Why Golf Courses Have 18 Holes : snopes.com Claim: Golf courses have eighteen holes because a bottle of Scotch contains eighteen shots. FALSE Example: [Collected via e-mail, 2002] Why do full-length golf courses have 18 holes, and not 20, or 10 or an even dozen? How many of you golfers know the answer to this one? 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. Now you know. I'll drink to that. Origins: Although this bit of lore about soused Scots limiting themselves to one slurp at the flask per hole has its charm, it does not have history on its side. The number of holes comprising a standard golf course was not determined by the amount of Scotch in a bottle. Games similar to golf have been around since Roman times, and golf was being played at Scotland's famed Old Course at St.

Andrews, the oldest extant golf course in the world, at least as far back at 1552. (Early Scottish versions of the game were called "golf" even though the game itself was not at that time all it would finally become.) However, golf wasn't always as regulated as it is now: Prior to standardization, early courses typically had any number of holes from five to twenty-four, and only over a long period of time did the game evolve to the point that eighteen became the standard number of holes for courses all over the world. But couldn't that number still be tied to a hip flask, you say? Not unless the bottle shrank. Originally, the Old Course at St. Andrews 12 holes, 10 of which were played over the same set of fairways both out and back, for a grand total of 22 holes per round. (That is, two of the holes were played once per round, while the other ten holes were each played twice per round, for a total of 22 holes per round.) In 1764, the Old Course's first four holes were combined into two holes, and from then on a round of golf at St.

Andrews consisted of playing the now-standard total of 18 holes. So there you have it — no drunken Scots at all. Barbara "holey unimaginable" Mikkelson Last updated: 28 July 2015 Sources: 18 Hole Round - Scottish Golf History Scottish Golf History Disclaimer 18 Hole Round Many people have asked why golf courses have eighteen holes and this is now the universal format played today. The early golf courses all had different numbers of holes and were not always played in a defined order, as evidenced at Earlsferry . The order of play on Aberdeen Links is known to have been laid out in August 1780 , but the layouts below were probably established much earlier.

Leith Links 5 holes in 1744, adding 2 holes later Bruntsfield Links 5 holes, expanding to 6 holes in 1818 Musselburgh Old Course 7 holes for many years, adding an 8th in 1832 and a 9th in 1870 Blackheath 5 holes, expanding to 7 holes in 1844 Montrose Links 7 holes by 1810; 14 holes by 1825; 11 holes by 1849; and 25 holes by 1866, reduced sometime shortly after 1874. St Andrews (Old Course) 12 holes by 1764, and probably much earlier. The holes were laid out in a line and 10 holes were played twice, once 'out' and once back 'in', making a 'round' of 22 holes.

How the Old Course became 18 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. Even as late as 1851, when Prestwick was built with 12 holes, it did not look out of place. Although some clubs were playing 18 holes as medal round at this time, it was purely be accident, such as at Lanark from 1851-1853 where they had six holes that were played three times. When they added another hole it became a round of 21 holes. There is still confusion on the development of the 18 holes at St Andrews. Assembling the evidence from diverse sources produces the following tale.

In 1832, the Chief of Clanronald suggested double greens at St Andrews and the Old Course plan of 1836 drawn by William Chalmers, which hangs in the R&A clubhouse, shows two holes on the 5th hole, the Hole O'Cross green, shared with the 13th and both named Hole O'Cross. In the Rules of 1842, the Royal & Ancient laid down an 18 hole round, though the course was not yet 18 holes. This was repeated in the 1858 and 1875 rules, but not in the 1888 rules. Rule 1 .... One round of the Links, or 18 holes is reckoned a match, unless otherwise stipulated... Old Course St Andrews Hole O'Cross 5th and High Hole 7th Twenty years later, in 1855, Daw Anderson, a St Andrews ball-maker, in charge of the Old Course 1850-1855, created a double green on the 7th hole, as evidenced by the R&A Green Committee directive of 2nd May 1855.

(Many histories refer to this as the 5th hole, possibly because of the 1836 map, and some even date it to this earlier period.) There may have been other double holes cut, and they may simply have been used alternately, rather than out and in, to spread the wear on the green which also served as the tee'ing area at this time. You need a large double green to use two holes simultaneously. In 1856-57, Allan Robertson was paid £20 in respect of 'double greens' by the R&A, from which we can infer a significant amount of work was done, probably to enlarge the greens enough so that two holes could be installed on all of them and used simultaneously. This work is presumed to have been initiated by the 'dynamic' R&A captain Sir High Lyon Playfair and was ready in time for the Spring Meeting of May 1857, as reported in the Fifeshire Journal, which lauded the new playing arrangements including the different coloured flags to differentiate the out and in holes . The putting greens have had a thorough overhaul, re-turfed and otherwise improved.

