A shotgun start in golf means every group begins the round at roughly the same time from different holes around the course. Instead of every group waiting to tee off from No. 1, the tournament field is spread across several starting holes.
The main advantage is that most of the field also finishes at roughly the same time, making shotgun starts especially useful for charity tournaments, corporate outings, club events, and competitions with a meal or awards ceremony afterward.
If your group starts on the 14th hole, for example, you normally play holes 14 through 18, continue with holes 1 through 13, and finish your round on the 13th.
That sounds straightforward, but terms such as modified shotgun, reverse shotgun, double shotgun, and shotgun scramble can cause confusion. Here is how each one works.
The Shotgun Start in Golf Explained
In a standard shotgun start, the tournament organizer assigns each group a starting hole. At the designated start time, the groups begin from those different locations rather than forming a long queue on the first tee.
The golfers still play the course in its normal hole order. Starting on No. 10 does not mean you play backward. You play 10 through 18, move to No. 1, and complete the round on No. 9.
A shotgun start changes where and when your round begins. It does not, by itself, change how golf is scored or which competition format you are playing.
That distinction becomes important when people confuse a shotgun start with a scramble, which we will come to shortly.
How Does a Shotgun Start Work?
The exact organization varies from one golf course to another, but most shotgun events follow the same basic process.
1. Each Group Is Assigned a Starting Hole
Before the round, the organizer assigns your group to a particular hole. Your scorecard, cart sign, registration sheet, or event app may show something such as “Hole 7” or “12A.”
2. Players Travel to Their Starting Holes
You need to reach your assigned tee before the official start. That is one reason shotgun tournaments often ask golfers to arrive earlier than they would for a normal tee time.
3. Everyone Starts at the Designated Time
A horn, siren, announcement, or synchronized start time can signal the beginning. The original name came from the much less subtle method of firing a shotgun.
4. You Continue Around the Course Normally
After completing your first hole, simply move to the next numbered hole. When you reach No. 18, continue at No. 1 until you have completed the required round.
5. You Finish on the Hole Before Your Starting Hole
Start on No. 6 during an 18-hole shotgun and, assuming you are playing all 18 holes, No. 5 will be your final hole.
Remember your starting hole and the hole on which your round finishes. It is surprisingly easy to slip into normal “finish on 18” thinking when you have started elsewhere.
Why Is It Called a Shotgun Start?
The name comes from the practice of using a shotgun blast to signal that every group should start playing.
The format is commonly traced to May 1956 and Jim Russell, then the head professional at Walla Walla Country Club in Washington. Accounts of the event say Russell fired a shotgun into the air to signal the simultaneous start.
Merriam-Webster records the first known use of the term “shotgun start” in 1958, so it is safer to describe the 1956 Walla Walla story as the commonly credited origin rather than claim there can be no earlier example.
You are unlikely to hear an actual shotgun at a modern outing. A horn, siren, public-address announcement, or simply a predetermined time does the job much more sensibly.
Why Do Golf Tournaments Use Shotgun Starts?
The biggest benefit is scheduling. With normal tee times, the first group might finish long before the final group has even reached the back nine.
A shotgun compresses that spread.
Because groups begin throughout the course at approximately the same time, most finish within a much smaller window. That makes post-round meals, raffles, presentations, auctions, and awards easier to organize.
There are other advantages too:
- Large fields can get onto the course quickly.
- Golfers spend less time waiting for their scheduled first-tee time.
- Event organizers have a more predictable post-round schedule.
- Charity and corporate events can bring participants back together after golf.
- Modified versions can help a course manage tournament and regular play on the same day.
There can be drawbacks. Getting everyone to their starting holes takes organization, some golfers may have a long cart ride before and after the round, and one slow group can still affect groups behind it.
A shotgun start makes the tournament schedule more compact, but it does not guarantee that every group walks into the clubhouse at exactly the same minute.
Shotgun Start vs. Scramble: What Is the Difference?
A shotgun start and a scramble describe two completely different parts of a golf event.
| Term | What It Describes |
|---|---|
| Shotgun start | Where and when the different groups begin their rounds |
| Scramble | How a team plays its shots and records a score |
In a scramble, the golfers on a team each hit a shot. The team chooses one of those shots, and the players then play their next shots from that selected location. The process continues until the hole is completed.
A scramble can use ordinary staggered tee times or a shotgun start.
Similarly, a shotgun tournament does not have to be a scramble. The organizer could use individual stroke play, Stableford, a team format, or another competition structure.
If you are actually playing the team format, our guide to how a golf scramble works explains the scoring and playing procedure in more detail.
