Moving on to the third published local rule in the REGL rules:
"League matches shall begin at the conclusion of the bugle calls from “Retreat” and “To the Colors
” (~1705 hrs or 5:05 PM). In the event of a player’s late arrival, the following special rules will be applied:
A player who arrives during the play of the 1st hole but prior to the play of the 2 nd hole:
• No penalty if he/she is prepared to tee off before all players have played their second shots.
• Otherwise, the late arriving player is given a score on the 1st hole that is 3 greater than his/her opponent’s score on the 1st hole.
2. A player that arrives during play of the 2nd hole:
• Given a score on the 1st hole that is 3 greater than his/her opponent’s score on the 1st
hole.
• The player may not participate if he/she arrives after players have played their 2nd shots.
3. Players should annotate on the scorecard, any late arrivals"
So, if you're just reading this for the first time, you'd probably say "that's harsh!", but our league consists of only 9 holes each night, and all players are expected to be at the correct tee and ready to play by 5:05 or whenever you hear the end of "To the Colors" and put your hat back on. Ideally, you've filled out your scorecards by then and have been able to meet your opponents, shake hands, and you've marked your balls. The quicker you commence play, the less likely the teams behind you will be waiting for you to finish holes.
Life inevitably trumps good intentions, and there will be times when you're hustling to get out to the tee on time. As you can see from the local rule, there are provisions for a late-arriving player, but there are limits. Generally, if the rest of you have played your 2nd shot on the 2nd hole, if a player shows up they can play along, but none of their scores will not count, and his partner will have to play both of the other team's players, the A-player with half of his handicap, and with his normal handicap against the B-player.
And, as you can see from the rule, if a player arrives during play of the first hole of the night, they will receive a hole score 3 greater than their opponent on that hole if they arrive after everyone's played their 2nd shots. In all cases of invoking this rule, you want to note the situation on the scorecard that will be submitted for the night's play.
I've never had to use this particular local rule in any match. I've been involved in several matches where one opponent didn't show, but late arrivals haven't been much of a problem in 19 years of play. As always, it's a good idea to get to the clubhouse early, pay for your round and get all of the necessities out of the way before heading out to the course. Our league allows for practice holes starting after 4 PM, so my advice is to enjoy the free golf and get warmed up.