On each green, with the exception of the first and return, two holes have been placed; the one is played to by parties going outwards, the other in the in-coming. To prevent mistakes, the outgoing hole is supplied with a white flag, and its neighbour sports a red one, that being the colour for all the return holes. This is a decided improvement on the old system, preventing confusion and delays which often had to be put up with , on medal days especially when a party going out encountered another winding their way homewards on the same green, there being only one hole betwixt them. Thus was born the 18-hole golf course. The course was played in the clockwise direction in this period, though shortly after it was alternately played in clockwise and anticlockwise directions, to manage the wear of the course. Other courses become 18 holes This marked a change of mind-set in the golfers to an 18-hole course and over the next few years other courses began adopting this standard, as detailed in Oldest 18-hole Courses .

The main driver appears to have been the influence of prominent members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club who were also members elsewhere, though it took 25 years before there were 18 golf courses in the world with 18 holes. Old Course High Hole 7 The second golfing ground known to have 18 holes was Montrose , which developed dozens of courses over four different playing areas over the centuries. By 1863 they had 25 holes and the Royal Montrose were playing their medals over 18 holes, though it would not be until 1888 that they had a defined course of 18 holes. The third course with 18 holes was at Dubbieside in Fife in 1866, but the Innerleven Golf Club decided to abandon it soon after and moved to Leven, which was extended to 18 holes to Lundin in 1868. This became the third 18-hole golf course , though to play it today you need to play both Leven and Lundin as the course was divided in 1909.

From 1872, the British Open golf championship was held annually in rotation at Prestwick , St Andrews and Musselburgh , where the three sponsor clubs were based. The contest was over 36 holes and it was, therefore, three rounds when it was held at Prestwick, two rounds when at St Andrews and four rounds at Musselburgh. The competition must have created comparison of the courses and the 18 holes at St Andrews would have seemed the most appropriate. Thus, in 1882, Prestwick expanded its course to 18 holes, the 18th course to do so, and in 1891 when the Honourable Company built Muirfield they created 18 holes in the first year. As they sponsored the Open, the championship moved with them from Musselburgh to Muirfield. With the three foremost clubs in the world using 18 holes, this set the norm for a golf round. The 18-hole round was a default found for a golf match from 1933, but it was not laid down as a 'stipulated round' in the Rules of Golf until as late as 1950.

In 1919, when the Royal and Ancient took over sole control of running the Open, half of all the golf courses in Britain were still built as 9-hole courses. Therefore the reason why golf courses are 18 holes is partly at least an accident of history. Other details of the development of the Old Course are given at 1574 St Andrews . Scottish Golf History Why Do Golf Courses Have 18 Holes? By Brent Kelley Updated November 18, 2016. The standard length of a golf course is 18 holes. Why is that? How did 18 holes come to be recognized as the standard for a course, and for a round of golf ? Like so many other developments in golf history , 18-holes-as-standard traces to The Old Course at St. Andrews . How the Old Course Got to 18 Holes The standardization of 18 holes as the length of a "regulation" golf course did not happen as the result of a momentous decision agreed upon by many. It was more happenstance and somewhat haphazard developments over time. 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. Locals played from dune to dune, and those became putting greens; the grassy paths between dunes that existed naturally became the fairways. That's how links golf developed. continue reading below our video Understanding Baseball So the number of holes at St. Andrews changed through the centuries. By the mid-1700s, the links at St. Andrews had 22 holes. Then, around 1764, the four short holes that started the course were combined into two longer holes. And the four short holes that ended the course were combined into two longer holes. In so doing, the St. Andrews links (what we now call The Old Course) went from 22 holes to 18 holes. The R&A Codified 18 Holes as a Round 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. "In 1858, the R&A issued new rules for its members," explained Sam Groves, curator of the British Golf Museum. "Rule 1 stated 'one round of the Links or 18 holes is reckoned a match unless otherwise stipulated'. We can only presume that, as many clubs looked to the R&A for advice, this was slowly adopted throughout Britain. By the 1870s, therefore, more courses had 18 holes and a round of golf was being accepted as consisting of 18 holes." And that's how 18 holes became the standard in golf. Many Courses Before - and Since - Have Used Other Numbers of Holes Prior to the mid-1760s - and right up until the early 1900s - it wasn't unusual to find golf courses that were comprised of 12 holes, or 19, or 23, or 15, or any other number. Then the St. Andrews- and R&A-led standardization of 18 holes took hold.

