A par of 72 is the most frequent for an 18-hole golf course. This indicates that a scratch golfer, or someone who can regularly shoot par, should expect to finish the course in 72 strokes. However, depending on the length of the course, the difficulty of the holes, and the style of the golf course, par can vary. A par-72 course in the United States, for example, is often longer and more challenging than a par-72 course in Europe.