Order of Play in Golf: Honour, Rules and When It Changes

What is the honour in golf?

The honour is the privilege of playing first from the tee on a given hole. It is the basic order-of-play system in golf and is governed by Rule 5.4 of the Rules of Golf.

Honour isn't just etiquette: in match play, playing in the correct order can have Rules consequences. In stroke play, the order is more flexible (though honour remains the default).

How the honour is determined

First hole

The order of play on the first tee is determined in whatever way the Committee establishes, or if there is no specific direction, by agreement between the players or by lot.

In most competitions, the draw sheet assigns the order of play on the first hole. In social rounds, the order is decided by mutual agreement, and it's common for the lowest-handicap player or whoever suggests it to play first.

From the second hole onwards

In stroke play: the player with the lowest gross score on the previous hole plays first. If two or more players tied for the lowest score, they keep the same order they had on that hole.

In match play: the player who won the previous hole plays first. If the hole was halved, the order from the previous hole is retained.

In Stableford: the player with the highest points score on the previous hole plays first.

Important: honour is determined by the result on that hole, not by the cumulative score. If you're leading the card overall but lost the last hole, the honour belongs to whoever won that hole.

Within the hole: who plays first from the fairway

Once in the fairway or rough, the ordering is different from the tee:

• The player furthest from the hole plays first (regardless of whether they're in the fairway, rough, bunker, or penalty area)
• On the green, the same rule applies: the player furthest from the hole putts first

If two balls are equidistant, the players decide by agreement or lot.

What happens if you play out of turn

In stroke play

Playing out of turn in stroke play carries no penalty. The stroke counts and play continues. The Committee can give an informal warning, but cannot apply stroke penalties for this reason. This is precisely why Ready Golf works in stroke play — players are playing out of honour order, but there's no regulatory sanction.

In match play

In match play, if a player plays out of turn, the opponent may require that stroke to be cancelled and replayed in the correct order. There is no stroke penalty, but the stroke played is voided and must be replayed. The opponent must make this claim before either of them plays their next stroke.

If the opponent doesn't claim in time, the stroke played out of turn stands and play continues.

Order on the practice tee and warm-up

Order of play doesn't apply to practice strokes or warm-up on the driving range. It only applies to strokes that count on the scorecard.

Etiquette rules related to honour

• Don't jump ahead: if you have the honour but aren't ready yet, the next player shouldn't tee off without your implicit consent
• Signal when you're playing under Ready Golf: in practice, it's good etiquette to briefly indicate "I'll go" or "shall I go?" before playing
• Don't play out of turn to unsettle your opponent: in match play, order can have psychological weight. Playing out of turn to force a situation on your opponent may be seen as unsportsmanlike, even if it's not technically penalised

Order with a marker or referee present

In formal competitions with referees, the marker may keep a record of the honour on each hole to ensure compliance. If there's a dispute, the referee has the final say on who plays first.