What to Expect at a Drive, Chip and Putt Local Qualifier

Drive, Chip and Putt scores nine total shots: three drives, three chips, and three putts. It is not an 18-hole round. There are three skills, and each shot earns points on its own, up to 25 at a Local Qualifier. For the full mechanics of how entry and scoring work, see our Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying guide. This one is about the experience of the day itself.

One thing does carry over from tournament golf, and that is pace. The rules cite the Rules of Golf recommendation of no more than 40 seconds to make a stroke. At a qualifier the committee may warn a player whose pace is affecting the competition, and then score a later slow shot as zero points or the lowest score possible.

This page describes a Local Qualifier under the 2026-27 rules. Registration was closed when we checked on October 11, 2026, and the organizer had not announced the next cycle. The qualifying guide carries the status.

Source: Drive, Chip and Putt Rules and Regulations, Scoring & Competing 1 and 7; Local, Subregional, & Regional Scoring.

The organizer does not publish a duration for a Local Qualifier. What its pages do say:

• Each player gets a tee time. The organizer's FAQ says scheduling information and tee times are provided closer to the date, “usually three to five days in advance”, by email to the address given at registration, and are also posted on the qualifier's event page.
• The scored part is nine shots. Nothing on the organizer's pages says how long a group takes to play them.

So the time your family needs depends on the tee time and on the host. Ask the host facility for your qualifier, or email the organizer at info@drivechipandputt.com:

• How early should we arrive before the tee time, and where do we check in?
• Is there a practice area, and may players warm up before their time?
• How long does one group take to play all three skills?
• When and where are results and ribbons given out, and do we need to stay for them?
• Where may parents and other spectators stand?

Registration is completed online in advance by a parent or guardian, and onsite registration is not permitted. To confirm your golfer is registered, log in to your account on drivechipandputt.com: the organizer's FAQ says a registered participant's event details are listed under the profile on the account dashboard. The same FAQ says scheduling information and tee times are provided closer to the date of the qualifier, by email to the address given at registration, so treat that email as the real schedule rather than a general script.

What to bring:

• Your golfer's own clubs, the ones they already play with. A putter is not allowed for the chip, so pack a lofted iron or wood for it. The rules count a chipper as an approved club, and do not allow a tee in the chip skill.
• Golf balls, if your golfer prefers their own. The organizer says balls used on the Drive skill cannot be retrieved, and balls used on Chip and Putt can.
• Comfortable golf attire appropriate for the host course. The rules ask participants and spectators for proper attire, so ask the host facility if it has a dress code.
• Water and a snack, especially if there is a wait before your child's group is called.
• Sunscreen, a hat, and a layer for weather, plus rain gear. The rules say qualifiers are held rain or shine.
• The tee time email, or the event page open on your phone.

If your golfer has no clubs, the organizer's FAQ says the host site may have equipment and golf balls available, and recommends contacting the facility before the qualifier to make sure.

If you cannot go, withdraw. A guardian can unregister the player in the account. Under the rules a player who is not withdrawn before 11:59 p.m. EDT the day before the competition is marked “Did Not Show” and is ineligible until the next qualifying season. If the qualifier is canceled for dangerous or unplayable weather, the rules say to call the host organization about a rescheduled date and time.

Source: Drive, Chip and Putt Rules and Regulations, Entries 1, 6, 8 and 9, Scoring & Competing 3, 4 and 8, Miscellaneous 1 and 2; Frequently Asked Questions.

Competitors are grouped by division: four age bands, each split into boys and girls. Your child competes only against players in the same age band, not only players of the same age. A band covers two or three ages, so a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old can be in the same division. Our guide to the age divisions explains exactly how those groups are set.

The organizer's rules for the day itself:

• The three skills. Three drives, which must come to rest inside a 40-yard-wide grid to score. Three chips at a scoring hole. One putt each from 6, 15 and 30 feet. The rules let the organizer modify the setup, so it may not match what your golfer practiced.
• Parents stay outside the competition areas. The organizer's FAQ says caddies are not permitted at any qualifying stage and only the participants are allowed in the competition areas.
• No coaching during a skill. The rules prohibit advice from outside parties while a participant is competing, from the time the player is called through the completion of that skill.
• Conduct. Participants and spectators are asked to follow the instructions of the people running the competition. The rules say abuse or interference may lead to removal or disqualification.

The organizer's pages do not describe check-in, warm-up or how results are announced at a Local Qualifier. If the tee time email does not answer a question, ask the host facility rather than assuming it runs like another tournament you have attended.

Source: Drive, Chip and Putt Rules and Regulations, Eligibility 1, Scoring & Competing 5, 6, 8 and 9, Local, Subregional, & Regional Scoring; Frequently Asked Questions.

For a first-time competitor this may be the first time performing a golf skill in front of people outside the normal practice group. One feature of the format is worth pointing out to a nervous first-timer: because it is nine shots and not 18 holes, a single missed shot cannot spiral into a bad back nine the way it can in stroke play. Each attempt is scored on its own.

Because you cannot coach during a skill, agree on a simple routine before the tee time and let your golfer run it alone. Keep the goal low-key for a first year: comfort with the format, not a top finish. Our guide on keeping golf fun for young juniors covers the emotional side of a first competition in more depth, and our etiquette card for a first competitive round covers what to do on the course.

Advancement is decided by the top finishers in each division at that stage, and scores do not carry over between rounds of the ladder. From a Local Qualifier, up to the top three in each division advance, depending on the number of participants and the number of qualifier events, and a player who advances must compete at the assigned Subregional site. The rules list ribbons for first, second and third place overall and in each skill at Local Qualifying. The full ladder, from local qualifying up through the National Finals, is laid out in our qualifying guide.

Source: Drive, Chip and Putt Rules and Regulations, Schedule of Competition 1 and 2; Prizes.

Not in the same qualifying season. The rules say: “Participants may register to compete in only one local qualifier. Competing in more than one local qualifier will result in the automatic disqualification of that participant.” Only one entry may be filed for each participant.

• Before the day, you can move. The organizer's FAQ says a guardian who wants a different site first unregisters the player in the account and then chooses a new Local Qualifier. Entry for each one closes at 4 p.m. EDT five days before it, and the organizer keeps no wait list for a full division.
• After competing, there is no second local attempt. A rough day does not carry forward, because scores restart at every stage, but the next chance is the next cycle's Local Qualifier.
• The next cycle is not announced. On October 11, 2026 the organizer's registration page read “Registration is currently closed”, with no reopening date.

Source: Drive, Chip and Putt Rules and Regulations, Eligibility 5 and Entries 2 and 5; Frequently Asked Questions; Registration is Closed.