Harold Varner III Booted Mid-Round for Playing in a ‘Sixsome’
Pro Golfer Asked to Leave Golf Course After Breaking Rules: The Full Story
What Happened? A Simple Timeline
The date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
The place: Bear Slide Golf Club — a popular public course near Indianapolis, Indiana
The player: Harold Varner III, a professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf
The event: Varner was in town for the LIV Golf Indianapolis tournament at The Club at Chatham Hills (about 15 minutes away)
Here’s what went down, step by step:
- Booking the tee time — Varner reserved a spot for four golfers (called a "foursome" in golf talk).
- Showing up late — The group arrived 30 minutes after their scheduled time.
- Bringing extra people — Instead of four players, six people showed up to play.
- Course tries to help — The staff said, "Okay, we can fit you in, but you have to split into two groups of three (called ‘threesomes’)."
- Group pushes back — At the first tee, Varner’s group insisted on playing all six together (a "6-some").
- Starter says no — The starter (the person who organizes who tees off when) explained this isn’t allowed.
- Things get tense — One person in Varner’s group called the starter rude. Another person in the group defended the starter, saying he was just doing his job.
- Varner asks again — Varner himself asked the starter again if they could play as a 6-some. Answer: still no.
- Varner asks the pro shop — Not once, not twice, but three separate times Varner asked the pro shop (the golf shop that runs the course). Each time: not allowed, especially because other groups were playing behind them.
- They start playing — Reluctantly, the group splits into two threesomes and begins their round.
- Breaking the agreement — On the 4th hole (away from the clubhouse), the two groups joined back up and played as a 6-some anyway.
- Course takes action — Staff saw this happen. When the group finished putting on that hole, they were told: return your carts, you’re done for the day.
- Refunds given — Everyone in the group got their money back.
The Rules That Were Broken (Explained Simply)
IMPORTANT POINT: Golf courses have rules for a reason — mainly safety and pace of play.
| Rule | What It Means | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Max 4 players per group | Most courses allow foursomes (4), some allow threesomes (3). Almost no one allows 5 or 6. | More players = slower play. A 6-some takes much longer to finish a hole. |
| Show up on time | Tee times are like appointments. Being 30 minutes late messes up the whole day’s schedule. | Other golfers have booked times after you. Late starts cause a domino effect. |
| Follow the starter’s instructions | The starter is like a traffic controller for the course. | They keep everyone moving safely and fairly. |
| Don’t recombine groups mid-round | If you’re told to split up, you stay split up. | It’s a safety and fairness issue — especially with groups behind you. |
What the Golf Course Said (In Their Own Words)
Bear Slide Golf Club posted a detailed explanation on Facebook after social media started buzzing about the incident. Here are the key points from their post:
- They tried to accommodate — Even though the group was late and had too many players, the course still let them play — just in the proper format (two threesomes).
- Rules apply to everyone — "Perhaps this group felt like they should get special privileges because of who they are and the organization they belong to. But we believe that everyone should be treated fairly and should follow the same rules, regardless of your playing ability or connections."
-
Other golfers were affected — At the time Varner’s group was removed, there were:
- A group on the 4th tee
- A group on the 3rd hole
- Two groups on the 2nd hole
This means the 6-some was slowing down multiple paying customers behind them.
- Their mission — "Bear Slide is committed to providing a great experience to everyone who plays our course. We only ask that a few rules are followed."
Where Things Stand Now
- Varner’s tournament status: He was tied for 16th place (T-16) heading into the final round of the LIV Golf Indianapolis event at The Club at Chatham Hills.
- No public response from Varner — As of the article’s update (August 23, 2026), Harold Varner III had not publicly commented on the incident.
- The course stands by their decision — Bear Slide’s Facebook post was clear: rules are rules, no matter who you are.
Summary: The Big Picture
TL;DR — A pro golfer booked for 4, showed up 30 mins late with 6 people, refused to follow the course’s simple rule (split into two groups of 3), ignored the starter and the pro shop multiple times, secretly recombined into a 6-some mid-round, and got kicked off the course. The course gave refunds and said: "Rules apply to everyone equally."
This story isn’t really about golf skill — it’s about respect, fairness, and following the same rules as everyone else. Whether you’re a weekend hacker or a LIV Tour pro, a 6-some slows down the course, frustrates other players, and creates safety issues. Bear Slide handled it by the book: they accommodated where they could, enforced their rules consistently, and treated the situation with transparency.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
What is LIV Golf?
LIV Golf is a professional golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. It features team-based competition, shorter tournaments (54 holes instead of 72), and big prize money. Harold Varner III is one of their players.
What’s a "tee time"?
A tee time is a reservation to start your round at a specific time — like a dinner reservation, but for golf. Courses space them out (usually 8–12 minutes apart) so groups don’t bunch up.
Why can’t 6 people play together?
Pace of play. A foursome takes about 4–4.5 hours to play 18 holes. A 6-some can take 5.5+ hours. That backs up everyone behind them. Most courses strictly limit groups to 4 for this reason.
What does "T-16" mean?
T-16 = Tied for 16th place. In golf leaderboards, "T" means multiple players have the same score. So Varner was sharing 16th place with at least one other golfer.
Did Varner get special treatment before being kicked off?
Actually, yes — but in his favor. The course could have canceled his reservation entirely for being 30 minutes late with extra players. Instead, they let him play if he followed the rules. He chose not to.
Article based on reporting by Cameron Jourdan, Assistant Editor at Golfweek (USA Today Network), updated August 23, 2026.