With winter in full swing, golf isn't on the minds of many across the country. Sure, the PGA Tour is playing at Torrey Pines right now, and perhaps you have access to a simulator to work on your game, but you are probably not getting outside to do much.
In my state, the first high school golf team practice was a couple of weeks ago, so the season's getting underway. Not on a school golf team? Some junior tours play events in the spring, or perhaps you are on a period of prolonged prep before junior golf starts in earnest this summer.
What many PGA professionals miss is what players need to know when playing competition rounds – whether junior golf, high school golf, or, more broadly, adults playing events at their local clubs. Let’s explore.
While examples may vary by level, the fundamentals of tournament golf are remarkably similar whether you’re a junior, high school player, amateur, or PGA Tour player.
Sure, you might find an instructional program run by a local PGA professional – a wonderful way to get started or perhaps a way to kick the rust off.
Before you start, and this is important, take an honest assessment of your game. Are you still working on making contact with the ball, shooting in the 80’s, hitting the ball well but way too short a distance, or are too erratic with the driver? Those are good items to be aware of, and whether you are ready. A trusted PGA Professional is a useful resource if you need help.
Some information will naturally come across early on.
This is basic information like dates, courses, entry fee, format, etc.
A local junior tour that costs $200 for four one-day, nine-hole events in and around your city is perhaps excellent value, especially if you are starting out or are budget conscious. A club event that is $80 for an eighteen-hole event might be attractive and also a pleasant experience; a regional tour with two-round events and a $270 entry fee at a course a few hours away is another thing.
Now that you have entered, it is time to be aware of more details.
Will you be walking or taking a cart? Can you have a caddie? Can you play a practice round on the competition course?
In junior golf, it is extremely rare for players to take golf carts. Caddies are less uncommon but are generally restricted to USGA events or the very young ages. Normally, junior golfers must carry their bags, or possibly (but not always) be allowed to use a push cart, and make decisions on their own. College events sometimes allow golf carts, but not all, and most adult amateur events allow golf carts.
In general, the more grassroots the level of the competition, the less likely practice rounds will be available. When I played the now-defunct New Orleans Golf Association Junior Tour, practice rounds were not available. By contrast, when I played the PGA Professional National Championship, there were the three days prior to the first round set aside for players to play practice rounds – with none of the host club's members, resort guests, or anyone else permitted.
I will discuss practice rounds in a future article, but it is a suitable time to generally see the course, how it plays and to generally make a game plan.
It is now a few days before, what else do you need to know?
What is your tee time and starting hole? Is it a shotgun? Are there any rules sheets available to look over? A few days prior to competition day, you will find out your starting time.
Are you starting on #1 or #10 and at what time? An 8:43 AM tee time, starting on #10 may sound a bit odd, but tournament organizers stagger starting times to allow each group to hit their opening tee shots, move down the fairway, hit again, then move on so the next group can start their rounds.
By the Rules of Golf, players must be at their starting hole no later than their announced starting time, ready to play. It is highly encouraged to be early; late can result in a penalty or even a disqualification from the event.
Is it a shotgun? If so, what time do you have to be there, and where specifically do you need to be when? Events with shotgun starts have a specific place players need to be by a certain time. In my PGA Section events with 10 AM shotgun starts, we must report to the scoring area by 9:40 AM.
It is now the morning of, and I hope you had a good night’s sleep.
Are you dressed properly? Where is the range, and do you need to pay for range balls? If you have a spectator with you, can they rent a spectator cart?
Dress code can be overlooked usually as golf attire has not evolved too much over the years. Jeans, mock-neck shirts and certain types of collars remain the most common question mark at most courses, though shorts are prohibited in some areas.
Smaller events and/or some courses require players to pay for range balls. If you must pay, be aware you may need to bring a card or cash. The bigger the event or the more prestigious the venue, the more likely range balls will be included. Same with spectator carts – the smaller the event, the more likely spectators can drive a golf cart around to watch, the bigger the event, the more unlikely.
You are at the first hole at your tee time (or first hole in the shotgun), now what?
The Starter will hand you a scorecard and they will have a combination of other items available: pencils, tees, ball markers, repair tools, rules sheets and other handouts, etc.
You will also meet the other players you are playing with, exchange scorecards, check what golf ball everyone is playing, and get the order of play.
The tournament will have an official scorecard for each player. That scorecard could be the course’s scorecard with your name written on it, or a more generic and plainer-looking scorecard made by a tournament software (in recent years, some ‘scorecards’ are digitally kept on an app like Golf Genius or BlueGolf).
Players exchange scorecards with others in their group, resulting in you keeping someone else’s score and someone else keeping yours.
Players will show each other what golf ball they plan to use – at least to start. The idea is to ensure two players are not playing identical golf balls and so if there is a search for a potentially lost ball, everyone knows what they are looking for. If players have similar golf balls, adding a mark with a marker can be enough to tell the difference.
