
How many holes are there in a golf round?
The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes. Most courses contain 18 holes; some share fairways or greens, and a subset has nine holes, played twice per round. Par-3 courses consist of nine or 18 holes all of which have a par of three strokes.
How many holes are there in a par 3 golf course?
A "par-3" course has either 9 or 18 holes, and the distance of each hole is a par 3 rating (typically 240 yards or less from the "men's" tee), with no par-4 or par-5 holes mandating shots through the green (though, occasionally, a "par-3" course may feature a par-4 or even a par-5 hole).
What is a golf course?
Aerial view of a golf course ( Golfplatz Wittenbeck at the Baltic Sea, Germany) A golf course is the grounds where the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup".
Is golf course architecture a field?
Although a specialty within landscape design or landscape architecture, golf course architecture is considered a separate field of study. Some golf course architects become celebrities in their own right, such as Robert Trent Jones, Jr.; others are professional golfers of high standing and demonstrated appreciation for golf course composition, such as Jack Nicklaus. The field is partially represented by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, and the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects, although many of the finest golf course architects in the world choose not to become members of any such group, as associations of architects are not government-sanctioned licensing bodies, but private groups. While golf courses often follow the original landscape, some modification is unavoidable. This is increasingly the case as new courses are more likely to be sited on less optimal land. Bunkers and sand traps are always built in by architects unless the formation of such items are already in the course's natural terrain.
How deep is a hole in a golf green?
The hole, or cup, is always found within the green and must have a diameter of 108 millimeters (4.25 in) and a depth of at least 10 centimeters (3.94 in). Its position on the green is not fixed and typically is changed daily by a greenskeeper in order to prevent excessive localized wear and damage to the turf.
What is included in a golf course?
Often, a golf course will include among its facilities a practice range or driving range, usually with practice greens, bunkers, and driving areas. Markers showing distances are usually included on a practice range for the golfer's information.
Where is the link in golf?
It is on links land near the towns of central eastern Scotland that golf has been played since the 15th century.
How many holes are there in a golf course?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. The standard length of a golf course is 18 holes.
Why are there 18 holes in golf?
Sometimes one golfer will try to tell another that the reason for 18 holes is that there are 18 shots in a bottle of Scotch whisky. And it's possible — perhaps it is even likely — that some golfers, somewhere, downed one shot of Scotch for every hole they played.
When did 18 holes become the standard?
Eighteen holes did not become the standard for golf courses until the early 1900s , but from 1764 onward, more courses copied the St. Andrews 18-hole model. Then, in 1858, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews issued new rules.
Where is the oldest golf course in the world?
The links at St. Andrews, Scotland are the oldest in the world. It's not called "The Home of Golf" for nothing. They were playing golf at St. Andrews as far back as the 1400s. But nobody built a golf course — it just developed naturally on the seaside linksland.
How many holes are there on a golf course?
This is a common question, so don’t be ashamed if you don’t know the answer.
Why 18 holes?
This is where I consult a bit of golf history, so feel free to close this page is history isn’t really your thing (I was a history teacher for six years, so I know that history isn’t for everyone).
Misconceptions About the 18 Hole Golf Course
As always, there are rumors and old golfer tales that distort reality, even with a simple question like “How many holes are there on a golf course?”
How many yards does a golf course have?
As we all know, golf courses come in all shapes and sizes. Some courses might play long at over 7,000 yards and some might be around 5,000 yard s. All golf courses are unique and totally different in sizes, but it is possible to narrow down an average size. It is really hard to get a general size on golf courses because of other factors such as ...
How long is a golf course?
As we all know, golf courses come in all shapes and sizes. Some courses might play long at over 7,000 yards and some might be around 5,000 yards. All golf courses are unique and totally different in sizes, but it is possible to narrow down an average size.
Who is Nick Lomas?
Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 15-years of experience playing and coaching golfers from all over the world. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience then it comes to choosing the right golf gear, and finding the right set up for your game.
How many holes are there in a regulation golf course?
Regulation golf courses comprise of 18 holes but vary in length. It’s common to see four short holes which are about 130-400 yards in length. Added are ten average holes that are 350-400 yards, and four longer holes of 450-550 yards distance between the holes.
