What Is a Mulligan in Golf?

Ever step up to the first tee, full of optimism, only to hit a spectacularly bad shot that veers OB or dribbles ten feet in front of you? That gut-punch feeling is what the mulligan was made for. It’s golf’s unofficial do-over, a second chance to start your round on the right foot. This guide will walk you through exactly what a mulligan is, the unwritten rules for using one, proper etiquette to avoid annoying your partners, and a coach's perspective on whether you should even take one in the first place.

So, What Exactly Is a Mulligan in Golf?

In the simplest terms, a mulligan is a "second chance" shot taken without incurring a penalty. If you hit a terrible first tee shot, you might decide to take a mulligan, which means you ignore that awful first attempt, re-tee your ball, and hit again as if the first shot never happened. Your new shot now counts as your first stroke on the hole.

The first and most important thing to understand is that there is no such thing as a mulligan in the official Rules of Golf as written by the USGA and The R&A. You will never see a professional golfer on TV hit a bad shot and then casually take another one. Using a mulligan in a formal competition, a tournament, or any round you intend to post for your official handicap is strictly against the rules. It's considered cheating, plain and simple.

Mulligans are reserved exclusively for friendly, casual rounds of golf where the primary goal is enjoyment rather than strict adherence to the rules. Think of it as a gentleman's agreement among friends to make the game a bit more forgiving and fun.

Where did the term come from? While the exact origin is debated, the most popular story points to a Canadian golfer named David Mulligan who played regularly at the Country Club of Montreal in the 1920s. As the story goes, after a shaky first tee shot, he re-teed and hit another, calling it a "correction shot." His friends found it amusing and soon started calling any do-over shot a "Mulligan," and the term stuck.

The Unwritten Rules of the Mulligan

Since the mulligan isn’t part of the official rulebook, its use is governed by a set of informal, commonly accepted guidelines. These "unwritten rules" vary from group to group, which is why it’s always a good idea to clarify things with your playing partners before you tee off.

Most Common Mulligan: The First Tee "Breakfast Ball"

By far the most common and widely accepted use of a mulligan is on the very first tee shot of the day. This is often called a "breakfast ball." The thinking goes that a player might not be properly warmed up yet, and a single bad swing shouldn't ruin the entire round before it even begins. It’s a grace stroke to shake off the morning cobwebs and start the day fresh.

Some groups are more generous and have different guidelines:

• One per round: Each player is allowed one mulligan to be used at any point during the 18 holes.
• One per nine: A slightly more generous version, allowing one mulligan on the front nine and one on the back nine.
• Provisional Mulligan: This happens when you hit a good second shot but aren't happy with it. Declaring you're hitting a "provisional mulligan" to try for a better one is generally frowned upon. A mulligan is for fixing a disaster, not optimizing a decent result.

The golden rule is to agree on the terms beforehand. A quick conversation on the first tee like, "Are we playing a breakfast ball today?" or "Just one mulligan on the front nine?" clears up any confusion and makes sure everyone is on the same page.

Which Shots Qualify for a Mulligan?

While a terrible tee shot is the classic candidate for a mulligan, what about other shots? Generally, the spirit of the mulligan is to fix a major blunder that derails a hole from the start. It's not meant to be a get-out-of-jail-free card for every mistake.

Here’s a general hierarchy of mulligan acceptability:

1. The Tee Ball: Lost, out of bounds, or a massive duff off the tee. This is prime mulligan territory. It prevents a five-minute search for a lost ball and keeps your group moving.
2. The "Chunked" Iron Shot: Hitting a fairway iron pure fat, with the divot flying farther than the ball. Some groups might allow this, but it’s less common. A better approach is to simply play the ball where it lies.
3. The Skullled Chip or Pitch Shot: Sending a delicate shot screaming across the green. Taking a mulligan here is getting into a gray area. Most golfers would agree this is part of the challenge of the game.
4. The Missed Putt: Absolutely not. A mulligan for a missed putt is almost universally forbidden. Putting is an art of its own, and you have to own your results on the green.

As a coach, I'd say stick to the first tee. Using a mulligan to erase any bad shot removes the need to learn one of golf's most important skills: recovery.

