# golfer

/ˈɡɑɫfɝ/ (US) · /ɡˈɒlfɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/golfer
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. sports player

noun · CEFR A2

a person who plays the sport of golf, either as a hobby or as a professional job.

For teachers: a person who plays golf, typically as a participant in the sport rather than a spectator.

- The professional golfer practiced his swing for hours before the tournament started.
- Even an amateur golfer can appreciate the technical difficulty of maintaining a consistent follow-through under the pressure of a major championship.

### 2. programming competitor

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

a programmer who tries to write the shortest possible code to solve a problem.

For teachers: a participant in 'code golf', a recreational programming competition where the goal is to achieve a specific output using the fewest possible characters.

- The golfer managed to solve the complex math problem using only twenty characters of code.
- A skilled Perl golfer can often reduce a standard script to a single line of cryptic but functional code that baffles uninitiated developers.

Usage: Usually used within the context of 'code golf' or 'regex golf' communities.

## Examples

- The professional golfer won the tournament by three strokes.
- Every weekend, the local golfer heads to the green early in the morning to practice his swing.
- While many view the sport as a leisurely pastime, a dedicated golfer must possess immense mental discipline and physical precision to master the nuances of different course terrains.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.