
How long does it take to play 18 holes of golf?
A round of 18 holes of golf is expected to take no longer than the following times: As every golfer will have experienced however these ‘expected’ times are often not a reality. Slow play can mean rounds taking over 5, and sometimes even up to 6 hours.
How many holes are in a golf course?
Even though in standard golf, there are 18 holes, you can find a few variations. And these variations are simply due to geographical location changes and golf course length. But these variations are not very big of a difference; they are most likely to be a little different than the standard golf holes.
Why does golf have 18 holes?
While there are many theories about why golf has 18 holes, no one knows for sure. Some say it was designed to mimic a day’s journey, while others believe that it has something to do with Masonic symbolism. Why are there 18 holes in golf? Whatever the reason may be, golfers everywhere will continue to enjoy this classic sport for years to come.
What is a round of golf?
A round of golf is a competitive but friendly sport. It consists of 18 holes, which can be played on courses designed for one or more players with varying levels and types available to suit everyone’s abilities from beginners all the way up through professionals who have won major championships in their field!

Why is golf 9 or 18 holes?
Andrews formalized the rules and stated, “One round of the Links, or 18 holes is reckoned a match, unless otherwise stipulated.” Legend has it that the reason for 18 holes is that a bottle of whiskey contained the same number of shots as holes on a course, thus providing just enough drink for a shot on each hole.
How long does 18 holes of golf usually take?
The answer to how long a round of golf takes varies from course to course, day to day. There are tons of factors that go into it, but an average round is 4 hours and 30 minutes. A longer round of golf is considered slow day. A shorter round of golf means a good pace of play.
Why does golf have 28 holes?
In 1764, the golfers at St Andrews decided to combine the first four short holes into two, to produce a round of 18 holes, though it was still 10 holes of which 8 were played twice. Thus was born the 18-hole round, though it would be hundred years before there were eighteen holes and other courses followed suit.
How long does 18 holes of golf take for 4 players?
A normal golf hole will take a group of four amateur golfers around 15 minutes to complete. This equates to an 18-hole round of golf taking anywhere from 4 to 4.5 hours.
How long should 9 holes take?
Beginner-level golfers usually need about 2.5 hours to play nine holes, even by themselves. Average players finish nine holes in about 2 hours. Advanced golfers can complete nine holes in around 1.5 hours.
Is walking 18 holes of golf good exercise?
Walking golf is a great exercise for children and adults who love playing this invigorating sport. People who forgo the golf carts and hoof it on foot can find themselves burning off between 1,000 to 1,500 calories when playing all 18-holes. You can burn off more calories by carrying your clubs.
Why are there 18 shots in a fifth?
During a discussion among the club's membership board at St. Andrews in 1858, one of the members pointed out that it takes exactly 18 shots to polish off a fifth of Scotch. By limiting himself to only one shot of Scotch per hole, the Scot figured a round of golf was finished when the Scotch ran out.
What country invented golf?
ScotlandSt. Andrews, Scotland. It was here at the St. Andrews Golf Links that the R&A was formed and where the 18-hole round was established.
Why are golf named after birds?
Used to score one under par. It began to be used in 1899 in New Jersey. It turns out that on one game day, three golfers were playing when one of them, on his second stroke, hit a bird in flight with the ball and it landed very, very close to the hole. The teammates said it was a stroke of luck for a 'birdie'.
What is an average golfer?
According to the USGA, the average score for recreational players is 91 on a par 72 golf course. These numbers take into account everyone who actively records their scores and reports them online, and since a lot of golfers don't do this, the average golf score for all golfers is much closer to 100.
How long is Par 3 course?
With an average round of golf lasting 4-5 hours on a regulation 18 hole course, a Par 3 course usually plays in about 2 ½ hours and 9 holes in a little over an hour. It can be a great way to get your golf fix without having to invest nearly as much time and money.
How much golf is too much?
For most people, hitting 50-60 balls at the range should be the max. Any more than this and you probably won't see much benefit. That's why most golf coaches recommend hitting less than 60 balls on the range (can hit more on the practice green).
How long does it take for 1 person to play 18 holes of golf?
On an empty golf course, a single player or a skilled twosome can play an 18-hole round in as little as 2 hours. That can be walking or riding, depending on the age of the players. On a busy golf course with average to poor players, an 18-hole round can take in upwards of 6 hours to play.
How long does 18 holes take with cart?