What Is a Shotgun Scramble?
A shotgun scramble simply combines the two ideas.
The shotgun part means each team starts simultaneously from an assigned hole. The scramble part determines how the team plays its shots once the round begins.
This combination is particularly common at charity tournaments and corporate golf days because it accommodates mixed abilities while bringing most participants back to the clubhouse within a relatively short period.
For example, four-person teams might be assigned to different holes. When the event begins, everybody tees off from their assigned starting location and each team then follows the scramble rules set by the organizer.
Do not assume every shotgun event is automatically a scramble. Check the competition instructions before you play.
What Is a Modified Shotgun Start?
A modified shotgun is generally used when the field is too small to justify placing groups throughout all 18 holes.
Instead, the organizer uses only some holes as starting locations. The groups still begin together, but a portion of the course may initially remain clear.
This can make it easier for a golf course to combine an outing with normal customer tee times before or after the tournament field moves through.
The original article suggested that courses commonly require at least 48 players for this arrangement. There is no universal golf rule setting that minimum.
“Modified shotgun” is an event-management term rather than a standardized Rules of Golf format, so the exact arrangement depends on the course.
What Is a Reverse Shotgun Start?
A reverse shotgun is another way of arranging a smaller tournament field while trying to clear the first tee for other golfers as efficiently as possible.
A common setup assigns groups around No. 1 and the later holes, working backward from No. 18 as necessary. The objective is to move the tournament through the first tee relatively early so regular tee-time play can follow.
For example, a course might assign groups to holes 1, 18, 17, 16, and so on rather than spreading a small field evenly around the whole course.
There is one important point.
A reverse shotgun does not normally mean playing the holes in reverse numerical order.
Once your group begins, you still follow the normal sequence of holes. Courses can also use “reverse shotgun” somewhat differently, so the tournament’s own starting instructions always take priority.
What Is a Double Shotgun Start?
A double shotgun is commonly used when an event is too large to accommodate everyone in one shotgun field.
The tournament is split into two separate shotgun waves, usually one earlier in the day and another later. Each wave has its own simultaneous starting time.
This allows a course to host a much larger total field while retaining the scheduling benefits of a shotgun within each wave.
Do not confuse that with an A/B starting arrangement, where two groups are allocated to the same hole during one shotgun wave. Some event organizers use terminology differently, so check the event sheet if you see “double shotgun” without further explanation.
How Many Golfers Do You Need for a Shotgun Start?
There is no universal minimum number of golfers required for a shotgun start.
On an 18-hole course, placing one four-person group on every hole produces a field of 72 golfers. That is a convenient full shotgun, but it is not a minimum requirement.
A smaller field can use a modified or reverse arrangement and start from only some of the holes.
Larger fields can sometimes be accommodated by putting more than one group on selected starting holes, often described as A and B groups. How many groups a course will permit depends on its layout, safety considerations, pace-of-play plan, and event policy.
So, 72 golfers is a useful example of a full foursome-per-hole shotgun, not a rule saying you need 72 people to hold one.
What Do A and B Mean on a Shotgun Start?
If your starting assignment says something such as “8A” or “8B,” the event has allocated more than one group to that hole.
The A group will normally be positioned to begin first. The B group follows according to the tournament organizer’s instructions once it is safe to do so.
This arrangement lets a tournament accommodate more groups without requiring a second full wave.
Do not guess when the B group should hit. Follow the starter or event instructions because the safe procedure depends on the hole and how the groups have been staged.
How Long Does a Shotgun Start Golf Tournament Take?
There is no fixed duration simply because an event uses a shotgun start.
The round still takes approximately as long as the slowest groups need to complete the required holes. Field size, format, course difficulty, walking or carts, weather, player ability, and pace of play all influence the finish time.
The scheduling benefit is different: instead of groups beginning over several hours, almost everyone begins together.
That is why an organizer can plan an awards presentation or meal much more confidently after a shotgun than after a long sequence of conventional tee times.
Do Professional Golf Tournaments Use Shotgun Starts?
Shotgun starts are most closely associated with club events, charity outings, and corporate tournaments, but they are not limited to amateur golf.
LIV Golf is the most obvious current professional example. Its 2026 tournament schedules continue to list shotgun starts, with the field beginning around the course at the same designated time.
Traditional major championships and most conventional professional stroke-play events normally use scheduled tee times instead.
The 2026 Masters, for example, published conventional groupings with staggered starting times rather than a shotgun start.
Does a Shotgun Start Change the Rules of Golf?
No. A shotgun start is primarily a way of organizing where groups begin.
