What happens if I arrive late to my tee time?

If you arrive at your starting point ready to play within five minutes of your tee time, you get a two-stroke penalty on the first hole. Arriving more than five minutes late means disqualification.

The five-minute window

Rule 5.3a says you must start at your exact tee time. The exception (Rule 3.3c) gives you a narrow grace period: if you show up at the tee, ready to play, no more than five minutes after your assigned time, you avoid disqualification but take a two-stroke penalty. Those two strokes are added to your score on the first hole. The clock starts at your scheduled tee time, not when the group ahead clears the fairway.

Past five minutes

If you arrive more than five minutes late, the penalty jumps to disqualification. There is no middle ground — five minutes and one second is a DQ. The Committee has no discretion to waive this unless a Code of Conduct or Local Rule specifically says otherwise, which is extremely rare. Plan to be at the tee at least ten minutes early so a traffic jam or a lost glove doesn't end your tournament.

How the penalty is applied

The two strokes are added to your first-hole score, not tacked on at the end of the round. If the first hole is a par 4 and you make 4, you write 6 on the card. In a handicap competition the penalty strokes count before your handicap strokes are applied, so they can affect where you get shots. Tell your marker immediately so the card is marked correctly from the start.

Exceptions that change the answer

• You arrive at the tee ready to play within 5 minutes of your tee time → Two-stroke penalty added to your first-hole score

Frequently asked questions

Does the five minutes start when the group in front tees off?

No. The five minutes runs from your official tee time on the starter's sheet, regardless of whether the fairway is clear.

What if I'm at the course but stuck in the clubhouse bathroom?

You must be at the tee, clubs in hand, ready to play. Being anywhere else — locker room, range, parking lot — counts as late.

Can the Committee waive the penalty if my car broke down?

Only if a Local Rule or Code of Conduct specifically allows it. The Rules themselves give the Committee no discretion once you're past the five-minute mark.

Do the two penalty strokes count toward my handicap differential?

Yes. The gross score on the first hole includes the penalty, and that gross score is what goes into the handicap calculation.

What if I tee off before my tee time by mistake?

That's a different breach (Rule 5.3a). You get the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play — but you are not disqualified unless you do it deliberately to gain an advantage.