Written by: Darin Green, Senior Director of Rules & Competitions
Starting times in golf are very specific and being at the correct starting tee and being ready to play is an essential rule of golf. It is the player’s responsibility to be at the tee and ready to play not one second late. If your tee time is 8:02 AM, that means 8:02:00 AM. If the fairway ahead is not clear to play at 8:02:00, then your tee time actually changes to the precise time the fairway is clear. We have seen players arrive to the starting tee after their assigned time, but no penalized because the fairway was not clear to play safely. “Ready to play” means having at least one golf ball and at least one club with you at the starting tee.
If a player arrives late to the tee, but within five minutes of the starting time, the player receives the General Penalty which is a loss of hole penalty in match play or a two-stroke penalty in stroke play. In match play, if both players are late to the starting tee, their first hole is considered tied and the players must proceed to their second hole. If a player arrives more than five minutes after their starting time the player is disqualified.
Recent Rulings - Florida Open
In the second round of the Florida Open two weeks ago, two of the three players in a group were at the first tee several minutes before their starting time. The third player in the group was missing, so the starter called over the radio that he was missing a player. The Committee searched for the missing player without any success. The starting time came and the fairway was clear, so the missing player was late. The player arrived about two minutes late to the starting tee and the starter informed him he must begin play and add a two-stroke penalty.
The starter then called over the radio and informed the Committee of the situation. The starter also mentioned that the late arriving player had one of the other player’s clubs on the cart. The Tournament Chairman then clarified with the starter that one of the players that was present at the starting tee on time, but did not have a club and ball because he left all of his equipment on the shared golf cart and walked to the tee. The Committee discussed the situation and agreed that the player was also late to tee because he was not ready to play at their starting time. After play of the first hole, both players were informed they were late to the tee and must add a two-stroke penalty to their first hole.
The player that was at the tee without his equipment wrongly put his trust on the driver of the shared cart and assumed his equipment would arrive at the tee before his starting time. Unfortunately, his equipment did not arrive before his starting time and he was not ready to play at his starting time.
Do whatever it takes to make sure you are at your starting tee with a ball and a club before your assigned starting time.
For more on starting a round, see Rule 5.3
