fairway

American  

[fair-wey] / ˈfɛərˌweɪ /

noun

• fairways
  plural

1. an unobstructed passage, way, or area.

2. Golf.

   1. the part of the course where the grass is cut short between the tees and the putting greens, exclusive of the rough, trees, and hazards.

      More important than long drives is keeping your ball on the fairway.

   2. the mowed part of any hole between the tee and the green.

      The foursome is now on the tenth fairway.

3. Nautical.

   1. the navigable portion of a river, harbor, or other partly enclosed body of water.

   2. the channel customarily navigated by vessels in such a body of water.

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fairway British  

/ ˈfɛəˌweɪ /

noun

1. (on a golf course) the areas of shorter grass between the tees and greens, esp the avenue approaching a green bordered by rough

2. nautical

   1. the navigable part of a river, harbour, etc

   2. the customary course followed by vessels

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fairways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fairway

1515–25; 1905–10 fairway for def. 2; fair ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

The fairway is part of a golf course, close to the tee. A fairway provides golfers with the easiest surface for hitting the ball. A golf course fairway is distinguished by its short, even grass and location between the tee and the green. It's a fairly simple area from which to hit the ball. Another meaning of fairway shares this easy, effortless quality: a regular, well-known course that a ship takes through the water. In the 1580s, fairway was used to mean "navigational channel of a river," and it gained the golfing sense at the end of the 19th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fairway fairways

But there was still a mutual show of love as Fleetwood walked down the 18th fairway, lapping up a rapturous reception and showing his appreciation by thumping his heart.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

He threaded his drive through the fairway bunkers to give himself a good look at the green.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The stately, 9,694-square-foot residence overlooks the 17th fairway of The Governors Club golf course.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Keeping his ball on the fairway from the tee - he was fourth best for the week - proved to be an effective tactic which others did not find as simple.

From BBC ● May 17, 2026

The booths Colton and his brothers built lined the fairway, already drawing a crowd.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Hard and dry fairways were a key talking point at golf's Open Championship which was held at Royal Birkdale on Merseyside last month.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

A side-by-side comparison shows how much greener the fairways appeared in summer 2025 compared with this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

In particular, he steeled himself during a third round when he kept missing fairways but managed to save par after par.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

He also came to treasure his time mowing the fairways each morning before the golfers arrived, the dew glistening on the grass while the nibbling, untroubled deer looked on from the rough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Only fifty miles from the limousines and exclusive tennis clubs and lush green fairways of Palm Springs, the west shore of the Salton Sea had once been the site of intense real estate speculation.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer