| Stroke - The forward movement of the club with the purpose of hitting the ball. |
| Stroke play - A tournament where the winner is the golfer who took the least number of strokes to complete the round(s) having deducted their handicap. |
| Stymie - This refers to an object that is in the way of a golfers shot and lies between the golfer's ball and the green i.e. a tree. |
| Sudden death - This is where extra holes are played if there is a tie after finishing the round. Play continues until a participant wins a hole. |
| Summer rules - The standard local rules of a golf course. |
| Supination - The rotation of a golfer's wrists during their swing. |
| Surlyn - The plastic outer cover of most golf balls. |
| Swale - A depression or dip in the ground. |
| Sweet spot - The favoured point on the clubface, where contact with the ball feels best. |
| Swing - The act of hitting the golf ball. |
| Swing weight - The weight of a golf club. |