Honour
The honour in golf is a player’s right to tee off first on a hole. A golfer earns it by posting the lowest score on the previous hole, or wins it by random draw on the opening tee.
What is the honour in golf?
The honour is the rule that decides who plays first from the tee on each hole of a round. The Rules of Golf, written jointly by the USGA and R&A, define it simply as “a player’s right to play first from the teeing area” (Rule 6.4). British and most international rule books spell the word “honour”; American sources use “honor.” Both spellings refer to the same thing.
The honour matters because golf is one of the few sports where the order of play is governed by the previous result. A golfer who scores well on a hole earns the right to tee off first on the next, which is treated as a small mark of respect within the group. In casual rounds, the honour is often informal, but in tournament play, it has real consequences, particularly in match play, where teeing off out of turn can cost a player a stroke.
How the honour is determined
On the first tee of a round, no scores exist yet, so the honour is settled by the order of the draw set by the competition committee, by mutual agreement among the players, or by a random method such as a coin toss (USGA Rule 6.4). Some groups simply give the honour to the player with the lowest handicap, though this is a courtesy rather than a rule.
From the second hole onwards, the player with the lowest gross score on the previous hole tees off first, second-lowest plays second, and so on (USGA Rule 6.4b). Gross scores rule here. Even in handicap competitions, where net scores settle the actual outcome, the honour is determined by raw gross totals.
Ties are handled by reverting to the previous tee. If two players card the same score on a hole, they keep the order they had on the tee they just played from. So if Player A and Player B tied on hole 3, but Player A had the honour on hole 3, Player A keeps it on hole 4.
How match play and stroke play handle the honour
Both match play and stroke play recognise the honour, but the consequences of ignoring it differ between the two formats.
| Match play | Stroke play | |
|---|---|---|
| Honour earned by | Winning the previous hole | Lowest gross score on the previous hole |
| If the hole is tied | Player with the honour keeps it | Players keep the previous tee order |
| Penalty for playing out of turn | Opponent may cancel the stroke and require a replay | No penalty (Rule 6.4b) |
| Exception | Players may agree to play out of turn to save time | Ready golf permitted, but agreeing to swap order for advantage = 2-stroke penalty |
In match play, where strategy depends on what the opponent has done, the order of play is fundamental. Under Rule 6.4a, the opponent can cancel a stroke played out of turn and make the player replay it. No penalty stroke is added. Replaying a good shot, though, often hurts more than a stroke would have.
In stroke play, no penalty applies for playing out of turn, and the rule book actively encourages golfers to play “ready golf” instead. The one exception: if two players agree to swap the order of play to give one of them an advantage, both receive a two-stroke penalty under Rule 6.4b(1).
Honour and ready golf
Ready golf is sometimes treated as the opposite of the honour, but the two sit alongside each other in the rules. Ready golf, covered under the Pace of Play guidelines, allows golfers in stroke play to tee off in order of readiness rather than strict honour order, provided everyone in the group is comfortable with it. Both governing bodies actively promote ready golf as a way to speed up rounds.
Ready golf does not apply in match play. Order of play is part of the competitive structure of a match, so even in casual matches between friends, the honour determines who plays first from the tee.
A brief history of the honour
Few golf concepts are older than the honour. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the term’s golf-specific use to the 1860s, and the earliest written citation referenced in The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms comes from an 1862 book. Most golf historians believe the practice itself is far older, dating back to Scottish links golf in the 1700s, when small wagers between players made the order of play a regular point of dispute.
The R&A formalised the concept in 1891, when it created a separate etiquette section in the rules of golf. That section stated, “The player who leads from the tee should be allowed to play before his opponent tees his ball.” The wording has changed over the years, but the principle has stayed the same for more than 130 years.
Related Golf Terms
- Hole-in-one — Completing a hole with a single stroke from the tee.
- Gross score — The actual number of strokes taken, before any handicap adjustment.
- Headcover — A protective cover placed over the head of woods and putters.
- Etiquette — The unwritten conventions of golf, formalised by the R&A in 1891.
- Heathland course — A course built on heathland with heather, gorse, and sandy soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it honour or honor in golf?
Both work. The two spellings refer to exactly the same thing in golf, with “honour” being the British and international convention used by The R&A and “honor” being the American convention used by the USGA. Pronunciation is identical.
What happens if a player plays out of turn?
In match play, the opponent may cancel the stroke and require a replay (Rule 6.4a). In stroke play, no penalty applies, but if two players agree to swap order to gain an advantage, both receive a two-stroke penalty (Rule 6.4b(1)).
Does the honour matter in casual rounds?
Not strictly. Most casual groups use ready golf to keep play moving. The honour matters most in match play and tournament stroke play, where it carries actual rules consequences.
Who has the honour on the first tee?
On the opening tee, the honour is set by the order of the draw, by agreement among the players, or by a random method such as a coin toss. Some groups give it to the player with the lowest handicap, though this is a convention rather than a rule.
Sources
- USGA. “Rule 6: Playing a Hole, 6.4 Order of Play When Playing a Hole.” Official Rules of Golf. Accessed May 2026.
- R&A. “Rule 6: Playing a Hole.” Rules of Golf. Accessed May 2026.
- Oxford English Dictionary. “honour, n.” Entry on golf usage dating to the 1860s. Accessed May 2026.
- Davies, Peter. The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms. Citation referenced via Golf Compendium.
- The R&A. “1891 Rules of Golf, Etiquette Section.” Historical record.
