how long is a typical 18 hole golf course

by Corene Johns 8 min read

The average golf course is approximately 6600 yards long (3.75 miles or 6 kilometers) made up of Par-3, 4 and 5's, with a varying number of each depending on the course.

Full Answer

How many miles are walked in 18 holes of golf?

What's Your Golf Mileage? How far does a golfer walk during a typical 18-hole round? For years the consensus has been about five miles (1,760 yards=one mile). How accurate is this?

How long does it take to golf 18 holes on average?

A normal golf hole will, on average, take a group of professional golfers around 10 minutes and a group of average amateurs around 15 minutes. This equates to an 18-hole round of golf taking anywhere from 3 to 4 1/2 hours. ... A full par-72 course will take approximately four hours to play, but a par-3 course with 18 holes can be completed in around two hours. Skill Level

What is the average par for 18 holes of golf?

The most common 18 hole golf courses are Par 72 (36 out - 36 in), but Par 71 and 70 are common as well. This feature is related the most to golf course designing, difficulty and architecture and sometimes club owner needs,

How many miles is a typical 18 hole golf course?

The middle tees on a regulation 18-hole course typically play from 6,200 to 6,600 yards, according to Armstrong Golf Architects. Women, however, typically play to about 5,800 yards -- or about 3.3 miles -- per 18 holes, according to course designer Alice Dye.

Can you finish 18 holes in 3 hours?

As you add players to your group, you can expect the time to complete a round to grow by roughly thirty minutes for each additional player. Two players could play in three hours, three players could play in three hours and thirty minutes, and foursomes, on average, could take four hours to play 18 holes of golf.

How many miles do you walk in 18 holes of golf?

The World Golf Foundation estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories.

How long is the average PGA golf course?

approximately 7,200 yardsThe average course length on the PGA Tour is approximately 7,200 yards. That's 4.09 miles. And the average PGA Tour pro plays 78 rounds per year.

How long does 18 holes of golf take for 1?

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.

Can you lose weight by playing golf?

Is It Really Exercise? A golfer walks roughly four miles (or almost seven kilometres) and can burn as many as 1,000 calories during an average 18-hole round, with help from swinging clubs and carrying their own bag. Playing more spaced out or hillier courses will obviously burn more calorie than compact, flat courses.

How many calories do you burn when you walk 18 holes of golf?

1,200-3,000 caloriesFor an 18-hole round of golf, which can run from 4-5.5 hours, a walking golfer can burn anywhere from 1,200-3,000 calories. A golfer won't burn quite as many calories if they're walking the course but using a push cart, but the energy expended to push or pull a walking cart will come close to making up the difference.

How many miles is 36 holes of golf?

By using tracking devices which were handed out to each player. The playing length alone of the course was around 6,800 yards, approximately 3.9 miles. That is just the length of the course though, with the layout including a reasonable degree of walking between certain holes.

How many miles do golfers walk at Augusta?

The five-mile or so walk between the Georgia pines at Augusta National is 11,000-plus steps of up and down and up again. It requires hitting shots from uneven lies. Of digging into the pine straw when required.

What is the world's largest golf course?

From the tips, Erin Hills -- the site of this year's U.S. Open -- spans over 7,800 yards.

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 does 18 holes take 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.

Do pro golfers walk the course?

Yet on the PGA Tour, professional golfers walk the entire course with their caddy lugging the clubs without so much as a hand cart. This is because all the major tours, the PGA Tour included, believe that walking is an integral part of the game and requires all golfers to walk the course.

How Long Does Eighteen Holes Of Golf Take To Play?

Assuming you’re playing in a group of four, it will take approximately 15 minutes per hole. With 18 holes lasting roughly 15 minutes each, that puts a group of 4 taking about 4 hours and 15 minutes to play a group of 18 holes.

Factors That Determine How Long It Takes To Play 18 Holes Of Golf

There are many variables that will affect how long it takes you (or your group) to play through 18 holes. We’ll walk through these now. Also take a look at our guide on how long it takes to play 9 holes of golf if you’re planning a half round.

How To Speed Up The Time It Takes For 18 Holes Of Golf

There are a few ways to reduce the amount of time you or your group will spend playing 18 holes of golf. Let’s take a look below.

How many holes do you need to play to complete a full round of golf?

Some smaller courses only have 9 holes that you need to play twice to complete the full 18 holes. Some larger courses have more than 18 holes that you can play in different configurations to complete a full round. So, as usual with golf, there is no normal.

How far apart do you drive to play the golf course?

In fact, you need to drive between holes to play the whole course, which in itself only covers about 6,750 yards. The average drive between holes (by car, not cart) is 41 miles, with two of the holes situated almost 124 miles apart. So, don’t try and walk this course!

What is the longest hole in the world?

The longest hole in the world is the par 7 3rd hole at the Gunsan Country Club in South Korea that measures a whopping 1,097 yards. It will take you 5 clear shots to reach the green regulation, which is harder than it sounds considering the hole runs alongside a substantial water hazard.

How to figure out which tees to play from?

Another strategy some golfers use to figure out which tees to play from is the average 5-iron distance method . Fair warning, this requires some basic math. What you do is take your average 5-iron distance and multiply by it 36, and then choose the tees that are a yardage that is closest to that number.

