Teeing Off

There is more to starting the game than just rushing up and teeing off – read on!

Having arrived at the golf course well ahead of time, paid your green fee (if necessary) and rented whatever equipment needed, you are ready to meet the rest of your foursome (unless you already know them). You all check in with the Starter prior to the required time for teeing off, and he/she will let you know whether everything is on time or whether it is running early or late. At many clubs, there is a practice putting green adjacent to the starting tee. You can practice putting while you wait.

When it is approaching your tee-off time, the starter will have you move to the tee preparatory to teeing off. At this time you decide the order of tee-off. The most common manner is to flip a tee in the air and call "clockwise" or "counterclockwise". Whomever the tee points to (or closest) will have the honors (hit first) followed in order by the others in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Note that the order of hitting can be altered by agreement among all players in the group at any time (not recommended for competitions when it might provide an advantage to a given player). For example, it may be a good idea on the tee to "hit when ready" in order to save time, especially if you are running behind. On the fairway however, the normal order of hitting may be the safest (see below).

As everyone is teeing off, the other members of the group should watch carefully to get some idea of where each ball ends up. This will help in finding the balls quickly. The flight of the balls could be either straight or could be curved in shape to the left or the right. The following diagram illustrates this and identifies what each is called in golf parlance.

Note that these are indicated for a right-handed golfer. For a left-handed golfer they are the opposite. For example, the curve shown as a slice for a right-handed golfer, would be a hook for a left-handed golfer, and so on. (Of course, a straight shot is the same for both.) The basic difference between a hook and a draw, or between a slice and a fade, is that the hook and slice are generally the results of a bad hit. Draws and fades are often planned hits.

Etiquette

You should ensure that no one is standing close by or in a position to be hit by the club or stones or pebbles when you make a practice swing. The same applies when you are teeing off.

If it appears that your ball may be in danger of hitting someone either on your own fairway or on another fairway, or in the rough or woods, you should immediately shout "fore" as a warning.

Only the player teeing off should be standing in the tee box. Other members of the group may stand on the teeing ground, but outside of the tee box, and not behind the hitting player. Players should not tee up their ball until it is their turn to play. While players are teeing off, try not to move around, talk, or be distracting in any way.

All members of the group should watch the flight of every ball

Generally, all players should wait at the tee until everyone has hit. While play is normally controlled at the first tee by the starter, each group must control its play on all other holes. The principal requirement is not to hit into the group ahead. This means that you must allow the group ahead to gain enough distance so that your drives will be short of them before teeing off.

If your ball has clearly been hit out of bounds then you must hit again and your ball will then be lying 3 (this is a stroke and distance penalty). If it appears that your ball may be close to the Out of Bounds (OB), but you aren't sure whether or not it is, then you should declare and hit a provisional ball. This will save time in case your ball is found OB. (Use the same approach if you think that your ball may be in an area where it will be hard to find). This approach is needed because in either case (OB or lost) you would have to return to the tee to hit your recovery ball. Players hitting provisional balls should do so after all other players in the group have hit their drive.

Power carts or pull carts must not be taken or driven on the teeing ground

Applicable Rules

The key rules for teeing off are relatively simple:

• You must tee off with the ball inside the tee box
• If you swing at the ball but do not hit it (i.e. whiff), the stroke counts. You must then repeat the swing. If you miss the ball on the swing, but the ball falls off the tee the stroke counts and you must play the ball where it lies. There is no penalty.
• If the ball falls off the tee when not in play or as a result of being addressed, there is no stroke and no penalty. Re-tee the ball and play again.
• The mythical "mulligan" is exactly that!

To go to On The Green click here

To go to Slow Play click here

To return from Teeing Off to Paying Golf click here