Girlie
Girlie is a colloquial, outdated joking term for a tee shot that does not fly past the ladies' tee marker.
The term dates from the time when the tee markers on the course were strictly separated into ladies' and men's tees. If a man's ball did not even fly to the front tee, it was teased on the round as a "girlie". The word is not an official golf term and appears in no rulebook. It belongs to the language of social play, not to the tournament. In recent years the term has increasingly been viewed critically because it devalues the performance of female golfers.
In practice you still hear the word on some private rounds when a drive stays short. An example: your tee shot tops, rolls eighty metres and stops behind the red tee. In the past the quip from the flight partner would follow. Today many facilities design their tees gender-neutral, oriented to playing ability instead of gender. With that the old division loses its basis, and with it the joke. Factually the case remains simple anyway: a short tee shot, nothing more.
The misconception behind the term does not withstand scrutiny anyway. Many female golfers play significantly longer than the average of the men from the same tee, and distance alone says nothing about the result. Anyone using the expression should know that it easily comes across as disrespectful in club life and in the mixed flight. Anyone who wants to stay factual simply says "short tee shot" and plays the ball as it lies.
FAQ
Is the term "girlie" still appropriate today?
No. It devalues the performance of female golfers and dates from a time when tees were strictly separated by gender. Many facilities now align their tee markers by playing ability instead of gender, so the old joke lacks its basis. In the mixed flight the quip easily comes across as disrespectful.
What do you say instead when a tee shot stays short?
Cleanest of all: nothing at all, or factually "short tee shot". Anyone who wants to tease stays with remarks that refer to the shot instead of to groups of people — for example a wink at the topped ball. Basic rule of etiquette: joking about your own shot is always allowed, about that of others only if the relationship carries it.
Does the distance of the tee shot say anything about the quality of the player?
Hardly. Many female golfers play significantly longer than the average of the men from the same tee, and a long drive is no help if the short game is off. The result of a hole is decided more often around the green than at the tee. Anyone who only looks at length measures the wrong thing.