It has always been common, however, to find 9-hole golf courses. You can think of golf's 18-hole standard of being comprised of two 9-hole sets. We call these the front nine and back nine . If a club doesn't have a lot of room, it might build only one of these 9-hole sets, making for a 9-hole golf course. Nine-holers are also common in small towns, or as the length of executive courses or par-3 courses . Today, there is more experimentation going on in the size and shape of golf courses, driven mostly by a desire to provide shorter, faster options for golfers. Twelve-hole courses and even 6-hole courses are popping up now. But 18 holes remains the standard for golf courses, and is considered a regulation round. Golf Vocabulary | English Club 1000 Phrasal Verbs for download! Golf Vocabulary This page covers the vocabulary and language of golf by looking at its background, equipment and people. Check your understanding with the vocabulary quiz and comprehension quiz .

The dream of many people is to make lots of money, retire from work, and then spend the rest of their days walking around beautifully kept parks with finely-cut lawns, grassy fields and groves of leafy trees. They dream of visiting these parks, or courses, day after day, and of using long metal sticks, called clubs, to hit a little white ball towards, and finally into, a small hole or cup in a manicured lawn they call a green. What they are dreaming of, of course, is playing the game we call golf. It is one of the few sports that nearly everyone can play, regardless of age, body shape, or level of fitness. It is a good form of light exercise, it can help people to relax, and it gives them plenty of time between shots to chat, joke around, or even discuss serious topics like business with their playing partners. As a result, golf has become a very popular game, enjoyed by millions of people in nearly every country of the world. History The first recorded game of golf was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456, and until recently most historians believed the game originated in Scotland in the 11th century.

But new evidence suggests a game very similar to golf was played in China during the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279). It was played with 10 clubs similar to modern golf clubs, and Chinese records and drawings show the clubs were used to hit small balls into holes in the ground, just like in modern golf. This game could have been introduced to Scotland in the 11th century by Mongolian traders and travellers. One of the oldest and most important organizations in the history of golf is the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) in Scotland, founded in 1754. The club's course had nine holes, and players would go around twice to complete a full round. As a result, eighteen holes became the standard number of holes in a round of golf. The rules of golf also originated at the R&A, although now they are jointly controlled by the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA). How The Game Works Golf is played on specially-designed course consisting of a series of numbered holes. Some holes are short, just two or three hundred metres, while others are longer, up to five or six hundred metres.

Each hole has a tee-off area, or tee box, from which the first shot is played. Then a long fairway with short grass leads to a small area of very short grass called a green. There's is a small hole in the green called a cup in which a pin stands with a flag flying on it. The object of the game is to hit the ball and get it into the cup with as few shots as possible. But course designers don't want to make this too easy, so they build hazards into the course. On both sides of the fairway, and around the green, areas of long grass called the rough are usually found. Areas thick with trees and bushes are also common, along with hazards such as bunkers, lakes, creeks and gullies. Most golf courses have eighteen holes, though some only have nine. Players use one of several clubs to hit the ball towards the green, and then into the cup. Players carry up to fourteen clubs in a golf bag, or they have a caddie carry them. These clubs (see picture at right) include woods for long shots (on the left), irons for medium-length shots (top), and a putter for shots hit along the ground on the green (bottom).

Players also carry their own score card, and record every stroke they play on each hole. Each shot, whether it's a three-hundred metre drive or a two-centimetre putt, counts as one stroke. For each hole, a number known as par indicates the number of shots a very good player would normally take to complete the hole. Short holes are usually "par 3", medium-length holes are "par 4", while longer holes are "par 5". If a player completes a hole in one shot less than par, they have made a birdie. Two shots under par is an eagle and three shots under par is an albatross. One shot over par is a bogey, two shots over par is a double bogey and three shots over par is a triple bogey. If we add up the pars of all the holes on an eighteen-hole course, we find the par for the whole course. Most courses are par 72, with four par-3 holes, ten par-4 holes, and 4 par-5 holes. If a player shoots a round of 70 on a par 72 course, we can say they shot a "two-under-par" round.

In most formats of the game, the winner is the player who completes a round, or a series of rounds, with the lowest number of strokes. Tours and Tournaments As recreational golf became a popular hobby, professional golf became big business. Television broadcasts of major tournaments attract millions of viewers worldwide, and professional golfers play for millions of dollars in prize-money in hundreds of tournaments held all over the world. The biggest prize-money is offered in tournaments which are part of major tours such as the European Tour, the U.S. PGA Tour, and the U.S. LPGA Tour. Players must qualify to play on these tours, but qualifying is very difficult. Those who can't qualify can join other smaller tours such as the high-paying Japanese Tour. The four most important tournaments in men's golf are called 'the majors', held every year. They are The Masters, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship (also called The British Open) and the PGA Championship. A player who wins all four majors in a single year has achieved a "Grand Slam", while a player who wins each major at least once during his career has achieved a "career Grand Slam".

The total number of major tournaments a player wins determines his status in golfing history, and the current leader is Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors, although Tiger Woods is fast approaching this number. Women's golf doesn't have a set of widely-recognised major tournaments, but the most important of the current events are the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open. Famous Players Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam, born near Stockholm in Sweden in 1970, is one of the greatest female golfers of all time. She won a record 8 Player of the Year awards between 1995 and 2005. Annika (at right, after playing a wood shot) has also won over 70 LPGA tournaments and nearly 20 other international tournaments. In 2008, she topped the LPGA's all-time money list with career earnings of over $21 million, $7 million more than any other female golfer.

During her career she was the only female golfer to have shot a 59 in competition, and in 2004 she achieved the all-time lowest season scoring average of 68.6969 shots per round. Tiger Woods Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (right, teaching a boy how to hold a golf club) is one of the most successful golfers of all time. Born in 1975 to an African-American father and a Thai mother, Tiger played golf from the age of two. As a boy he was the best young golfer in the world, winning the Junior World Championship six times. In 1994, Woods became the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship. After winning this event two more times over the next two years, Tiger turned professional in 1996. Since then he has won over 60 PGA events, including more major titles than any other golfer in history except for Jack Nicklaus. He is also the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and he won his first 50 PGA tournaments at a younger age, and in less time, than any other player in golf's history.

He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, and the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. Golf Vocabulary List How Long Does It Take to Play a Round of Golf? How Long Does It Take to Play a Round of Golf? Golf How Long Does It Take to Play a Round of Golf? How long it takes to play a round of golf depends on many factors, but you should never be the reason for any slowness. Todd Warshaw/Getty Images By Brent Kelley Updated March 03, 2016. A round of golf, on average, is expected to take about four hours to play for a group of four golfers. That is the estimate most golfers will give for an appropriate length of time to play 18 holes. But the actual time it takes to play varies for many reasons. A single golfer on an empty golf course should be able to finish in 2-and-a-half hours or less, if that's what she wants to do. A group of four on a very busy course, on the other hand, might need five hours or more.

Factors That Determine How Long It Takes to Play Golf The actual time a round of golf - 18 holes - takes to play depends on several factors. Among those are: How busy the golf course is when you and your fellow golfers arrive. The more people on the course, the more possibilities there are for groups to stack up and the pace of play to slow down. How many golfers are in your group. Imagine a golf course that is empty except for your group. Now picture your group being made up of only two golfers vs. having four golfers. Which will be the faster group? The group of two, all other things being equal. continue reading below our video Tips for First-Time Golfers The skill level of golfers. A golf course full of low-handicappers should, in theory, move the round along at a quicker pace than a golf course full of high-handicappers. Why? Low-handicappers play fewer strokes . How easy or difficult the golf course is. A golf course that is wide open with no rough and few hazards will play faster than a course that is tight with lots of hazards and deep rough. One of the Biggest Factors In Golf's Time Requirement Is ... ... how fast or slow each golfer is.

