Rough
via golf.com
We’ve all been in the rough, but in case you need a refresher, “rough” refers to areas on a golf course outside of the fairways that generally feature higher, thicker grass or naturally growing (unkept and unmowed) vegetation. It’s used to define the intended field of play and penalize players who miss it. Some courses have one length of rough, while others use something called “graduated rough” which makes the penalty for missing the fairway that much greater as the length increases the farther away from the center you go. The USGA will typically use this during the U.S. Open.
