a) At the start of the hole ( sequence of play )
At the first tee, the honor of one party is determined by the line-up. If there is no line-up, a draw should be made for the honor.
The party that wins a hole takes the honor on the next tee. If a hole has been halved, the party that had the previous tee shot retains the honor.
b) During the play of a hole
After both players have started the hole, the ball further away from the hole is played first. If the balls are equidistant from the hole or if their respective distances from the hole cannot be determined, a draw should be made to determine which ball is played first.
Exception: Rule 30-3b (best ball and four-ball hole play).
Note: If it is known that the original ball is not to be played as it lies and the player must play a ball as close as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), the sequence of play is determined by the spot from which the previous stroke was made. If a ball may be played from a position other than that from which the previous stroke was made, the sequence of play is determined by the position from which the original ball came to rest.
c) Playing out of sequence
If a player plays when his opponent should have played, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately demand that the player cancel the stroke so made and play a ball in the correct sequence as close as possible to the place from which the original ball was last played (see Law 20-5).
Status: 2018