Breakfast Ball
A breakfast ball is an informal do-over on the first tee, letting a golfer replay a poor opening shot without counting the first one. It is a type of mulligan, and it is not part of the official Rules of Golf.
What is a breakfast ball?
The first tee is where nerves show up. A golfer arrives, maybe rushed, maybe cold, maybe with no range to warm up on, and sends the opening drive somewhere it was never meant to go. A breakfast ball is the group’s way of waving that off: hit another one, and pretend the first never happened.
It is a courtesy rather than a rule. Because it lives outside the official Rules of Golf, a breakfast ball only exists when the players agree it does, usually in a casual round, a friendly match, or a charity scramble. Serious competition has no room for it. The practice is popular enough that a poll run by The Grateful Golfer found roughly half of respondents take a first-tee mulligan at least some of the time, most often when they had no chance to warm up.
The shot has one job: to keep a relaxed round from starting in misery. It is not a scoring rule and does not count toward a handicap. Beyond the goodwill of the people in the group, it carries no weight at all.
Why it is called a breakfast ball
The name comes from early morning golf. A player who rolls up to an early tee time, straight from breakfast and with no time on the range, is the classic candidate for a rough opening swing. The breakfast ball gives that player a second try before the round properly begins.
The idea echoes the origin of the mulligan itself. Nobody is certain where the term came from, but the most repeated story points to John A. Mulligan, a locker room attendant at Essex Falls Country Club in New Jersey, who is said to have replayed a bad shot because he had been working while his partners warmed up. A breakfast ball taken later in the day sometimes picks up a different label, such as a lunch ball, though the first-tee version is the one golfers mean by default.
How a breakfast ball works
The group settles it before anyone tees off. One player asks, “Breakfast ball on one?” If everyone is in, each golfer gets the option to replay a bad first drive.
When a golfer uses one, the second tee shot becomes the ball in play. The first shot is set aside and does not count. Most groups treat it that way by default, which means a player cannot hit a good drive, try again, and then keep whichever result looks better. A few groups are looser and let the player pick the best of the two, and some hand an unused breakfast ball to a player as a mulligan for later in the round. None of this is fixed, because there is no rulebook behind it. The custom is whatever the group decides, and the fair version is agreed on up front.
One point stays consistent across almost every group: the breakfast ball belongs on the first tee, and only there. Stretching it into a second-hole or third-hole do-over is where the courtesy starts to wear out its welcome.
Breakfast ball vs mulligan
Golfers use the two words almost interchangeably, and that is where the confusion starts. A breakfast ball is a specific kind of mulligan. The difference is timing and place.
| Breakfast ball | Mulligan | |
|---|---|---|
| When it is used | First tee, start of the round | Any point the group allows |
| Where it applies | Opening tee shot only | Tee, fairway, or around the green |
| Official status | Not in the Rules of Golf | Not in the Rules of Golf |
| Typical setting | Casual rounds, scrambles, charity days | Casual rounds, scrambles, charity days |
| Rule of thumb | Every breakfast ball is a mulligan | Not every mulligan is a breakfast ball |
There is also a separate term worth keeping straight. A provisional ball sounds similar but belongs to the actual rulebook: a golfer plays it when the original ball might be lost or out of bounds, and if the original turns up in play, it usually still counts. A breakfast ball erases the first shot on purpose. A provisional follows the rules to save time. The two are not the same thing.
Is a breakfast ball allowed under the rules?
No. Neither the USGA nor the R&A recognizes the breakfast ball, and their rules are blunt on the point: every stroke made at the ball counts, and the game is about playing the ball as it lies. Taking a do-over in a tournament or any round played by the book is a breach that can cost a penalty or a disqualification. A score that includes a breakfast ball also should not be posted for handicap, since the number would not reflect a clean round.
Casual golf is a different world. Away from competition, a breakfast ball is fine when the group agrees to it beforehand and nobody pretends the resulting score is official. Charity scrambles often lean into the idea and sell mulligans or breakfast balls as a way to raise money, which makes the do-over part of that event’s own rules. The line is simple: use one openly by agreement, and be honest about the score afterward.
Related Golf Terms
- Duffer — Slang for a beginner or habitually poor golfer.
- Bogey train — Slang for a frustrating run of consecutive bogeys.
- World ranking — The global system ranking professional golfers by results.
- Hacker — Slang for an unskilled or inconsistent golfer.
- Driving range mat — A synthetic hitting surface used at practice ranges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a breakfast ball count?
Under official scoring, the first shot always counts. In a casual round, a group may agree to ignore that first swing, but a score built on a breakfast ball is not the same as a clean, postable one.
Can you take a breakfast ball on any hole?
Traditionally no. The breakfast ball is a first-tee shot only. Some relaxed groups extend the courtesy, but that is less common and drifts into general mulligan territory.
How many breakfast balls can you take?
The usual understanding is one, on the first tee, per player. Anything beyond that depends entirely on what the group agreed to before the round.
Can you use a breakfast ball in a tournament?
Almost never. Serious events play by the Rules of Golf, where a breakfast ball is not allowed. The exception is a scramble or charity format that specifically sells or permits them.
Is a breakfast ball the same as a provisional ball?
No. A provisional is a real procedure for a ball that may be lost or out of bounds, and it can end up not being needed. A breakfast ball is an unofficial do-over meant to wipe out the first shot.
Sources
- USGA and R&A. “Rules of Golf.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.randa.org/en/rog/the-rules-of-golf - Golf Monthly. “What Is a Breakfast Ball in Golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/what-is-a-breakfast-ball-in-golf - Golf News Net. “What is a breakfast ball in golf, and what does it mean to use one?” Accessed July 2026.
https://thegolfnewsnet.com/ryan_ballengee/2026/03/13/what-is-a-breakfast-ball-in-golf-and-what-does-it-mean-to-use-one-125983/ - Wikipedia. “Mulligan (games).” Accessed July 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulligan_(games) - The Grateful Golfer. “Using a Breakfast Ball on the First Tee.” Accessed July 2026.
https://thegratefulgolfer.com/2020/07/17/using-a-breakfast-ball-on-the-first-tee/ - Coaching Kidz. “What Is a Breakfast Ball in Golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://coachingkidz.com/what-is-a-breakfast-ball-in-golf/
