Every player at ONE time in their career has been late for their starting time or knows someone that has.

Not all competitions at your club will require strict adherence to an official tee-time; but do not get caught off guard when you play in other competitions.

It seems that players have a series of reasons to justify their disqualification penalty regardless of how well defined the Rule states "The Player must start at the time established by the Committee." It does not say that you may arrive at the teeing ground after your time or before the last player tees off.

If your official starting time is listed as 9:00 AM that means 9:00:00 AM. If you arrive at 9:00:45 then you are late as explained in decision 6-3a/2.5.

If you (player C – third player to play) arrive after player A has teed off but before player B has completed teeing off, are you considered late to the tee? Decision 6-3a/2 states in part "ALL players in a group must be present and ready to play at the time established by the Committee."

HOW DO I PREVENT BEING LATE TO THE TEE:

1. Know your tee time and confirm your tee time on site or with the Committee.
2. Arrive at the course in plenty of time just in case you misread the starter’s list or were told/heard a different time when you called the Committee or proshop.
3. Delays in route to the course are typically not accepted as explained in decision 6-3a/1.5.

HOWEVER:

The NOTE under rules 6-3 states in part:

“The Committee may provide in the conditions of a competition that, if a player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waving the penalty of disqualification the penalty will be two strokes at the first hole played in stoke play or loss of the first hole played in match play instead of disqualification.”

This NOTE is not always in effect, and it is the player’s responsibility to know the conditions of the competition.

JUST BE AT THE TEE FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO YOUR ASSIGNED TEE TIME AND YOU WILL NEVER GET DISQUALIFIED OR A TWO STROKE PENALTY – HOW EASY IS THAT.

Rule 6-3 Time of Starting and Groups
a. Time of Starting
The player must start at the time established by the Committee.
b. Groups
In stroke play, the competitor must remain throughout the round in the group arranged by the Committee unless the Committee authorizes or ratifies a change.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 6-3:
Disqualification.
(Best-ball and four-ball play — see Rules 30-3a and 31-2.)
Note: The Committee may provide in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1) that, if the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification.

To view or print a summary of this Rule for club postings, click here.