Golf Glossary
Mulligan
In short
A mulligan is a replayed shot without penalty that golfers allow each other in casual rounds or fun events. It usually applies to a poor tee shot, which is simply not counted. The mulligan does not exist in the official Rules of Golf, so rounds with mulligans do not count for handicap purposes.
Mulligan in golf: the meaning explained
Every golfer knows the moment: the first tee shot of the day goes wrong. The ball flies out of bounds, into a pond or barely twenty metres. In a relaxed round among friends someone will often say: ‘Take a mulligan.’ You tee up a new ball and hit again. The first shot is not counted and there is no penalty.
The group decides how many mulligans are allowed. Common versions are:
- one mulligan on the first tee
- one mulligan per nine holes
- one mulligan per round, to be used at any time, usually only from the tee
What matters is that everyone agrees before the round. A mulligan is a friendly gesture, not an entitlement.
What the Rules of Golf say about mulligans
The official Rules of Golf from The R&A and the USGA have no mulligan. Every stroke counts. You may always play a new ball from where you made your last stroke, which is called stroke-and-distance relief (Rule 18.1). But the first stroke and a penalty stroke both count, so your new tee shot is your third stroke.
A provisional ball (Rule 18.3) is not a mulligan either. You may only play one if your ball might be lost or out of bounds, and if the original ball is found you continue with it.
In a competition, replaying a stroke without counting it means returning a score that is too low, which leads to disqualification in stroke play. Rounds with mulligans are therefore not acceptable for handicap purposes.
Practical example: a mulligan on the first tee
Four friends play a casual round and agree beforehand: one mulligan per nine holes, from the tee only. On the first hole, a par 4, Anna slices her drive out of bounds. She takes her mulligan and the second ball finds the middle of the fairway. For scoring purposes this is her first stroke. Two more shots reach the green and she two-putts. Result: 5 strokes, a bogey.
Under the official Rules the same hole would look different. The ball out of bounds costs stroke and distance, so the second tee shot is already her third stroke. The bogey would become a 7, a triple bogey.
That two-stroke difference shows why mulligans are banned in competitions and so popular in friendly rounds.
Mulligans at fun events and corporate days
At fun competitions, corporate days and charity events, the mulligan is often part of the format. The terms of the competition state whether mulligans are allowed and how many. At some charity events players can buy mulligans for a donation, with the money going to a good cause.
Mulligans are also popular in team formats such as the Texas scramble, where every player in a team plays from the best position. An extra mulligan per team makes the game even more relaxed and helps beginners.
Such competitions are usually not counting for handicap, so they do not affect your Handicap Index. Fun and the shared experience come first. Still, read the competition terms before you tee off so everyone in the group knows what is allowed.
Origin: where does the word mulligan come from?
Nobody knows exactly where the term comes from. Most explanations trace it to a golfer with the surname Mulligan.
The name mentioned most often is David Mulligan, a Canadian who is said to have played at St. Lambert Country Club near Montreal in the 1920s and simply re-teed after a bad drive. A second story involves John ‘Buddy’ Mulligan at a club in New Jersey in the 1930s. Both stories were only written down decades later, and neither is reliably documented.
Today the word is known far beyond golf. In English, ‘taking a mulligan’ generally means getting a second chance. Some card games also use the term for redrawing a poor opening hand.
Common mistakes with mulligans
Most problems with mulligans come from not agreeing on them properly.
- No rule before the round: if mulligans are only discussed after a bad shot, someone soon feels hard done by. Agree how many and when on the first tee.
- Mixing up a mulligan and a provisional ball: if you hit a second ball after one heads towards out of bounds, say first whether it is a mulligan or a provisional. Otherwise nobody knows later which ball counts.
- Picking the better ball: a mulligan replaces the first shot. Playing both balls and choosing the better one is a separate arrangement.
- Mulligans on the green: many groups rule out mulligans when putting, otherwise the game quickly loses its appeal.
- Mulligans in a qualifying round: if you are playing in a competition or have registered the round for handicap purposes, you may not take a mulligan, even if everyone in the group agrees.
- Too many mulligans: every replayed shot takes time, and on a busy course it holds up the group behind.
Mulligan, provisional ball and gimme compared
Three terms are often confused. Here is how they differ:
- Mulligan: a voluntary replay without penalty, only by agreement in casual rounds. Not part of the Rules of Golf.
- Provisional ball: an official second ball under Rule 18.3 when the first might be lost or out of bounds. It counts with a penalty stroke if it comes into play.
- Gimme: a short putt is conceded and treated as holed. In match play this is allowed as a concession (Rule 3.2b). Stroke play has no concessions: every ball must be holed out, or the player risks disqualification.
In American English the mulligan on the first tee is sometimes called a ‘breakfast ball’.
A tip for fair rounds: take your mulligan quickly so the group behind does not have to wait. And if you want to submit the score for your handicap, do without it altogether.
Try it at Golf Lounge
A relaxed round with friends, where your group decides on mulligans, can also be played indoors at the Golf Lounge. The TrackMan simulators can be used all year round, whatever the weather. Up to four people play together per booking, for one to four hours. You can choose famous courses such as Pebble Beach or St Andrews, plus skill formats like Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mulligan in golf?
A mulligan is a replayed shot without penalty. Golfers usually take one after a poor tee shot in a casual round. The first shot is not counted and you carry on with the new ball. The group agrees before the round how many mulligans are allowed, for example one per nine holes.
Are mulligans allowed under the Rules of Golf?
No. The official Rules of Golf have no mulligan, and every stroke counts. You may only play a new ball under the stroke-and-distance penalty, which means the first stroke and one penalty stroke both count. Anyone who leaves out a stroke in a competition returns a wrong score and is disqualified in stroke play.
Where does the name mulligan come from?
Mulligan is originally an Irish surname, and the term probably goes back to a golfer of that name. David Mulligan, said to have played near Montreal in the 1920s, is mentioned most often, but the story is not documented. In English, ‘a mulligan’ now generally means a second chance.
Does a round with mulligans count for handicap?
No. Under the World Handicap System only rounds played under the official Rules of Golf count. A mulligan breaks those rules. If you want to submit a round for your handicap, play without mulligans and count every stroke, including penalty strokes.
As of: October 2026