how many miles is a normal 18 hole golf course

by Jayne Hauck 10 min read

The World Golf Foundation estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories. But here's the rub: About two-thirds of golf in the U.S. is played in motorized carts. Some resorts and private courses even restrict walking and require carts.Jun 15, 2015

Full Answer

What is the average length of a 18 hole golf course?

The average length of a 18 hole golf course is 5,000 – 7,000 yards. The area is spread over 110 – 190 acres. A report from the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America reveals that an 18-hole golf facility in a resort covers a sprawling 150 – 200 acres which include water bodies, hard structures and out of play areas.

How far is walking 18 holes of golf?

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 many miles is the 18th tee on a golf course?

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 (6,500 x 3) or 3.69 miles (19,500 divided by 5,280).

How many acres is a 9 hole golf course?

A 9-hole golf course ideally needs at least 1,000 to 3,000 yards of tees to greens which means a 9 hole golf course is 20-60 acres in size. These figures refer to course with a few Par 4 holes and a single Par 5 hole. The area in acres may vary depending on the number of Par holes, making it smaller or larger.

How long is 18 holes of golf in miles?

Related. 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 many miles do you 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.

How many miles is the average golf course?

The 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.

Is walking 18 holes 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.

What does it cost to play Augusta?

The Augusta National membership costs are relatively low for a club of its stature. The initiation fee is estimated to be in the range of $40,000. And the yearly dues are estimated at “a few thousand” dollars per year.

How much do caddies get paid at the Masters?

Most Money Made By a Caddie During the Masters With this in mind, the winning caddy will receive $207,000 for their efforts in addition to the weekly salary they agreed upon with their golfer. As a result, a caddy can make around $210,000 during the Masters.

Can you lose weight by playing golf?

Golf can absolutely help you lose weight. Walking an 18-hole golf course in four hours can burn up to 800 calories, or even more if the terrain is hilly and if you are carrying your golf clubs in a carry bag.

Is golfing a good workout?

Golf offers both cardiovascular and strength exercise. A full round normally equates to around 3.6 to 3.8 miles, depending on where and how you play. Granted, again, a cart user will walk a bit less but they will still get plenty of exercise and certainly more than you would sitting on the couch.

How many calories do you burn walking 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.

Is golf good for your back?

Low, middle, and upper back pain are common symptoms of golf-related injuries. Golf is a game of muscle memory, and its repetitive motions can lead to inflammation, strains, and other injuries of the muscles and discs of the spine, throwing you off your game.

Why does golf burn so many calories?

Golf burns so many calories for several reasons, but the most apparent reason is that it takes a long time to play golf. Most sports will take about an hour or two at the most to complete. When you play an eighteen-hole round of golf, you are out on the golf course for four to five hours.

How long are you allowed to take a golf shot?

40 secondsThe PGA Tour and other professional tours have specific time rules. On the PGA Tour, players are advised to have 40 seconds to hit a shot from when it's their turn. That means, after the preceding player's shot stops at its resting place.

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 acres is a golf course?

The average golf course is 140-180 acres. The largest acreage for a golf course is 190 acres, and the smallest acreage is 100 acres.

How big is a golf fairway?

According to the GCSAA, about 31.8 acres is the required size to design a fairway. The fairway occupies almost 29% of a golf course.

Why is a par 3 golf course considered a par 3?

A hole is given a Par 3 ranking because the course designer believes a total of 3 strokes are definitely achievable with enough skill.

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.

What is a PGA tour?

PGA tours are considered the ultimate professional golf tournaments. PGA tours generally follow all the USGA rules to a tee.

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 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 needed for a golf course?

Golf courses require anywhere from 100 to 200 acres of land for an 18 hole championship course.

How many acres are required for a driving range?

Driving Range. The driving range on most courses takes up about 6 percent of the total space, and requires an average of 7.1 acres. Not all courses have a driving range. If space is limited, the driving range may not be an option.

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 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.

What is the standard length of a golf course?

Although there are also many 9-hole golf courses, 18 holes is considered the standard length of both a golf course and a round of golf. The standardization of 18 holes began in the mid-1700s at the links of St. Andrews in Scotland. Eighteen holes was firmly established as the standard length when the R&A, today one of the two governing bodies ...

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.

When was 18 holes established?

Eighteen holes was firmly established as the standard length when the R&A, today one of the two governing bodies of golf, wrote it into the rules in 1858.

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 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.

How much yardage to add to Royal County Down?

If the Royal County Down experiment is typical, you need to add somewhere between 47% and 100% to the scorecard’s yardage to guestimate how far you might be walking that day!

Why is 18 holes a good golf course?

DID YOU KNOW: How the term "birdie" came to be. In any event, if you love golf, 18 holes is great because it takes a long time to play that many. Of course, if you love someone who loves golf, it’s not as great. But again, it took a long time for this to become standard. Even longer than it takes to play 18 holes at a public course today.

How many holes are there in a golf course?

Those are the broad strokes of how a typical golf course came to have 18 holes. Sadly, as Snopes confirmed, the number has nothing to do with how many shots are in a bottle of Scotch—though that makes for a much more fun story.

Why was there no British Open in 1871?

It would have been a baker’s dozen of Opens to start, but there was no tournament in 1871 because Young Tom Morris was allowed to just keep the title belt (yes, an actual belt) that year because he had won the three previous years.

Why is golf 9 holes?

The reason why so many of us gain exposure to golf in this way is because shorter courses with fewer holes are more palatable.

How many holes are there in the Elite Eight?

18 holes! History and normalcy hold weight in our judge’s eyes, as does the value of playing ALL the holes on GOLF’s top 100 courses list. Bastable advances to play the winner of the 8-9 matchup in the “Elite Eight.” Keep it locked on GOLF.com and @GOLF_com on social media to follow along as “That’s Debatable” continues every day at noon!

Is it easier to play 9 or 18 holes?

Accessibility — It’s easier to start off by playing 9 than 18! 18 holes takes forever, it’s intimidating if you’re a beginner … play nine! Flexibility — You can squeeze in a quick nine in the mornings or the evenings and soak up every minute of it. it’s the best way to maximize limited golf time. 18 holes is restrictive.

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