The competition itself still follows whatever Rules of Golf, scoring format, handicap conditions, and event-specific local rules the committee has established.
A shotgun scramble therefore follows the event’s scramble procedure. A shotgun individual stroke-play event follows its stroke-play conditions. The fact that one golfer begins on No. 3 and another on No. 14 does not create a different set of golf rules.
5 Tips for Your First Shotgun Start
1. Arrive Earlier Than You Think You Need To
You may need to register, collect a cart, listen to instructions, find your team, and travel several holes before the official start.
Turning up at the advertised shotgun time is usually too late because that is when you should already be in position.
2. Check Your Starting Hole
Do not assume your group starts on No. 1. Check the event sheet, cart sign, scorecard, or instructions before leaving the clubhouse area.
3. Know the Competition Format
Confirm whether you are playing a scramble, individual stroke play, Stableford, or another format. “Shotgun” only tells you how the event starts.
If tournament golf is new to you, our guide to getting started in golf tournaments covers some of the wider preparation.
4. Keep Up With the Group Ahead
A shotgun places groups throughout the course from the beginning, so a slow group can create congestion quickly. Follow the event’s pace-of-play instructions and be ready when it is your turn.
5. Remember Where Your Round Ends
If you begin on No. 12, you will normally finish on No. 11 during an 18-hole event. There is no reason to continue toward No. 18 after you have completed all your required holes.
Your starting hole becomes the beginning of your round, even though it is not Hole 1 on the scorecard.
Are Shotgun Starts Good for Golf Events?
For the right event, yes. They are particularly useful when organizers want a large group of golfers to play together socially and return to the clubhouse at roughly the same time.
That makes the format a natural fit for charity fundraisers, corporate outings, member events, and competitions with food or presentations afterward.
For a small casual group, normal tee times are usually simpler. There is little advantage in spreading a handful of groups around the course when they can comfortably start in sequence from the first tee.
Organizers also need to balance tournament convenience against the golf course’s normal tee sheet. Modified and reverse arrangements can be useful when a full-course shotgun is unnecessary.
For larger organized leagues and events, golf league software can also help with scheduling, pairings, scoring, and communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Shotgun Start Mean in Golf?
A shotgun start means groups begin at approximately the same time from different holes around the course. Each group then continues through the normal hole sequence until completing its round.
Why Is It Called a Shotgun Start?
The name comes from the historical practice of firing a shotgun to signal the simultaneous start. The format is commonly associated with a 1956 event organized by Jim Russell at Walla Walla Country Club in Washington.
Do You Need 72 Golfers for a Shotgun Start?
No. Seventy-two golfers represent 18 four-person groups, enough for one group on every hole of an 18-hole course. Smaller tournaments can use only some starting holes, so there is no universal 72-player minimum.
Is a Shotgun Start the Same as a Scramble?
No. A shotgun start describes when and where groups begin. A scramble describes how team members select and play their shots. A tournament can use both, which is known informally as a shotgun scramble.
Do Golfers Still Play All 18 Holes in a Shotgun Start?
Usually, yes, when the competition is an 18-hole event. You simply begin somewhere other than No. 1 and finish on the hole immediately before your starting hole.
Does Everyone Finish at the Same Time?
Not exactly. Groups can play at different speeds, but because they all begin around the same time, their finishing times are usually much closer together than they would be with conventional staggered tee times.
Is the Masters a Shotgun Start?
No. The Masters normally uses scheduled groupings and staggered tee times. Its official 2026 starting sheets used conventional individual group times rather than a shotgun.
Does LIV Golf Use a Shotgun Start?
Yes. LIV Golf continued to use shotgun starts during its 2026 season, with players beginning each round from different holes at a scheduled common start time.
What Is a Reverse Shotgun Start?
A reverse shotgun is generally a partial shotgun designed to clear the first tee efficiently, often by assigning a smaller field around No. 1 and the later-numbered holes. It does not mean playing the course backward.
What Is a Double Shotgun?
A double shotgun commonly means two shotgun waves on the same day, such as morning and afternoon fields. Terminology can vary by course, so always check the event instructions.
Final Thoughts on Shotgun Starts
A shotgun start is simply an efficient way to get many groups onto a golf course at approximately the same time. Each group receives a different starting hole, plays the normal course sequence, and finishes once it has completed the required round.
The easiest way to remember it is this: shotgun describes the start, not the scoring format.
That is why a shotgun can be combined with a scramble, individual stroke play, or another tournament format. For organizers, the main benefit is a more compact schedule. For golfers, the main job is simply to know your starting hole and be there on time.