short game

American  

noun

1. the aspect of golf considered in relation to the ability of a player to hit medium or short shots, as chip shots, pitch shots, and putts, with accuracy.

2. a card game in which not all cards in the pack are dealt before play.

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Etymology

Origin of short game

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

“You need to play a long game, not this short game that has been so detrimental,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

“It’s all part of the game — the long game, the short game, the medium game.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

"I was always pretty good at the long game, but I had to work a lot harder on my short game and I learned how to practise more effectively."

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

It seems as if he’s putting a lot of work into his short game.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2024

And I am quite sure that the ladies, as a rule, do not take the pains they should about their putting and the short game generally.

From Fifty Years of Golf by Hutchinson, Horace G.