Golf Glossary
Honour
In short
The honour is the right to play first from a teeing area. At the first hole the draw, an agreement or a random method decides. After that, in match play the honour goes to the player who won the previous hole, and in stroke play to the player with the lowest gross score there. After the tee shots, the ball farthest from the hole is played first.
What does honour mean in golf?
The player who has the honour tees off first. The German term Ehre is a direct translation of it. It does not mean an award in the usual sense but a place in the order of play. It results from the previous hole and applies only to the next tee.
The honour keeps the game in order. It makes sure that several players do not step onto the tee at once and nobody is endangered or disturbed by the strokes of others. The rules are in Rule 6.4, which covers the order of play.
The honour does not decide who putts first on the green. On the way to the hole a second rule applies: the ball farthest from the hole is played first. The honour concerns only the order at the teeing area.
Who has the honour on the first hole?
On the first hole there is no result yet, so something else decides. The rules give three options: the order of the draw set by the Committee, an agreement between the players, or a random method such as tossing a coin or drawing straws.
In competitions the starting sheet sets the order. It is on the notice or the posted start list. Whoever is named first tees off first. In a private round among friends you simply agree. It is customary for the player with the lowest handicap to start, or for the order to be decided by a coin toss. That is only habit, not a rule.
With a coin toss, a tee toss or drawing numbers, everyone has the same chance. Nobody is short-changed, and there is no argument.
Honour at later holes: match play and stroke play
From the second hole the honour depends on the result. The procedure differs by format.
In match play the honour goes to the player who won the previous hole. If the hole was halved, the player keeps the honour from the hole before. Order matters particularly in match play. If a player plays out of turn, the opponent may have the stroke cancelled. The player must then play again.
In stroke play the honour goes to the player who finished the previous hole with the lowest gross score. That is the number of strokes actually played, without handicap allowance. The player with the second-best score tees off second, then the next. If several players took the same number of strokes, they keep their earlier order.
In stroke play there is no penalty for teeing off out of turn. Ready golf applies there, when it is done safely.
Ready golf: when the honour does not matter
The honour is important, but it must not hold up play. In stroke play players may, and are encouraged to, play out of turn when it is safe and saves time. This principle is called ready golf. The rules expressly recommend it.
An example: the player with the honour is still looking for a club or waiting until the group ahead is out of range. A playing partner is ready to tee off. He may simply tee off first. What matters is that nobody is put at risk and all playing partners stand behind the player teeing off.
In match play that does not apply automatically. There the order is part of the contest. The players may agree, however, that one plays out of turn to save time. In stroke play, by contrast, one thing is prohibited: agreeing to play out of turn to give one player an advantage. Every player involved gets two penalty strokes.
Ready golf is particularly helpful on crowded courses and is part of modern golf etiquette.
A practical example: a group of four in stroke play
Anna, Ben, Cem and Dora are playing stroke play. According to the starting sheet they tee off at the first hole in this order. The hole is a par 4.
Anna takes 4 strokes, Ben 5, Cem 4 and Dora 6. At the second hole Anna has the honour because her score is the lowest. Cem also took 4. As the two are tied, they keep their order from the first hole. Anna tees off first, then Cem, then Ben and finally Dora.
After the tee shots the second rule applies. If Dora's ball lies 180 metres from the hole and Anna's ball 120 metres, Dora plays first. In match play it would be different: if Anna beats Ben at the second hole, she also has the honour at the third. If they halve the third, Anna keeps it at the fourth.
Common mistakes and tips
The same mistakes come up again and again with the honour:
- Wrong score: in stroke play the gross score counts. Net scores with handicap do not decide the honour.
- Forgetting the honour: if you do not know whose turn it is on the tee, you hold up play. Just ask.
- Teeing off too early: even though ready golf is allowed, never hit while playing partners are still in your line of fire.
- Wrong order after the tee shots: then the honour no longer counts, only the distance to the hole.
- Playing out of turn in match play: the opponent may have the stroke cancelled.
One tip for beginners: keep the honour in mind, but do not give up pace. The order is meant to serve the game, not slow it down. If unsure, ask yourself: who is ready, and is it safe? Then that player goes. That is also part of the Platzreife you learn in the course.
Honour compared with start time and flight
The honour is only indirectly connected with the start list, the starting time and the flight.
The start time says when your group steps onto the first tee. It applies to the whole group. A flight is the group of players who start together, usually two to four. Within the flight the honour governs the order on the tee.
The order of play after the tee shot depends instead on the distance to the hole. The player farthest away plays first. That is a separate rule and has nothing to do with the honour.
One more difference: the honour is no advantage in the game. It earns no strokes. It only orders the sequence so that safety and consideration are preserved on the course.
Try it at Golf Lounge
If you want to practise the honour in real play, you can play the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. It can be played with the DGV Platzreife from April to December. One to four players can be booked per tee time, so exactly one group. From May to October there is a handicap-qualifying 9-hole competition every Saturday at 9 am.
Frequently asked questions
What does honour mean in golf?
The player with the honour tees off first. At the first hole the start list, an agreement or a draw decides. After that the honour goes to the winner of the previous hole, or in stroke play to the player with the lowest gross score. After the tee shots the ball farthest from the hole is always played first.
Who tees off first in golf?
At the first hole the start list or an agreement decides who tees off first. At later holes the honour goes, in match play, to the winner of the last hole and, in stroke play, to the player with the lowest gross score. If scores are tied, the previous order stays.
Do I have to follow the honour?
In match play, yes, because the order is part of the contest. If a player plays out of turn, the opponent may have the stroke cancelled. In stroke play there is no penalty for playing out of turn. Ready golf is expressly allowed there, when it is done safely.
Who plays first after the tee shot?
After the tee shot, the ball farthest from the hole is played first. The honour concerns only the order on the tee. On the way to the green it no longer matters who won last, only who is farthest from the hole.
What is ready golf?
Ready golf means that whoever is ready plays first, instead of waiting strictly for their turn. In stroke play it is allowed and encouraged when done safely. It saves time and keeps up the pace. In match play it is only possible if both sides agree.
As of: October 2026