How quickly, how briskly - or how slow - golfers move on the course is called "pace of play." Some golfers play very quickly - they are always ready to hit when it is their turn; they stay in position and move directly from shot to shot. Others are quite slow, always discovering ways to waste time. Don't be one of the slow golfers! Slow golfers aren't just slowing themselves down, but the golfers they are playing with and everyone else on the golf course, too. How busy the golf course is and whether you and your group are slow or fast golfers play the biggest roles in how long it takes to play golf. As for how busy the course is: If you play a regular rotation of golf courses, you'll learn over time which ones move the round along more quickly, or take longer to play; and at which times things tend to slow down. As for individual pace of play, what it boils down to is this: When it's your turn to play, be ready to play. Part of every golfer's responsibilities on the course is to observe good golf etiquette, and part of that means maintaining a good pace of play.

Don't slow down the other golfers in your group, and your group shouldn't slow down other groups following behind. It's important for newcomers to golf to learn how to maintain a good pace of play, and for veteran golfers to help pass along those habits to newbies. For suggestions, look over our Golf Etiquette primer , and also see Tips for Fighting Slow Play on the Golf Course . The Average Cost for a Round of Golf | Golfsmith The Average Cost for a Round of Golf The Average Cost for a Round of Golf by M.L. Rose The amount you pay to play golf depends on several factors. Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Parts of a Golf Course According to a Golf Channel survey, about 30,000 rounds of golf are played at a typical American golf course each year. The price each golfer pays for a round depends on tee time, day of the week, the course’s age and whether it is a public or private course.

Median Cost Per Round The median cost for 18 holes of golf at a public course on the weekend is $36, including a cart, according to the survey, which noted that at a daily course -- a privately owned facility open to the public -- the median cost was $40 for a weekend round. A 2005 National Golf Foundation (NGF) survey found that a daily course charged an average of $10 more per round than a municipal venue. Daily courses made up 58 percent of the market in 2005, according to the NGF. Newer Courses More Expensive Due to increasing costs for golf course construction, average green fees are higher at newer courses. As of 2005, the NGF survey determined, the average cost of an 18-hole round was $42.70 at courses built prior to 1970, but $48.33 for courses constructed between 1970 and 1990, and $60.55 for courses built in 1990 or later. The Best Public Courses Golfers pay premium prices to play the best U.S. public courses.

For example, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, which plays host to the PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational, standard 18-hole prices as of the date of publication for the North Course ranged from $163 Monday through Thursday to $188 on weekends and holidays. Twilight rounds were available for $71 to $86. For the South Course, on which the 2008 PGA Championship was played, prices ranged from $246 to $292. The price per round at California's Pebble Beach Golf Links, home of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and numerous major championships, was $495. Scotland For many players in the United States and elsewhere, Scotland is golf’s Mecca, where a golfer may play some of the world’s best and most historic courses, although some of the country’s best venues require that golfers carry a minimum handicap. As of 2012 the country’s most famous course, the St. Andrews Old Course, charges 150 British pounds for 18 holes for most of the year (as of the date of publication a British pound was equal to about $1.60).

Rates fall to 70 pounds in the off-season. According to The Independent Golfer website, as of 2007 rates for Scotland’s “hidden gem” courses averaged 33.15 pounds, and green fees for the country’s “home” courses averaged 21 pounds. HOT PRODUCTS ON Golfsmith.com Golf Hole Dimensions | Golfsmith Golf Hole Dimensions Early in the history of the game, golf holes were not all the same size. Miniature Golf hole image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com More Articles Definition of Golf Scores There's always been a desired final destination for the golf ball--the bottom of the hole. But the size of the hole, or cup, wasn't always the same on every course. There was no standardized size for the hole when golf became popular in the late 15th century, and so the size would sometimes vary from course to course. Many times the size would be inconsistent from hole to hole. Golf's governing bodies eventually agreed on a uniform hole size that remains in place today. Dimensions As the game was becoming more popular, rules regarding the ball , clubs, and golf courses were needed to properly administer competitions. The size of the hole was important to that process.

The oldest governing body for the game--the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews--set the dimensions at 4 1/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep. These became standardized measurements around the world when the R&A and the United States Golf Association agreed on the uniform size of the hole. Features On today's courses, holes are not only the same size, but are structured in the same way. 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. History There is conflicting history on how the size of the hole was originally determined. Some sources suggest the hole size became standardized when golf officials began using a common drainage pipe to produce the hole. The diameter of the pipe was 4 1/4 inches. But there is also evidence that in 1829 officials at the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in Scotland invented the first known hole-cutter or hole-maker. It produced a hole 4 1/4 inches wide.

