A mulligan in golf is an informal second chance. You make a poor shot, normally at the beginning, and your fellow players allow you to retake the shot while the first try is disregarded. Since it is not included in the Rules of Golf, a mulligan only takes place in games where it is agreed upon by all players before the game begins.
To understand What Is a Mulligan in Golf, is one thing. But to understand the circumstances under which one should take a mulligan without upsetting your fellow players, and what makes it impossible for you to record the score, is really what is important here. This guide will give you everything you need to know about the mulligan in golf including its definition, history, rules, etiquette, variations, and charity tournament.
The Short Version
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A replayed shot that does not count, taken by agreement in casual golf |
| Where is it usually taken? | Off the first tee, when the group has not warmed up |
| Is it in the Rules of Golf? | No. There is no mulligan anywhere in the Rules |
| Can you use one in a tournament? | No, unless the event sells them as a charity fundraiser |
| Does it count as a stroke? | Not in a casual game. Under the Rules, replaying a tee shot costs a penalty stroke |
| Can you post the score for handicap? | Not unless you count the mulligan and the penalty that goes with it |
| Common nickname | A breakfast ball, when taken on the first hole |
| Typical etiquette | One per round, agreed up front, never when it holds up play |
What a Mulligan Actually Is
A mulligan is the shot where the first shot is erased from the scorecard as if it never happened. No one gets penalized and no one writes anything down. In case you have sliced the first shot and your group says, “take another,” then that ball is your mulligan and the game continues.
Since it is an entirely agreed-upon practice, the rules regarding it vary between groups of people. While some allow only one mulligan per round, others allow only one mulligan per nine, and some allow only the mulligan from the tee. But all agree that the rules must be decided upon before the game starts.
The reason mulligans exist on the first tee is because most amateur golfers do not have any time to warm up and start off making the poorest shot of their entire round.
Where the Name Comes From
Two Mulligans figure prominently in golf’s history, but neither one has a definitive claim.
David Mulligan was a Canadian hotel manager who played in the early 1920s at a club in the Montreal area. The story is that every week he took his golfing companions to the course over a bumpy bridge; he would be unnerved by the journey and take a do-over on a poor drive. His buddies called that second drive a “mulligan.”
John Mulligan, aka Buddy, was a locker room attendant at a club in New Jersey during the 1930s. He would play with club members who spent hours practicing each morning before their rounds, and so he got an extra shot. It was more equitable, and hence the term became part of golf vocabulary.
In both cases the same story is related, and in both instances there was a first-tee re-do, which may have contributed to the term being coined where it did.
What the Rules of Golf Actually Say
There is no mulligan allowed by the Rules of Golf. The term is not included in the rules in any way, and no committee is allowed to create one.
According to the Rules of Golf, once your first shot is in play, playing a second ball off the tee is not free; it is considered stroke and distance relief, where an additional penalty stroke is incurred. This means that if you make a bad tee shot and hit a second ball, you will be lying three when you get there, not one.
It is this that distinguishes a mulligan from a proper course of action.
| Shot | What it is | Is it in the Rules? |
|---|---|---|
| Mulligan | A replayed shot with no penalty, taken by agreement | No. Casual play only |
| Provisional ball | A second ball played when your first may be lost or out of bounds, to save walking back | Yes, and it becomes the ball in play with a penalty stroke if the first is lost |
| Stroke and distance | Returning to where you last played and hitting again with a one-stroke penalty | Yes, and it is always available |
| Gimme | A short putt conceded so you pick up without holing out | Concessions are allowed in match play only, not in stroke play |
| Maximum score | Picking up once you reach a set score on a hole | Yes, in maximum score formats and for handicap purposes as net double bogey |
The provisional ball is the closest legal cousin to a mulligan, and plenty of golfers reach for a mulligan when a provisional is what the situation actually calls for.
Mulligans and Your Handicap
This is where mulligans carry a penalty. In order to post scores for handicapping purposes, one must play the round according to the Rules of Golf. By taking a mulligan with no penalty, the round violates these rules, therefore rendering the score unsatisfactory for posting.
There are two ways to be completely accurate. You either play the round and post it without any mulligans or take the mulligan, include it as a stroke and distance penalty, and post the score. What you can’t do is take the mulligan and still post the score.
Regularly playing mulligans and posting the rounds makes golfers have a Handicap Index that is inferior to their actual abilities.
