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A golf tee time is the scheduled time a player or group is assigned to start a round. Most groups start one after another from the 1st tee; a split-tee start sends groups off from both the 1st and 10th tees, while a shotgun start sends groups out simultaneously from several holes. The booking confirmation and starter’s instructions tell you which format applies and where to begin.

What a tee time reserves

A tee time reserves a place in the course’s starting order for a player or group. It does not set one universal interval between groups: courses decide their own spacing, party-size limits, and check-in procedures.

For example, PGA WEST’s course information says its La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST properties send foursomes off at nine-minute intervals and do not allow fivesomes. Those are rules for those properties, not a general standard for golf courses.

How ordinary tee-time order works

Starting from the 1st tee

In a standard start, groups begin at hole 1 and play the holes in course order. The first group starts at its assigned time; following groups leave in their booked order when the preceding group has started and the course is ready for the next slot. The interval is set by the course, not by a universal rule in the Rules of Golf.

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Starting from the 10th tee

A course may run a split-tee start, with one sequence beginning at hole 1 and another at hole 10. A group starting on 10 plays holes 10 through 18, then continues at hole 1 once the turn is clear and in line with the course’s or event’s instructions. A 10th-tee start is not necessarily available to walk-up players; check the booking details.

What a shotgun start means

In a shotgun start, groups begin at the same time from multiple assigned holes rather than leaving one by one from a single tee. Each group plays forward in course order, wrapping from 18 to 1 where necessary, until it has played the holes before its starting point. The format is common for club and corporate events because it can bring the field in around a shared finish time. The R&A pace-of-play manual describes shotgun starts and their use for events.

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Event organizers determine the starting assignments and whether the course is reserved for the field. A shotgun event does not by itself establish whether ordinary tee times are also available that day.

How the starting formats differ

Format Where groups start How starts are sequenced Typical finish pattern
Standard Hole 1 Groups start in booked order at the course’s interval. Groups finish at different times, in starting order.
Split tee Holes 1 and 10 Two sequences run concurrently, one from each tee. Groups reach the turn at different points depending on their starting tee and course instructions.
Shotgun Multiple assigned holes Groups begin simultaneously from their assigned holes. The format is designed to bring the field in around a shared time.

What to do before your round

  1. Check your confirmation. Verify the date, time, course, group size, and starting tee. A booking may identify a 10th-tee or back-nine start.
  2. Follow the course’s check-in directions. The USGA’s ready-golf guidance recommends reaching the starting tee about 10 minutes before the scheduled time. The course may give additional arrival or check-in instructions.
  3. Ask if anything is unclear. If a player is late, your group is incomplete, or you are unsure where to start, contact the pro shop or starter. Do not assume you can take another group’s slot or exchange starting tees.
  4. Follow the event sheet and starter. Organized outings and competitions may use a particular format, starting assignment, or playing procedure. Local instructions control.
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How to keep play moving

In stroke play, ready golf can help maintain pace: players may play when ready if it is safe and does not deliberately put someone out of order to give that player an advantage. Follow the competition’s rules and the starter’s directions. The USGA explains this guidance in its ready-golf guidance.

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