How many yards are in an 18 hole golf course?
Golf course length of 18-hole course ranges from 6,500 to 6,900 yards which is approximately 5,900 to 6,400 meters. Individual holes range from 100- 600 yards which are 90-550 meters. Par 3, 4, 5 are more common with many golf courses but some courses include Par 6.
What is a golf course?
A golf course is a field or a ground in which the game of golf is played. The grounds enclose a series of holes each consisting of a ‘fairway’ surrounded by the green. The rough and several ‘hazards’ included in the out of play area, the greens and tees, occupy approximately 5% of the total space. Seemingly simple, golf courses vary not only in ...
How much of a golf course is tees and greens?
5% of the total golf course is allotted to the most significant part of the golf course known as the tees and the greens. This area scales around 6 acres. After the main elements of the course are planned, the golf course should also account for the clubhouse, storage, and parking areas.
How long is a golf course?
The average length of a golf course is 6,700 yards (6 .12 kms). If you’re a professional and play on the PGA tour, you’ll probably be playing on a golf course which spans a length of about 7,200 – 7,300 yards.
How many miles does a golf course cover?
Average Golf Course Length in Miles. The golf course length on the PGA tour covers around 7,200 yards which is 4.09 miles. A PGA player on an average plays about 78 rounds in a year spanning 319 miles a season.
How long does it take to walk a golf course?
On average it will take 4 hours to walk a standard 18 hole golf course from beginning to end. The time it takes to walk along a course from start to finish will differ for each person. The size of the course, number of players, your skill level, will all add to the total duration.
Should the golf hole be enlarged?
Over recent years, some golf analysts, teaching professionals, and game advocates have suggested the golf hole be enlarged for amateur players. They cite improvement in player performance and a speed-up in playing time.
Why is it important to maintain a golf hole?
Maintenance. Because all golfers eventually end up around the hole on a green, creating a lot of play around the hole itself , maintenance of the golf hole has become important to course care. Greenskeepers have developed more advanced, sharper hole-cutters that help lift the 4 1/4-inch plug out of the ground and insert it in another hole.
What is a hole cutter?
A hole-cutter produces a clean edge for the hole's perimeter. And inside the hole is a plastic cup or insert that holds the hole's structure in place, keeping the sandy soil from crumbling and eroding. This cup also promotes proper water drainage.

Overview
A golf course is the grounds where the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes. Most courses contain 18 holes; some share fairways or greens, and a s…
Design
Although a specialty within landscape design or landscape architecture, golf course architecture is considered a separate field of study. Some golf course architects become celebrities in their own right, such as Robert Trent Jones, Jr.; others are professional golfers of high standing and demonstrated appreciation for golf course composition, such as Jack Nicklaus. The field is partially repres…
Features
The game of golf is played in what is called a "round". This consists of playing a set number of holes in an order predetermined by the course. When playing on an 18-hole course, each hole is played once; whereas, on a nine-hole course each hole can be played twice to complete a round. To begin a hole, players start by striking the ball off a tee. Playing the ball off a tee can only be used o…
Types
Links is a Scottish term, from the Old English word hlinc : "rising ground, ridge", describing coastal sand dunes and sometimes similar areas inland. It is on links land near the towns of central eastern Scotland that golf has been played since the 15th century.
The shallow top soil and sandy subsoil made links land unsuitable for the culti…
Ownership and management
See also: Golf course superintendent, Greenskeeper, Turf management § Golf courses, Equipment manager § Golf, and Groundskeeping
There are three main categories of ownership and management of a golf course: private, commercial, and municipal.
A private course is owned and managed by a golf club on behalf of its members, on a non-profit …
Environmental impact
Environmental concerns over the use of land for golf courses have grown since the 1960s. Specific issues include the amount of water required for irrigation and the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in maintenance, as well as the destruction of wetlandsand other environmentally important areas during construction. The United Nations estimates that, worldwide, golf courses cons…
See also
• List of golf course architects
External links
• USGA Course Rating Primer at the website of the United States Golf Association