Mulligan Etiquette
Mulligans are a social arrangement, so the etiquette matters more than any rule.
| Situation | Generally fine | Generally not fine |
|---|---|---|
| When to agree it | On the first tee, before anyone hits | Asking for one after you have already hit a bad shot |
| How many | One per round, or one per nine if the group agrees | Taking them whenever a shot disappoints you |
| Which shots | Tee shots, especially the opening drive | Putts, chips and shots from trouble |
| Pace of play | Reloading immediately while you are still on the tee | Walking back to replay a shot while a group waits behind |
| Which rounds | Casual rounds with friends | Club competitions, qualifiers, matches for money |
| With strangers | Asking the group early whether they play them | Assuming everyone is fine with it |
There is one more unwritten rule worth knowing. Once you take a mulligan, you have to play the second ball. You do not get to look at both shots and choose the better one, which is a different thing entirely and will earn you a comment from the group.
Common Mulligan Variations
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Breakfast ball | A mulligan taken on the first tee in an early morning round |
| First-tee mulligan | The standard version, allowed only on the opening hole |
| One per nine | Each player gets a single do-over on the front nine and another on the back |
| Lunch ball | A do-over on the 10th tee, after a break at the turn |
| Purchased mulligan | A mulligan bought for charity at a tournament, usually with a limit per player |
| Provisional mulligan | A casual misuse of the term, where a golfer plays a second ball and then picks whichever ended up better |
That last one is the version most likely to cause an argument. Playing two balls and keeping the better result is not a mulligan, and in a match it is closer to cheating than to a friendly do-over.
Mulligans at Charity Tournaments
Mulligans tend to be a regular occurrence at charity scrambles and corporate outings, and it is one of the easiest ways to make some extra revenue for the event. The players will each pay a small amount of money for a card or token, which they exchange after using a mulligan.
The standard practice would have the event charge mulligans at a rate of between $5 and $20 apiece, with a maximum of 2 to 4 mulligans per player/team in order to keep things reasonable from a scoring standpoint. Other extras offered may include a longest drive marker or string to advance the team’s ball toward the hole.
Because this is a scramble and not a handicap round, sold mulligans will not present any issues. Keep in mind that the score still cannot be posted.
Should You Use Mulligans at All
For new players and high handicappers, a mulligan off the first tee can reduce a lot of pressure while starting out a round of golf, and it can help the pace of play when the player feels nervous playing in front of people. In this case, one time, it is not harmful.
The problem with a mulligan is that it conceals the truth about your playing ability. If you keep on replaying all the poor drives, then you will never be able to recover from them. Your score will never be a true reflection of how you play.
A good compromise would be to take the proper warm-up, do without the mulligan, and adopt maximum score holes instead. Double bogey pick-ups would be ideal for both pace and an honest score, at the same time.
Final Take
So, what is a mulligan in golf? It is a form of do-over that is almost exclusively taken from the first tee and only exists due to the permission from your fellow players. It is not a part of The Rules of Golf, you have to incur a penalty stroke to replay your tee shot correctly, and a round with a free mulligan cannot be posted for handicap. Come to the agreement before you start teeing off, take no more than one, do not take one when other groups wait, and do not take them during competition rounds, that counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a mulligan legal in golf?
No. A mulligan is not part of the Rules of Golf and cannot be adopted as a local rule. It only exists in casual rounds where the players agree to allow it.
Can you take a mulligan in a tournament?
Not in a real competition. The exception is charity and corporate events that sell mulligans as a fundraiser, where the format is usually a scramble played for fun.
What is a breakfast ball?
A breakfast ball is a mulligan taken on the first tee, usually in an early morning round before anyone has warmed up. It is the most common type of mulligan.
How many mulligans are you allowed?
There is no set number, since it depends on what the group agrees. The most common arrangements are one per round, one per nine holes, or one on the first tee only.
Can you post a score for handicap if you took a mulligan?
Not if you took it without penalty. Either play the round without mulligans, or treat the replayed shot as stroke and distance, add the penalty stroke and post that score.
What is the difference between a mulligan and a provisional ball?
A provisional ball is a legal second ball played when your first might be lost or out of bounds, and it comes with a penalty stroke if it becomes the ball in play. A mulligan is an informal free replay that the Rules do not recognize.
Why is it called a mulligan?
The name is traced to two golfers named Mulligan, a Canadian hotel manager in the 1920s and a New Jersey club employee in the 1930s. Both stories involve an extra tee shot granted by playing partners.
Do professional golfers take mulligans?
Not in competition. Tour players play every shot under the Rules of Golf, so a mulligan is only something they might joke about in a casual round.
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