Ball furthest from hole/order of play

I think I may have grown up having been given completely the wrong end of the stick by my dad? Parents, eh..?

For ages now, I've thought that the ball furthest away plays first UNLESS a competitor's ball is not yet on the green. That is, if Player A's ball is closer to the hole than Player B, but Player A is not yet on the green but Player B is, then Player A plays first.

This is rubbish, isn't it? Player B plays first, even though he is on the green, as he's further away, end off?

In stroke play, though, there's no penalty for playing out of turn? Correct?

Cheers

Almost

You might well agree that the player or players off the green play first anyhow just to avoid taking the flag stick in & out of the hole more often than necessary.

Not just a time saver but - where I play at least - it would mininise the damage caused by careless size twelves right next to the hole.

Match Play
After both players have started play of the hole, the ball farther from the hole is played first. If the balls are equidistant from the hole or their positions relative to the hole are not determinable, the ball to be played first should be decided by lot.
Exception: Rule 30-3c (best-ball and four-ball match play).
Note: When the original ball is not to be played as it lies and the player is required to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), the order of play is determined by the spot from which the previous stroke was made. When a ball may be played from a spot other than where the previous stroke was made, the order of play is determined by the position where the original ball came to rest.
c. Playing Out of Turn
If a player plays when his opponent should have played, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke so made and, in correct order, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

Stroke Play
During Play of Hole
After the competitors have started play of the hole, the ball farthest from the hole is played first. If two or more balls are equidistant from the hole or their positions relative to the hole are not determinable, the ball to be played first should be decided by lot.
Exception: Rules 22 (ball assisting or interfering with play) and 31-5 (four-ball stroke play).
Note: When the original ball is not to be played as it lies and the player is required to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), the order of play is determined by the spot from which the previous stroke was made. When a ball may be played from a spot other than where the previous stroke was made, the order of play is determined by the position where the original ball came to rest.
c. Playing Out of Turn
If a competitor plays out of turn, there is no penalty and the ball is played as it lies. If, however, the Committee determines that competitors have agreed to play out of turn to give one of them an advantage, they are disqualified.

Hey bulldog,

Make some room in your boat for me because i have ALWAYS considered this a rule. Player A is 15' away but off the green and Player B is 34' away on the green--Player A is away in my book. How could I have been wrong all these years?!??!?


You stay classy!!!

If however in stroke play, the player who is nearest is required to lift his ball he may play first rather than lift the ball.