A shotgun start is a golf tournament format in which all groups of players tee off simultaneously from different holes. Each hole on a course will be the starting hole for one or more foursomes, and each group starts play at the same time. This format allows a tournament to end at the same time it takes the slowest foursome to finish a full round or 18 holes of golf.

Before starting the round, all the participating golfers will be on the course at the same time with each group positioned on a different hole. Once the round is underway, the groups will then play a full 18-hole round and finish at the hole which they started. A shotgun start allows a large field of golfers to get through a round without clogging up the course, and it also condenses the time a round takes to be completed.

In contrast, the conventional start sees successive groups tee off on hole 1, and each group starts at a different time. Tee times are helpful when planning a large tournament with a lot of participants because it allows everyone some flexibility. People with busy schedules will be more likely to participate if they can choose a tee time that fits their needs.

In summary, a shotgun start is a golf tournament format in which all groups of players tee off simultaneously from different holes, and each group starts play at the same time. It is an efficient way to utilize the expansive grounds of a golf course and allows a large field of golfers to get through a round without clogging up the course.