Mulligan Etiquette: Using Your Second Chance with Grace

Just because it's a casual round doesn't mean anything goes. Using a mulligan properly involves a bit of social grace to keep the game fun and fair for everyone in your group.

1. Declare Your Intentions First

Don't just silently walk back to the tee, grab another ball, and swing away. You need to announce that you're taking a mulligan. A simple, "That one's not counting, I'm taking my mulligan," is all it takes. It’s a simple act of communication that shows respect for your playing partners and the informal agreement you've all made.

2. Be Quick About It

Pace of play is paramount. A mulligan should be a quick, efficient process designed to get you back in play without holding everyone up. This is not the time for another lengthy pre-shot routine. Have another ball ready in your pocket, step up, and hit your second shot promptly. Reload and refire. The purpose is to speed things up, not slow them down.

3. Don't Abuse the Privilege

The mulligan is a gift, not a right. Stick to the agreed-upon number. Asking for a "mulligan on your mulligan" because you hit the second shot just as badly as the first is poor form. You had your second chance, now it’s time to play golf. Likewise, don't try to use a mulligan to gain an unfair advantage in a friendly betting game. If there’s cash on the line, the mulligan rules should be crystal clear from the start.

4. Know When a Mulligan is Off the Table

This cannot be stressed enough:

• In Any Competition: Tournaments, club championships, or even your weekly league - if the scores count for something, mulligans are not allowed. It’s cheating.
• When Posting a Score for Handicap: To maintain an official, accurate handicap, you must play by the Rules of Golf. Any round where a mulligan is used cannot be submitted for handicap purposes.
• When Playing with Strangers: Don't assume a group of strangers you get paired with plays with mulligans. It's often best to play strictly by the book unless someone else proposes relaxed rules. If you want to, you can diplomatically suggest it: "Feel like playing a casual round today? One off the first okay by everyone?"

Should You Take a Mulligan? A Coach's Perspective

So, we know what a mulligan is and how to use it. But as a coach committed to helping you improve, the bigger question is: should you use it?

The Argument FOR Mulligans

From a fun and pace-of-play perspective, a first-tee mulligan can be a fantastic tool, especially for beginners and higher-handicap players. Golf is a hard game, and starting with a double or triple bogey because of one bad swing can be incredibly deflating. A breakfast ball keeps morale high and ensures everyone has more fun.

It can also paradoxically speed up the game. Rather than spending three minutes searching for a lost ball, taking a penalty drop, and then hitting your third shot, a quick re-tee and reload takes less than 30 seconds. Your scorecard might suffer if you played the bad shot, but the flow of the round benefits.

The Argument AGAINST Mulligans

From a game-improvement standpoint, mulligans are a crutch. They teach you to erase mistakes instead of learning from them.

Every golfer hits bad shots. What separates good players from average players is not the ability to hit perfect shots every time, but the ability to recover from bad ones. Learning to take your medicine after a slice, find a safe way back into play, and still try to salvage a bogey or a par is a massive part of getting better. That process - the strategic escape - forges a resourceful and mentally tough golfer. Taking a mulligan robs you of that valuable learning opportunity.

Furthermore, mulligans can mask a persistent flaw. If you always hit a nasty slice on the first tee and always "fix" it with a mulligan, you never have to confront the technical issue causing the slice. Real improvement comes from facing your flaws, not pretending they didn't happen.

Final Thoughts

A mulligan is golf’s friendly handshake - an unofficial do-over that’s perfectly fine for a casual round of fun but has no place in formal competition or scores posted for a handicap. Use it mainly for that dreaded first-tee blunder, be quick about it, and always agree on the rules with your group before you start.

Ultimately, a mulligan is a tool to save you from a major mistake that could ruin a hole. My approach is to help you build the skills and strategy to avoid those big mistakes in the first place. With a smarter game plan from the start, a powerful recovery game, and confidence in your shot selection - all things we've built into Caddie AI - you’ll find you rely less on do-overs. Instead of needing a mulligan to correct a bad play, you'll be making the smart play from the beginning.