organiser · 11 July 2026 · By Simon Berriman, Founder of Sonna Golf

How to Run the Draw and Tee Sheet for a Golf Day

How to Run the Draw and Tee Sheet for a Golf Day

The draw is the most underrated job in organising a golf day. Get it right and the day feels sociable, flows nicely, and everyone ends up playing with someone new. Get it wrong and you've got bottlenecks on the par 3s, the same four mates playing together for the tenth year running, and a five-and-a-half-hour round that finishes in the dark.

It's not hard. It just needs a bit of thought before you scribble names into boxes. This guide covers how to build a tee sheet that plays well and feels good, and how to handle the changes that always come in the last 48 hours. It's a companion to our complete guide to organising a golf society day; here we go deep on the draw itself.

First decision: tee times or a shotgun start?

There are two ways to send a field out, and the choice shapes everything else.

Sequential tee times: groups tee off one after another from the 1st, at set intervals. It's the standard for most society days: simple to organise, and the club is used to it. The downside is that groups finish at different times, so there's a long tail of players drifting into the clubhouse.

Shotgun start: every group starts simultaneously from a different hole (group one off the 1st, group two off the 2nd, and so on), so the whole field tees off and finishes together. It's ideal when a meal, prize-giving or speeches follow, because nobody's waiting around, but it needs the course to yourself for that window, so clubs usually reserve it for larger bookings and charge accordingly.

Rule of thumb: for a normal society outing, tee times are fine. For a corporate or charity day where everyone eats and does the prize-giving together, a shotgun start is worth the extra cost (more on those in our corporate golf day guide).

Group size and intervals

Fourballs are the standard: sociable, and most competition formats are built around them. Threeballs play noticeably faster and are worth considering if pace is a concern or the course is busy, but they mean more groups and more tee times to fit in.

Aim for around ten-minute intervals between groups for tee times, unless the club specifies otherwise (some use eight, nine or twelve). Tighter gaps can quickly create queues, especially at the first par 3, while much wider intervals make it harder to get the whole field away efficiently. For a shotgun, you simply need one group per hole (and can double up on longer holes if the field is bigger than 18 groups).

Mix people up: it's the whole point

Here's the single best thing you can do for the feel of the day: don't let the same groups play together they always do. Part of the point of a society or company day is spending four hours with people you don't normally partner: new members with old, different departments, clients with hosts. Deliberately break up the established four-balls.

For team formats (like a Texas Scramble), you'll also want to spread the ability so no single team is stacked with low handicappers. A rough balance across teams keeps the competition fair and every group in with a shout.

The exception: if you know some players genuinely won't enjoy being split from their group (or you've got beginners who'd be more comfortable together), use judgement. The goal is a good time, not rigid rules.

Order of play: who goes out when

A few practical calls on the running order:

• Think carefully about slower groups. Putting a known slow group near the back stops them holding up the entire field, but it can also delay the finish. Wherever they start, remind them to keep pace with the group ahead, and consider pairing slower players with experienced golfers who'll keep things moving.
• Organisers can go early or late. Going out first lets you make sure the start runs smoothly; going last lets you deal with arrivals and stragglers before you tee off. Pick whichever suits how hands-on you need to be.
• Guests and VIPs on a corporate day often go in a middle group with their host: visible, looked-after, not first or last.

Handle the last-minute changes (there will be changes)

No draw survives contact with the 48 hours before the day. Someone's child is ill, someone's flight is delayed, two people you didn't expect turn up. Build in a bit of slack:

• Keep the draw easy to edit right up to the morning. Don't lock yourself into a version you've already printed and handed out.
• Have a plan for a missing player: turn a fourball into a threeball rather than reshuffling the whole sheet.
• Decide your reserve policy in advance so you're not making it up on the first tee.

This is exactly where doing the draw on paper (or on a whiteboard) starts to hurt: one withdrawal can mean rubbing everything out and starting again. In Sonna Golf you can create groups, assign players, set their tee times or starting holes, and update the draw right up to the day of the event.

Check that every group still works for the format

A draw isn't only about fitting names into fourballs. In pairs competitions, make sure partners are in the same group and every match has the correct number of players. In a scramble, check that a late withdrawal hasn't left one team significantly weaker or unable to meet the competition rules. Always review the format again after making last-minute changes: a reshuffle that fixes the numbers can quietly break a team.

Publish the draw clearly

Get the draw out to players the day before, and make it complete so you're not fielding phone calls on the morning. It should include:

• Tee times and groups (or shotgun holes): who's playing with whom and when.
• Arrival time: usually 30–45 minutes before the first tee.
• The essentials: course name, full address and postcode, the club's phone number, and the dress code.
• Format and any local rules: so players know what they're playing before they arrive.

Sharing the draw through a link everyone can open (rather than a printout that goes out of date the moment someone drops out) means the version in their pocket is always the current one. In Sonna you can invite players and share the event so everyone sees the same, up-to-date draw, and on the day it rolls straight into live scoring and the leaderboard.

Ready to make the draw? Create your groups, assign tee times or starting holes, and share the latest version with every player. [Set up your golf day free →]

Quick checklist

• Choose tee times or a shotgun start based on whether everyone finishes together
• Fourballs as standard; threeballs if pace or a busy course is a worry
• Ten-minute intervals for tee times
• Mix people up and balance ability across teams
• Slower players last; decide where you (the organiser) go
• Keep the draw editable to the morning; have a reserve/no-show plan
• Publish it the day before with times, address, arrival, dress code and format

Spend twenty minutes getting the draw right and the day almost runs itself: good pace, good company, and everyone in the clubhouse at roughly the same time with something to talk about.

[Organise your groups and run your golf day with Sonna Golf →]