Waggle
some kind of motion or movement (can be very individualized, but many times a back and forth movement at the hands/wrists) of the club for the purpose of staying loose, feeling the club, keeping the body in motion instead of holding still
Walk-on
typically thought of as a single player with no reservation, but could be more than one player
Waste area
a relatively unmaintained area (usually, but not always, with a surface of pebbles, sand or similar) that is not considered a hazard so you may lightly ground your club (also "waste bunker")
Water hazard
any sea, lake, pond, ditch, etc. (whether it contains water or not), usually marked with either yellow stakes or lines (see also "lateral water hazard")
Wave up
common practice at some courses (usually on par 3 holes) where the group ahead (group A) signals for the group behind (group B) to play their shots when group A reaches the green rather than waiting for them to finish the hole (it is done in an attempt to improve pace of play) -- also could be when group A wishes for group B to play-through at any point on the course (also "call up")
WD
scoreboard abbreviation for withdraw
Weak (grip or hand position)
where the hands are rotated into a position of less physical advantage on the grip and, all else being equal, the club face has a tendency to open during the swing (e.g., for a right-handed player the left hand would be in a weak position if the "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger pointed toward the chin or farther to the player's left; the right hand would be in a weak position if the V pointed more toward the left shoulder than vertical; the grip might generally be referred to as weak if either the left hand or both hands were in a weak position -- what constitutes weak or strong may vary between players and opinions on weak or strong may vary slightly between experts)
Wedge
a short iron with significant loft mainly for playing shorter, more lofted shots (the amount of loft can vary widely, from a pitching wedge that ranges somewhere between 47° and 52° to a lob wedge that can range from 58° up to 65°); wedges come in a huge variety of styles, shapes and names, depending on their purpose and manufacturer (e.g., "pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, third wedge, utility wedge," and so on)
Wet
ball in water hazard
Whiff
a swing with intent to strike the ball and a miss
Whipping
a very thin cord-like material that is used to wrap the area where the shaft inserts into the clubhead on a wooden club
Wicked Good
Term used to denote an extremely fine golf shot. Most commonly used in New England.
Windcheater
a very penetrating, low trajectory shot that is less affected by wind (also "wind cheater")
Winter rules
a local rule under which a player can improve his lie without penalty (also "preferred lies, improved lies, bumping it, lift-clean and place")
Wolf
a match play game for four players in which players decide whether or not to compete alone or team up on every hole) (also "lone wolf")
(e.g., "driver or 1 wood, fairway woods, utility woods," and so on) originally a club with a wooden head, relatively little loft and a long handle used for driving the ball and/or hitting long shots (now most "woods" are metal)
Work the ball
to deliberately shape or curve a shot
Wormburner
a shot with such a low trajectory that it appears to, or actually does, skim the ground - not necessarily ineffective but almost certainly unintentional (also "worm burner, skimmer")
Wrap
a layer of something (usually tape) under a grip (applied to the shaft, before the grip is put on) for the purpose of increasing the size (circumference) of the grip
Wrist cock
the procedure of allowing or causing the wrists or hands to cock, set, hinge or fold at the top of the backswing (also "wrist break, setting the hands")
Wrong ball
any ball other than the player's ball in play, provisional ball or second ball played under Rule 3-3 or Rule 20-7b in stroke play (covered by rule 15 of the USGA Rule book)