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Golf’s Rules prohibit unreasonable delay, but they do not impose one universal time limit for every shot or recreational round. Under Rule 5.6a, the default penalty for repeated unreasonable delay escalates from one penalty stroke to the general penalty and then disqualification. Tournament committees may also publish a local pace-of-play policy with its own timing and enforcement procedures, so players should check the rules for their event.
What counts as unreasonable delay?
Rule 5.6a prohibits unreasonable delay while playing a hole and between holes. It does not make every pause a breach: whether a delay is unreasonable depends on the circumstances. A short delay may be justified for a good reason, such as seeking help from a referee or the Committee, or dealing with injury or illness.
The rule applies between holes as well as during play. If a breach occurs between holes, its penalty applies to the next hole.
What is the penalty for slow play?
The default Rule 5.6a penalty sequence for repeated breaches is:
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| Breach | Penalty |
|---|---|
| First | One penalty stroke |
| Second | The general penalty: two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play |
| Third | Disqualification |
This is the Rules’ default sequence for unreasonable delay. A competition may also enforce a separate local pace-of-play policy, whose procedures and penalties depend on the policy adopted for that event.
How long do you have to hit a shot?
Rule 5.6b recommends that a player make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds once the player is, or should be, able to play without interference or distraction. Players should usually play more quickly. The 40-second figure is a recommendation in the Rules, not a universal automatic clock that applies at every course.
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The Committee in charge of a competition can adopt a local policy with specific timing procedures. If players are told they are being timed, the applicable event policy—not the 40-second recommendation alone—sets the procedure and consequences.
Why do tournament pace-of-play rules vary?
A Committee may adopt a Local Rule pace-of-play policy tailored to its competition. Course characteristics, field size and group size can affect what pace is practical, so a policy may specify limits and enforcement details that differ from another event’s.
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Official Committee guidance identifies these possible policy elements:
- Maximum time for a round, a hole, a series of holes or an individual stroke.
- How the Committee defines a group as “out of position.”
- When players or groups may be monitored or timed, and how timing works.
- Warnings and the penalty structure.
For a particular event, consult its published policy or competition terms. The 2023 Rules of Golf and additional clarifications are available from The R&A Rules of Golf resources; The R&A says its clarifications were updated October 2, 2026, and lists a 2026 pace-of-play policy resource. Its pace-of-play manual addresses management practices, course setup and player behaviour. The event’s own Committee policy remains the source for its actual limits and procedures.
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What does “on the clock” mean?
In a competition, “on the clock” generally means that a player or group is being timed under the event’s pace-of-play policy. The phrase alone does not establish a universal time limit or penalty. The policy determines when timing may begin, how a bad time is recorded, whether a warning is given and what penalties apply.
Do not assume that a local policy uses the same trigger or escalation as Rule 5.6a. The default rule penalties and the policy’s stated enforcement process are distinct; check the competition’s terms for the details.
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Is ready golf allowed?
In stroke play, players may play out of turn to save time when doing so is safe and responsible. Safety comes first: do not play while another person could be in danger or distracted. Match play has a different order-of-play context, so the stroke-play permission should not be treated as applying identically to every format.
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