How Much Time Golf Takes with a Cart. If your foursome is moderately experienced and there's no waiting at each hole, golf takes as little as 3 – 3 ½ hours with a cart. But, again, that time changes if you must wait on each hole. Even riding a cart, it can take around 5 hours for golf when it's jam-packed.
How long do golf days last?
A professional golf tournament lasts for four days. These four days cover four rounds of golf and typically start on Thursday and go on until Sunday. Each tournament day consists of 18 holes, where golfers take approximately 4 hours to complete each day. There are different types and formats of golf tournaments.
How long is the average PGA Tour round?
The average round of golf in America takes 4 hours, 17 minutes, according to Lucius Riccio, Ph. D., who analyzed 40,460 rounds. The average time of dewsweepers, or the first group out, is 3:46. The length and Slope Rating of a golf course has almost no correlation with pace.
So, exactly how many holes are there in a round of golf?
As we previously stated, in a normal round of golf, each player has to finish 18 holes to complete the round.
Why does a golf course have 18 holes?
So now that we know how many holes there are in a golf course, let’s take a look at why that number was chosen.
Why do some golf courses have 27 or 36 holes?
While certain golf courses have 27 or 36 holes, the standard is still 18 holes across the entire world.
Final thoughts
Now, you should have a complete understanding of how many holes there are on a golf course, and the history of how this came to be.
How many holes in golf?
In 1764, St. Andrew of Scotland created a golf course with 22 holes but found it too difficult to use.
How long is a three hole golf course?
A standard three-hole is up to 250 yards long while four stroke can be 251 – 470 yards in length and five-stroke will usually exceed those lengths at least by another 100+ feet than fours but some may go beyond even 500 yard mark too!
How do golfers drive off?
Golfers drive off by hitting the ball from a teeing point near where they are standing or vice versa if it’s not customary to use a tee for that specific hole.
What are the obstacles in a golf course?
There are also obstacles like bunkers (sand traps), roughs ( areas with lots of grass or bushes to reduce distance between shots) water hazards, sandtraps etc depending on its design.
How many shots does it take to complete a par 5 hole?
A par five hole is a challenging obstacle in golf for expert players. On most courses, it’s the longest and takes at least 5 shots to complete successfully.
What is a tee in golf?
A tee is a small, square surface with which golfers create an elevated platform for the ball. The purpose of using a tee in this sport is to place the ball on level ground before striking it with clubs or other objects called drivers.
How many shots does a par 3 hole take?
A par-3 hole is a short one on the golf course and experts are expected to play it in three shots.
How many holes are in a round of golf?
A full round of golf has 18 holes.
How many holes are there in a golf course?
Normally 18. However, some people only want to play a lesser amount due to time, energy, or other constraints. Usually, courses are designed where the front side and the back side have 9 holes each, with each side beginning and ending near the clubhouse. That somewhat reinforces the playing in sets of 9 idea . The European Tour has a great concept now where they have events constituted of 6 hole matches. This makes for a quicker, and seemingly looser and fun format for golfers and fans.
How far do golf holes go?
Interesting question - and Steven Pick has it about right. On a typical course that plays only 6000 yards or so in accumulated yardage from the regular tees, not uncommon, just the lengths of the holes account for about 3.5 miles. But on most holes, one doesn’t walk directly from the tee box to the green, so you walk farther than the hole measures - and often that it much farther depending on the contour of the hole, whether there is a hazard you have to go around, and then - of course - whether you hit the ball where you wanted to.
What is the purpose of hole handicapping?
The purpose of hole handicapping is to determine which holes a high handicapper gets a stroke on when playing in a match versus a low handicap golfer. Therefore the holes are handicapped based on the difference between the average score a good golfer shoots on the hole and the average score a poor golfer shoots on the hole.
What is the easiest hole to play?
Par 5’s are the easiest to help explain this concept. To a scratch or low single digit golfer, pat 5 ’s are by far the easiest holes on the course. On the PGA tour, the average score on a par 5 for an entire tournament might be 4.5 strokes. ON AVERAGE players shoot 1/2 stroke under par on that hole. Par 5’s are easy for good golfers because you have more strokes to make up for a bad shot, and you can often be on or near the green in 2 strokes. Good golfers eat up Par 5’s.
How many miles is a good distance to walk in golf?
So I think realistically six miles or more is a good approximation of the distance walked in a normal round of golf.
Is #1 handicap the hardest hole in golf?
I have answered this previously, but a long time ago. The #1 handicap is NOT the hardest hole in the course and #18 handicap is NOT the easiest. Hole handicaps are not based directly on difficulty.