How many par 3s are there in golf?

Most course architects will aim to include four par 3s (two on the first nine, two on the last nine), 10 Par 4s (five per nine), and four par 5s. But these objectives can change depending on the architect’s wishes, or even the terrain of the land.

How many shots to get to the green in a par 4?

A par four will take two shots to reach the green, plus two puts. A par 5, three shots, plus two puts. You get the idea. Most golf courses have a par of 72 over 18 holes, but this can vary between clubs and courses.

How many yards was the average driving distance in 1980?

In 1980, the average driving distance on tour was just under 257 yards.

How many yards is a regulation 18 hole golf course?

A regulation 18-hole golf course should be between 6,200 and 7,000 yards. To calculate how many miles you walk from the first tee to the 18th tee, multiply the number of yards by three (the number of feet in a yard) and then divide the result by 5,280 (the number of feet in a mile). For example, a 6,500-yard golf course is equal to 19,500 feet ...

How far can you walk 18 holes?

How Far Is Walking 18 Holes? Play a round of regulation 18-hole golf on most courses and you’ll walk anywhere between 3 and 6 miles, depending on the length of the course, how much walking you do before and after your game, and how often you have to wander off course in search of lost balls.

How to measure how far you walk in golf?

To precisely measure how far you walk during a round of golf, wear a pedometer, which will measure how many steps you take. Measuring how many steps you take from the moment you get out of your car to the moment you get back into it will give you a precise accounting of how far you walked during that round of golf.

How many steps does it take to walk a mile?

Typically, walking 1,000 steps is equal to walking about a half a mile. Walking 7,000 steps during a round of golf is equal to walking 3.5 miles.

How many acres are needed for an 18 hole golf course?

Golf courses require anywhere from 100 to 200 acres of land for an 18 hole championship course. The size of 18-hole golf courses can vary, sometimes drastically, but most courses are between 5,000 and 7,000 yards. But that's just the distance from hole to hole.

How much land does a golf course take up?

Arguably the most important part of golf courses, the tees and greens take up about 5 percent of the total space. On average, these areas require about 6 acres.

How many acres are there in golf courses?

Most golf courses are spread across 110 to 190 acres. The number of of acres required was determined during a February 2001 survey by the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America.

How much land is needed for rough areas?

This includes all out-of-play areas and hazards. The average area needed for the rough areas is 66.8 acres.

How many acres are needed for fairways?

About 29 percent of a golf course is dedicated to the fairway. The Golf Course Superintendent Association of America estimates that 31.9 acres is needed for fairways.

How Long Does It Take to Play 18 Holes of Golf?

So, how long does it usually take to play an entire golf round, all 18 holes? The United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A) conducted a study to determine the average time a golf round needs to be completed.

What Is the Problem with Slow Play?

Slow play is when a golfer takes too long to finish their round. This can lead to frustration for both the players and their playing partners.

Factors that Affect How Long a Round of Golf Takes

Earlier, we mentioned that the time a round of golf takes to complete would vary depending on many variables. These include the number of players, weather conditions, players' skill level, etc. Let's now tackle each factor individually in more detail.

What Are the Benefits of Faster Play?

There are several benefits of playing a fast-paced round of golf. One of these benefits is that you'll enjoy your round more. You'll feel happier and more relaxed after completing a faster-paced round.

What Are the Best Tips to Reduce Golf Course Time?

Now that we have established that a faster pace of play can make a golf round more enjoyable, you might be asking yourself how to speed up your pace. There are certain tips you can try to achieve that; let's cover some of them in more detail.

Final Thoughts

Golf is a very technical game. It takes a lot of practice and strategy to play. Everything needs to be calculated to enjoy the game without any surprises.

How long does it take to play an 18 hole golf course?

On an empty golf course, a single player or a skilled twosome can play an 18-hole round in as little as 2 hours.

How long does it take to play ready golf?

That will save up to 30 minutes per round.

How long does it take to get to the 4 hour mark?

The idea, then, is that each hole should take an average of 13 minutes to get to that 4-hour mark. The par 3s should take about 10 minutes, while the par 4s take about 13 and the par 5s take about 15 minutes. Of course, that's with a full foursome on an average golf course with an average number of people playing.

How many yards is the 18th hole?

This sign tells us the 18th hole is 465 yards and has a par of 4. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. Most golfers know the typical par lengths of golf holes instinctively.

What is the par rating of a golf hole?

The par rating of a golf hole is up to the hole designers and golf course personnel. But there are guidelines. The USGA has periodically issued guidelines for the par ratings of holes based on their lengths; for example, if a hole is 180 yards, it is rated as a par-3.

Why is a 180 yard hole called a par 3?

So a 180-yard hole is called a par-3 because an expert golfer is expected to hit the green in one stroke, then take two putts to get the ball into the hole, making for three strokes total.

How many yards is a par 3?

1911. (Note: The USGA adopted the use of "par" in 1911, which makes these its first-ever guidelines on par yardages.) Par 3: Up to 225 yards. Par 4: 225 to 425 yards. Par 5: 426 to 600 yards. Par 6: 601 yards or more.

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