Rough

The tall, unkempt grass that grows around the fairway at a golf course (Golfsmith.com). While the fairway's grass is manicured to a specific length and condition, though longer than the grass on the green, the surrounding rough is longer and wilder.

Hitting into the rough is not only a mistake, it's an obstacle because of the rough conditions there compared to the smooth green and the well-maintained fairway (Kelley, About.com). Some courses have roughs around bunkers and greens, as well, to challenge the player.

Some courses have roughs of differing heights, a "first cut of rough" that is taller than the fairway, but shorter than the next cut, so that the farther from the fairway, the taller and thicker the grass gets, and therefore the farther the player has hit the ball from the intended area—the fairway—the more punishment the player takes on the next stroke (Kelley, About.com).

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