Because of the tool's popular use, the size became uniform in clubs all over Scotland. 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. This permits regular changes in the position of the hole, allowing for less wear and tear on the greens. Movement for Change 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. Others have advocated making a bigger holes for par-3 courses or junior courses as a way to improve confidence in players just beginning the game. As of 2010, the movement has not progressed past the discussion stage. HOT PRODUCTS ON Golfsmith.com How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes? » Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes?

November 22, 2012 by Richard Fellner 11 Comments (Story Update: Check out the results of our nationwide study here ) It’s a question I’ve been pondering for years: how far does a golfer walk during a standard round of 18 holes? Sure, you could simply take the yardage on the scorecard, and then add “a little extra”, but when you think about it, there is much, much more walking done by the average golfer. Prior to the round, you have things like walking from the carpark to the proshop, wandering through the clubhouse, walking to the practice tee, walking around the putting green, etc. Once you tee off, the real walking begins. But aside from the Tee-to-Green scorecard length, there are many additional distances you may cover: 18 return trips between your buggy and the tee box, and 18 more to/from the greens. Land in a bunker and you will find yourself walking to a rake, playing the shot, backtracking your way out as you rake, etc. As you approach a green, many players will circle the green to determine the break for a putt.

Miss a putt (or three), and you will walk even more. Then there are things like walking from the green to the next tee. Or walking from the 9th green to the clubhouse for a coffee or restroom break. And then there is the biggie: what if you or your playing partner(s) lose a ball (or a dozen) during the round? Depending on your particular “search pattern”, you may walk back and forth across a 30m stretch of area many times. It all adds up. So just how much does an average golfer walk in a round? And how do we measure it? With the recent boom in smartphone/GPS technology, the question can now be answered. Borrowing some inspiration from my wife (a walking enthusiast who measures her distances walked via an app on her iPhone) I installed and trialled various iPhone apps to measure the distance I and a few playing partners walked on the course. The apps – Map My Walk, RunKeeper, etc – are designed for walkers/joggers to set and measure their fitness goals. Utilising GPS technology, the apps continuously track an athlete’s speed, distance, changes in elevation, etc, and then plot the route on a map.

So, iPhone in pocket, I set about to see just how many metres the average golfer covered. Note that this was by no means a scientific test. With only a handful of rounds played (using a Low Handicapper, Mid Handicapper and High Handicapper as guinea pigs) the statistical results are by no means comprehensive. Also, we only tested on one course, The Eastern Golf Club in Melbourne, which lists a distance of 5711m on the card. Not long by modern standards, but a solid middle-ground distance. Our results were astounding. During a standard 18-hole round (measuring the distance walked from the first tee through to the 18th green) each golfer in our test walked around 8.5km. When we added the off-course measurements (Carpark, clubhouse, practice area) the total was closer to a whopping 9.5km! No wonder we are so tired after a round! While that was far longer than any of us had predicted, it was also surprising to note that the difference between the three handicap types was negligible.

The hackers and middle handicappers, as expected, rarely walked down the middle of each fairway; instead playing what many of us call “Army Golf” (left, right, left, right). They also tended to cover extra distance to/from neighbouring fairways, hazard areas and the trees, etc. The average on-course total for this group was 8.8km. The low handicappers, on the other hand, walked basically down the middle of the fairways, but covered more distance circling the greens (to determined the line/break). They also helped the others to find lost balls, and of course, they still had the same buggy-green-teebox return trips. In all, their distance averaged 8.3km, only about 500m less than the High Handicapper. On a side note, the app indicated that I burned around 1000 calories during each of my rounds. This is based solely on the walking aspect–according to my height/weight, etc, and changes in elevation of around 150m of climb. It does not take into account things like the actual golf swing, practice swings or pushing the buggy.

(Nor does it account for some of our other strenuous activities like club throwing, swearing and other actions that doubtless burn extra calories!) As mentioned, this was not a scientific test, but it certainly shed new light on the fitness benefits of golf. In a world where obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended), it proves that hitting the links can actually be good for you! Help us expand this study! Naturally, every golf course, golfer and specific round is going to be different on any day of the week. The variations are endless. That’s why we are looking for 1000 Australian golfers to help us expand this research and create what may be a World’s First smartphone study into the distance walked during a round of golf. All you need is a smartphone (like an iPhone/Android, etc) and one of the popular fitness Apps (like Map My Run, RunKeeper, etc). To participate: Download a GPS tracking app for your iPhone/Android/GPS unit.

