Rules · Tip
Team Events: Captains and Advice
Part of our rules programs. Build a program with it
Rule 24 covers team events, where scores add up to a team total. The Committee sets the format and how ties work. Each team can have a captain who decides who plays and when. The Committee may let each team name an advice giver ahead of time. That person can give advice to teammates. A player can't do that job while playing. Unless they're partners, teammates can't swap advice on the course. Even in different groups.
Step by step
- Read the event terms.
- Know your captain.
- Check if an advice giver is allowed.
- They must be named ahead of time.
- No advice between teammates on the course.
Why it works
Team events are run under Rule 24, so the event terms decide who may give advice and who may not. Advice is limited because it can change a player's club choice or shot plan, and the Rules treat that as a real advantage. Naming one advice giver ahead of time keeps the help the same for every team and easy to check.
Common mistakes
- You skip the event terms and assume advice is allowed.Read the terms before you start and see whether the Committee allows an advice giver.
- You ask a teammate in another group which club they used.Do not swap advice with teammates on the course unless you are partners, even when you are in different groups.
- The advice giver is chosen on the day or is also playing in the round.Have the team name the advice giver ahead of time, and pick someone who is not playing while they do the job.
How you'll know it's working
- Before the round, every team member can say who the captain is and whether an advice giver is allowed.
- If an advice giver is allowed, their name is on record with the Committee before the first tee.
- During play, you only talk about club choice or shot plan with your partner or your named advice giver.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Write the captain's name and the advice rule from the event terms on a card and keep it in your bag.
Harder: Brief your whole team before the round on who can advise, then check on the course that nobody breaks the rule without a reminder.
Common questions
Can teammates give each other advice in a team event?
Not on the course, unless they are partners. This applies even if they are in different groups.
Can a team captain also be the advice giver?
Only if the Committee allows it and the person is not playing while giving advice. The advice giver must be named ahead of time, so check the event terms.
