Mulligan
A mulligan is an unofficial replayed shot, usually after a botched tee shot — it is not permitted under the rules.
The mulligan is purely an agreement between friends. If you ruin your first tee shot properly, with a mulligan you may hit again without the first attempt counting. At most one mulligan per round is customary, often only on the first tee. The origin of the term lies in America; the stories about it are numerous and contradictory — the only certainty is that the custom spread in the 20th century. What matters: in official competition and in every round that counts for handicap purposes, the mulligan does not exist.
In a friendly round, the mulligan only works with clear agreements. An example: you agree on the first tee that everyone has exactly one mulligan. Your first drive finishes out of bounds without a doubt. You call "mulligan", hit again, and this shot counts as your first. Your playing partner, on the other hand, saves his mulligan for the back nine. Without announcing and agreeing before the round, the mulligan quickly becomes a point of contention, because everyone understands it differently.
The typical mistake is mixing up the mulligan and the rulebook. Anyone who simply hits another ball after a bad shot is in truth playing an unannounced provisional ball or risking penalty strokes. The creeping use is popular too: first a mulligan off the tee, then one on the green, then one in the bunker. The same principle applies to the Gimme when putting — nice in a friendly round, impermissible as soon as it counts. If you want to take your Handicap seriously, every stroke counts.
FAQ
Am I allowed to take a mulligan in a round that counts for handicap purposes?
No, quite clearly. In every official or handicap-relevant round every stroke counts, and an unauthorised replayed shot leads to penalty strokes or even disqualification. If your ball might be lost or out of bounds, the provisional ball is the rule-conforming solution, not the mulligan.
How do we agree the mulligan fairly in a friendly round?
Discuss the rule on the first tee before anyone swings: how many mulligans are there, and do they apply only off the tee or everywhere? Exactly one per round is customary, often only on hole 1. Anyone who clarifies this beforehand avoids the classic argument on the back nine, when someone suddenly demands a second.
What should I do instead if I want to take my handicap seriously?
Leave the mulligan out entirely and treat bad tee shots as practice under pressure. A botched drive belongs to an honest round, just as the gimme on the green is ruled out in serious rounds. Only then does your result reflect your true level, and your handicap stays meaningful.