Who plays first when taking relief?
The order of play when taking relief is determined by the spot where your original ball lay before you took relief, not by where you drop or place the ball. This applies in both match play and stroke play — and it's the one relief rule that doesn't reset the sequence, even when your new position is dramatically closer to the hole.
How the order works
When you're required or allowed to take relief by dropping or placing a ball, your turn to play is based on the location of your original ball before relief. If your original ball was farthest from the hole, you play first — even if your relief area ends up closer to the hole than another player's ball. The same principle applies when you're replacing a ball: the order is based on where that ball was lifted or moved from.
Match play vs stroke play
In match play, the order matters because your opponent can cancel a stroke played out of turn and make you replay it. In stroke play, there's no penalty for playing out of turn, and ready golf is encouraged — but the official order still follows the original ball positions when relief is involved. Either way, the reference point for ordering is the original spot, not the relief area.
Multiple players taking relief
If several players in the group are taking relief at the same time, each player's order is based on their own original ball position. You don't compare the new relief area positions against each other. This keeps things simple: everyone knows the order from the original lies, and relief procedures don't reshuffle the sequence.
Exceptions that change the answer
- A player plays a provisional ball from the teeing area out of turn → The stroke cannot be cancelled under the normal match play rule (Rule 6.4a(2)) because the player with the honour gave up that right by playing their own provisional after the opponent played theirs.
Frequently asked questions
Does the order change if my relief area ends up closer to the hole?
No. The order stays based on where your original ball lay before relief. Even if your drop puts you closer to the hole than another player, you still play in the order of the original positions.
What if I'm replacing a ball instead of dropping?
Same principle: the order is based on the spot where the ball was lifted or moved from, not where you replace it.
Can my opponent cancel my stroke if I play out of turn while taking relief in match play?
Yes. If you play when it wasn't your turn based on the original ball positions, your opponent can cancel the stroke and make you replay it — unless you both agreed to play out of turn to save time.
Is there a penalty for playing out of turn when taking relief in stroke play?
No penalty. Stroke play encourages ready golf, so you can play out of turn safely. The official order based on original positions still exists, but there's no consequence for ignoring it.
What happens if two players' original balls were at the same distance?
When original balls are the same distance from the hole or the relative distances aren't known, the order is decided by agreement or a random method like a coin toss — just like on the tee.