What happens if I play in the wrong order in Maximum Score?
In Maximum Score, if you play in the wrong order — for example, hitting out of turn in Foursomes — you don't get disqualified. You simply take the maximum score for that hole (Rule 21.2c).
What the rule says
Maximum Score is a stroke-play format where your score on each hole is capped at a maximum set by the Committee — like double par, a fixed number, or net double bogey. Under Rule 21.2c, most stroke-play penalties still apply, but five specific breaches don't disqualify you. Instead, you just get the maximum score for the hole where the breach happened. One of those five is failing to correct the mistake of making a stroke in the wrong order (Rule 22.3), which applies in Foursomes when partners play out of turn.
How it works in practice
Say you're playing Maximum Score in a Foursomes (alternate-shot) competition. You're supposed to hit the tee shot on the 4th hole, but your partner hits it instead. That's playing in the wrong order under Rule 22.3. In regular stroke play, that's a two-stroke penalty and you must correct it before teeing off on the next hole or you're disqualified. In Maximum Score, you don't get DQ'd. You add any penalty strokes (two strokes for playing out of turn), but your score for that hole can't exceed the maximum. So if the max is 8 and you're already at 6 with the penalty, you just write 8 on the card and move on.
Other penalties that become max-score instead of DQ
The same treatment applies to four other mistakes: not holing out (Rule 3.3c), playing from outside the teeing area to start a hole (Rule 6.1b(2)), playing a wrong ball (Rule 6.3c), and playing from a wrong place with a serious breach (Rule 14.7b). For any other Rule that carries a disqualification penalty in stroke play, you're still disqualified in Maximum Score. And remember — after any penalty strokes, your hole score can never exceed the Committee's maximum.
Exceptions that change the answer
- You breach one of the five specific Rules listed in 21.2c (including playing in the wrong order under Rule 22.3) → You get the maximum score for that hole instead of being disqualified
- You breach any other Rule with a disqualification penalty → You are disqualified — the max-score exception doesn't apply
Frequently asked questions
Does playing out of turn in regular stroke play (not Foursomes) count as 'wrong order'?
No. Rule 6.4a (playing out of turn in stroke play) isn't one of the five Rules listed in 21.2c. In Maximum Score, playing out of turn in individual stroke play has no penalty — you just play ready golf. The 'wrong order' exception only covers Rule 22.3 (Foursomes alternate-shot order).
What if I realize I played in the wrong order after finishing the hole?
In Maximum Score, you don't need to correct it before the next tee. The penalty is simply the maximum score for that hole. Add any penalty strokes (two strokes for playing out of turn in Foursomes), then cap it at the maximum.
Can my score exceed the maximum after penalty strokes?
Never. Rule 21.2c says: 'After applying any penalty strokes, the player's score for a hole cannot exceed the maximum score set by the Committee.'
What if we're playing Four-Ball Maximum Score, not Foursomes?
Four-Ball doesn't have a 'wrong order' rule — partners can play in any order. Rule 22.3 only applies to Foursomes. So this exception wouldn't come up in Four-Ball Maximum Score.
Do I still write the actual score on the card or just the maximum?
If your actual score (with penalties) is at or above the maximum, the scorecard shows either no score or any score at or above the maximum. The Committee adjusts it to the maximum afterward (Rule 21.2b(2)).