You will need to walk a round of 18 holes (No riding in a cart!) Activate your GPS app when you are in the carpark prior to your round (be sure to set your phone on “silent” and also disable any audio updates from your app– lest your partners wonder why your bum is speaking!). IMPORTANT: Keep it in your pocket for the round (don’t leave it in your buggy, as that will not accurately measure the distance you walk) Be sure to turn it off when you return to your car. Then enter the data via the form below: 11 Responses to "How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes?" Allan Towart December 14, 2012 at 9:16 am I have a smartphone but do not have access to the internet to use an “App”, i have a Garmin Approach S1 watch GPS. I regularly use the odometer feature when playing a round at my course Muirfield which is usally between 8 to 9 Km, I played at Stonebridge near Cessnock, which was about 9 to 10 Km to walk that course.

Hope this is the kind of fedback you are looking for & that it will assist in your survey Carl December 20, 2012 at 10:35 am Hi Richard, I used ‘MyMotionFree’ which is a free GPS app. My home course, Bundaberg, is 5872 metres long. During a social round yesterday I covered 8.33 km from first tee to 18th flag. January 9, 2013 at 11:32 am Awesome Carl! Thanks! Keep them coming. Richard January 9, 2013 at 11:32 am Thanks Allan! Great stuff. March 8, 2013 at 7:34 pm Hi Richard I use ‘My Tracks’, a free app to measure how far I walk. I use a Sureshop 8850 to measure how far my buggy travels. I regularly play at Kiama and Jamberoo. Kiama is 4955 metres long. The carpark at Kiama is 30 metres from the pro shop.

Over seven rounds, carpark to carpark, I averaged 8.32km, with highest distance 9.08km, and least distance 7.85km. Average distance that the buggy travelled was 6.54km. Jamberoo is 4942 metres long. The carpark at Jamberoo is also about 30 metres from the pro shop. Over five rounds, carpark to carpark, I averaged 8.02km, with highest distance 8.71km, and least distance 7.62km. Average distance that the buggy travelled was 6.21km. In hope this helps. How Long Does it Take to Play Golf? | GolfLink.com How Long Does it Take to Play Golf? How Long Does it Take to Play Golf? SHARES By Daniel DiPrinzio There is really no standard set time for a round of golf, but several factors go into giving players an idea about how long it should take. Time Frame The accepted standard time is four hours.

That's a foursome of players with 10 to 20 handicaps on a standard 18-hole course with groups on every hole but not too many to cause a backup. Players who shoot par or close can finish a round in under three hours, even with a twosome. Players with a handicap of above 20 can take more than five hours to play, especially if the course is busy. Considerations Players who shoot closer to par can finish in under three hours depending on the course traffic; their shots will probably be more accurate and carry a little farther, decreasing the amount of time spent traveling and looking for balls. Types Courses differ. A round of 18 holes obviously takes longer than nine holes. Par-3 courses (total par 54) generally take less time to complete than a regulation course (par 70 to 72). Course yardage matters as well: Courses with long par-5s (550-600 yards) and 4s (400-465 yards) generally take a little longer than courses with shorter holes.

Driving or Walking Players who ride in cart should take a little less time to play than those who are walking, though par and better players can finish in 2 1/2 hours walking without a backup on the course. When riding, sometimes it is best to drop a player off with few clubs at his ball, then drive to another ball to hit. This could save more than a half-hour each round. Size of Group Group size makes a difference as well. Foursomes take longer than twosomes or a single, although sometimes smaller groups will pair up on the course, extending he length of the round. Etiquette Golfers should always follow proper etiquette to not hold up others. Unless the course is empty, do not play more than one ball. Do not record your score while on the green; go to your cart or the next tee box. Play ready golf: Line up your shot while waiting for others to hit; decide on club selection, weather and wind conditions and your shot line before addressing the ball. After addres, you should hit within 30 seconds. Always be mindful of players behind you; chances are they don't want to be on the course all day either.

About The Author Daniel DiPrinzio has been writing professionally in the Philadelphia since 2001. His articles have appeared on eHow and GolfLink, among other sites. His fiction, non-fiction and satirical commentary has appeared in several print publications including "Outsider Ink," the "Externalist," "Stick Your Neck Out," "The Philadelphia Inquirer" and the "Philadelphia Daily News." He earned a Master of Liberal Arts from Widener University. Video of the Day

Question: Holes in a standard round of golf?
Answer: 18