Retained Honour
Retained honour means that the honour at the tee stays with the player who won the previous hole — when the hole is halved.
The honour is the right to play from the next tee first. In match play whoever wins the previous hole with the fewest strokes gets it. If the hole is halved, the honour does not change — it "rests" with the current holder. That is where the term retained honour comes from, which you often hear at the next tee on German courses. On the very first tee the honour is decided by lot, usually by a coin toss or the classic spinning of the tee.
In practice, the honour mainly serves an organising function. An example: you win hole 4 with a par and hole 5 is halved. From the 6th tee you play first again, because the honour has stayed with you. Only when your opponent wins a hole does it pass to them. In a private round played stroke-play style hardly anyone keeps a strict eye on it, but in a competition it is part of the rules of play. If you are unsure, just ask briefly — that is good etiquette and costs no time.
A common misconception: the honour is binding for pace of play. That is only partly true. Whoever is not ready may let a fellow player play ahead out of courtesy, and in ready golf whoever is finished plays anyway. The only important thing is that the order stays fair in match play, because the second player can benefit from the first player's result.
FAQ
Who plays first from the next tee when the hole is halved?
Then the honour stays with the current holder — it "rests" with them, which is where the term retained honour comes from. The honour is won by whoever finished the previous hole with the fewest strokes; on the very first tee it is decided by lot. Only when your opponent wins a hole does it pass to them.
Do I have to strictly observe the honour in a private round?
No, hardly anyone keeps track of it there, and whoever is not ready lets their fellow player play ahead out of courtesy. In ready golf, whoever is finished plays anyway. The order is only binding in match play, because there the second player benefits from the first player's result.
Is the honour at the tee an official right or just courtesy?
In match play it is part of the rules of play, and the order must stay fair there. In stroke play, by contrast, it only serves an organising and courteous purpose. If you are unsure, just ask briefly — that is good etiquette and costs no time.