How will the new rules reduce the length of time a round of golf takes?
Surveys and research have shown that increased times to play a round of golf both stops current golfers playing more often and also new people taking up golf.
How to play golf at the right time?
Choose the right type of game at the right time – Golfers are typically themselves in charge of who they play with, what the game will be and when they want to play. All these choices have an impact on how long a round will take. If players want to play strokeplay for example, the slowest form of the game, then ideally they should not play in a group of four. If players want to play quickly they can also consider choosing a quieter time of the day when the course is potentially under-utilised or has not yet filled up.
Why is golf so slow?
Tee options – A lack of teeing options to cater for different standards of golfer and/or hitting distances can lead to slow play as players are given fewer options to avoid both hitting less lofted, more difficult, clubs and playing over obstacles such as water hazards and bunkers.
What are the obstacles on a golf course?
Obstacles on the course – Most golf courses will have a mix of some or all of the following – rough, bunkers, water hazards, trees, bushes and other obstacles.
How long does it take to search for a golf ball?
Search time – The time a player can search for their golf ball has been reduced by 40% from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
Why should golf bags be positioned?
Position of bags or carts – When players approach the green, golf bags or carts should be positioned to allow for quick and efficient movement off the green towards the next tee. Play a ‘provisional’ ball – Ball searches and lost balls cannot usually be avoided but they cause a delay.
How long should you take your shot before you can play golf?
Pace of play recommendations – In addition to formally recommending many of the aspects of ‘ready golf’ noted above, the new 2019 rules also recommend that a player takes their shot no longer than 40 seconds after the time when they should have been ‘ready to play’.
How Long Does It Take to Play Par 3s, Par 4s & Par 5s?
Each hole has a specific pace of play guideline for how long it should take on the scorecard.
How Long Does It Take to Play 9 Holes of Golf?
A typical nine-hole round of golf should somewhere between one and a half hours to two and a half hours, depending on how many golfers you’re playing with.
How Long Does It Take to Play 18 Holes of Golf?
A typical eighteen-hole round of golf will take between three to five hours, again depending on how many golfers you have in your group.
Factors That Impact How Long A Round of Golf Will Take
If you’re playing a par 3 or executive course, it will generally take less time than playing a full-length course since the holes are shorter and should take less time.
How you can speed up your pace of play
While you don’t want to rush your shots, especially if it’s a critical one that could affect the outcome of the round, take some time before each shot to plan how you’ll hit it.
Final thoughts
This post should help you understand how long a round of golf will take, whether you’re playing 9 or 18 holes.
How many miles is a golf course?
Looking at the course yardage, you’d probably guess about 3 or 4 miles. But an R&A ‘experiment’ suggests it can be much, much more than that…
What is the shortest distance you have ever walked?
The shortest distance walked was 5.7 miles, or a distance 47% greater than the scorecard yardage alone.

Why Does Golf Have 18 Holes?
How Long Are The 18 Holes?
- Playing 18 holes requires a minimum of 5hours and a maximum of 6. However, it could be more especially if the distance between the greens and tee box of the course is more. This would also increase the distance of travels per. The 9 hole round is more time-efficient with a minimum of 2.5 hours and 3.5 hours tops. This provides golfers with ample time to refresh themselves off the st…
What About 9-Hole Rounds
- The 9-hole round is prevalent amidst weekend golfers and players whose intention is to squeeze in a bit of practice between chores. But recently, as the competition spikes at the workplace, people relish spending 6 hours wrapped to the TV hoping their favorite golfer wins the tournament. With the current global recession, the golf industry has suffered many setbacks. Th…
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who Brought The 18 Hole Rule?
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club. These elicit men to change the rule rules of golf holes. They combined the 5, 7, 11, and 22 into 18 holes. This singular move brought standardization to the game of golf, making it possible to people of different states, provinces, and countries to play un… - Is There Other Holes Aside 18 Hole?
Absolutely Yes! Other holes exist in golf. In ancient times other holes such as 5, 7, 12, and 22 existed but recent standardization has made these holes obsolete leaving just 9 and 18 holes respectively.
Conclusion
- We asserted emphatically that the current golf round comprises 18 holes, as most recent golf courses are designed to accommodate this number. Golf holes have evolved over the years from 5, 7, 12, and the standardized 18. However, the 9-hole golf is another popular format that is gradually gaining wave even though most people use it as a practice fo...