What is a flight? Who you play with, how groups are set and how it works

For many beginners this is the most nerve-racking part of golf: not the first shot, but realising you will spend four hours with three people you have never met. That group is called a flight, and it is the basic organisation of almost every round.

In short: a flight is the group you play a round with, usually two to four players. On the tee, whoever scored best on the previous hole plays first; after that, whoever lies furthest from the hole plays. In casual rounds you may relax this in favour of ready golf.

What a flight is

Simply the group walking a round together, usually two to four players; four is the maximum on virtually every course. Note that a flight is a form of organisation, not a format of play. Within one flight, each player can keep their own stroke-play card, two can play match play against two, or the whole group can play a scramble.

How grouping works

As a green-fee player with your own party, you book a tee time and play with whoever you like. As a single player you are usually added to an existing flight, which is exactly how many golfers met their regular partners. At club competitions the committee sets the groups, often by handicap. And for qualifying rounds you always need a marker to keep and certify your card.

Who plays when?

On the first tee, agreement or the committee decides. On every subsequent tee, the honour goes to whoever scored best on the previous hole. On the fairway and around the green, whoever lies furthest from the hole plays.

Ready golf is the exception: in stroke play, whoever is ready may play, as long as it is safe. It does not apply in match play, where order is part of the contest and your opponent may cancel a stroke played out of turn.

Pace

Walk to your ball while others play, staying out of sight and out of danger. Take two clubs if your bag is far away. Record scores on the next tee, not on the green. Search for no more than three minutes and play a provisional when in doubt. And let the group behind through if you fall a hole behind: that is good manners, not an admission of failure.

What to expect from strangers

Everyone introduces themselves on the first tee; feel free to mention that you are new. Nobody watches your score, but people do notice pace and manners: repairing pitch marks, raking bunkers and standing still during someone's stroke count for far more than how far you hit it. You may ask for advice, but not give it unasked, and in competition advice is prohibited outright. And help look for other people's balls: the quickest way to be liked.

Frequently asked questions

Can I play alone? At many courses yes, but without a marker there is no qualifying card.

Will people look down on me as a beginner? Rarely. What people are sensitive to is pace, and that is well within your control.

Does flight mean anything else? In some tournament formats it also means a handicap division, for instance "first flight" for the lowest handicaps.

At Zalm Golf you play in small groups during the Handicap 54 course, so playing alongside others becomes familiar straight away.