Who has the honour on the tee?

You're standing on the tee box with three other players. Who hits first? The answer depends on the format, the previous hole, and whether you're playing ready golf. The player with the honour tees off first. In match play, the winner of the previous hole has the honour; in stroke play, it's the player with the lowest gross score on the previous hole. On the first hole, the honour is decided by the draw or a coin toss — and if you're practicing putts on that first tee while waiting, remember that practice strokes are allowed on the teeing area of the next hole under Rule 5.5b.

How the honour works on the first tee

On the very first hole, the honour isn't up for grabs — it's set by the committee's draw. If there's no draw, you and your opponents just agree or flip a coin. That's it. No one "earns" the first tee shot; it's pure luck or the tournament schedule.

Match play: you win the hole, you go first next time

In match play, the honour follows the scorecard. Win a hole, you've got the honour on the next tee. Halve the hole? The player who had the honour on the last tee keeps it. If a ruling request is still pending and could change who won the previous hole, you agree or flip a coin for the next tee — don't wait for the committee.

Stroke play: lowest score goes first, but ready golf is fine

In stroke play, the player with the lowest gross score on the previous hole has the honour. Second lowest goes second, and so on. Tied scores? Same order as the last tee — the player who teed off first on the previous hole keeps the honour. For the full details on how this works when multiple players tie, see who has honour after tied scores in stroke play. But here's the thing: there's zero penalty for playing out of turn in stroke play. The Rules actually encourage ready golf — if you're ready and it's safe, hit it. No one's going to cancel your stroke like they can in match play.

Exceptions that change the answer

• In match play, a player plays out of turn → The opponent may cancel that stroke and make the player replay it from the same spot, but only if they do so promptly before anyone plays another stroke.
• Players agree to play out of turn in match play to save time → The player who invited or agreed to the out-of-turn play gives up the right to cancel that stroke.
• A player with the honour decides to play a provisional ball after their opponent has already played a provisional → The player cannot cancel the opponent's provisional ball stroke under Rule 6.4a(2).

Frequently asked questions

What happens if we tie a hole in match play — who tees off first on the next hole?

The player who had the honour on the tee of the tied hole keeps the honour for the next hole. The honour doesn't switch just because the hole was halved.

Can I tee off before my opponent in match play if I'm ready and they're not?

Only if your opponent agrees or invites you to play out of turn. Otherwise, they can cancel your stroke and make you replay it. In stroke play, go ahead — ready golf is encouraged.

Does the honour change if someone gets a penalty on the previous hole?

Yes. The honour is based on the final gross score for the hole after any penalties are applied. If a penalty changes who had the lowest score, the honour shifts accordingly.

What if we don't know who had the lowest score on the last hole?

If scores are tied or unclear, the order from the previous tee carries over. On the first hole, flip a coin or agree among the group.

After we've all teed off, who plays next?

The ball farthest from the hole plays first, regardless of who had the honour. If two balls are the same distance or you can't tell, agree or flip a coin.