In the past, rules sheets were handed to players at the first tee or when checking in for a shotgun. The Starter would go over a few things and players would have only a few moments to skim over and ask questions. It is becoming more common for rules sheets to be posted in advance – usually on the same website as tee times or starting holes and the link to the tournament results.
Some bigger events separate entering a tournament from registering from a tournament. When I played in the PGA Professional Championship, I entered the tournament on an online link and paid an entry fee. When I arrived on site, I had to literally go to a room and identify myself and register. There, I would get various information – and some goodies – about where to find tee times, notifications, take a picture, and provide media related information.
At the first tee in those events, I got a rules sheet, hole location sheet, scorecard, and that was about it – no extra information from the starter.
The Starter will tell the players the order and will give a countdown as to when to begin. Some events prefer players to go in a specific order, as it could affect tiebreakers or pairings in future rounds, and other events are less concerned. Further, some events are diligent that players wait until the moment the clock ticks to their tee time, and others are more lax about starting early. If players are unable to hit their tee shots because the group in front is still in range, things fall behind unfortunately – but it does happen.
Before leaving the first tee, players are wise to be sure they have a repair tool, ball mark, and a tee.
Your round is now in progress, what do I need to know?
One of the biggest adjustments for first-time competitors is pace of play. Tournament rounds often take longer than casual rounds, yet players are expected to be ready to play when it is their turn.
In general, the player farthest from the hole plays next. However, many events encourage “Ready Golf,” allowing players to play out of order when it is safe and helps keep the group moving. This is especially common when a player is delayed searching for a ball or walking to their next shot.
Good pace of play is less about speed and more about awareness. This means preparing for your shot while others are playing, walking with purpose between shots, and limiting practice swings and conversations when it is your turn to play.
By the Rules of Golf, you are required to play the ball as it lies – that is, wherever it stopped is where you hit it again from. Some events play Preferred Lies and have a procedure that, in certain areas, allows you to nudge your ball around in a specific manner to get your ball into an easier place to hit it from.
There are places where your ball can end up that may seem unrealistic for you to play it from like water, cart paths, sprinkler heads, and Abnormal Course Conditions. There are rules to address issues like these. If you are aware of how to proceed, you are wise to loop in the others in your group, but you do not necessarily have to. Ignorance of the Rules does not protect you – it can cause more issues, unfortunately, but you have help.
If you do not know what to do, you could work it out with the others in your group, but your best bet is to look for a ruling. Events should have a Rules Official available to assist – either by phone or simply by locating them as they move around the course. If a Rules Official is out of reach, you can consult the Rules of Golf – either online or on the app. Unlike what you might think, the governing bodies wrote the Rules in a manner that was reasonably understandable, unlike other sports.
If still no luck, the best bet is to “play two balls.” The idea is to figure out what you can, announce the option you would prefer if there is more than one correct procedure, and play out the rest of the hole from any of the places that seem like they could be correct, seek out a Rules Official later, and let them decide which was correct and what your score should be.
Unlike what you may think of officials in other sports, Rules Officials are there to fully help players. They generally will let the player decide from a variety of available options and, after the player has moved on, sometimes they will advise a player to make a potentially better decision they could have made.
You have finished the last hole, now what?
You will go to the scoring area to turn in your scorecard. Here, you will sign your name on the scorecard you were keeping and hand it back to the player whose score you were keeping. The player who was keeping your score will sign their name and hand your scorecard back to you. Here, you will go hole by hole to ensure all eighteen (or nine) holes have the correct score written down and discuss any errors. There will be a scorer in the area to help with a variety of questions that may arise.
Unlike what you may think, Rule 3.3 (5) specifies that you are not responsible for adding up your score, and if you did anyway, you have no penalty for adding it up incorrectly – that is specifically the responsibility of the Rules Official, Scorer and the Tournament Committee.
If your eighteen (or nine) scores are correct, sign your name on your scorecard – totaling two signatures – and turn it into the Scorer. The Scorer will go over the scorecard and double check that what the Scorer has calculated is what you think you should have – if not, then they will continue to collaborate with you until all seems correct.
Lastly, once your scorecard is turned in, you are permitted to leave the Scoring Area. At that point, you are unable to make any changes, and your score is considered “turned in.” The Scoring Area for some events uses the area immediately around a table, some use the entirety of a room, some draw a line around a tent.
You made it! Time for self-reflection and checking the scoreboard.
A few other items to be aware of.
The others in your group are not necessarily friends until you have built some rapport with them. Golf is unlike team sports in players like the idea of everyone doing well and having respect for the abilities of their fellow competitors.
Standing still and remaining quiet while someone else is hitting, and complimenting a good shot is the expectation.
Tournament golf rewards preparation, awareness, and respect — for the course, the rules, and the people you’re playing with. The more you know before you tee it up, the freer you are to focus on the one thing that matters once the round starts: committing fully to the next shot.