Average Length Of A Golf Course [Longer Than Expected]

The world is full of golf courses, all of which are different in length and design.

But what is the average length of a golf course? In this article, we’ll take a look at what factors affect the length of a course and discover how long is an average golf course.

Average Length Of A Golf Course

Ed Welton

Founder, Editor

Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.

Average Length Of A Golf Course

What Is The Average Length Of A Golf Course?

The average length of a golf course is approximately 6,900 yards, which will usually include a mixture of par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes. A standard golf course will be made up of 18 holes, each with its own length.

Although the average golf course length is around 6,900 yards, there are many factors that affect how long a golf course is, including location, design and terrain.

Many golf courses will be much less or much more than 6,900, with a broad range of distances available to golfers.

The length of a golf course also only takes into account the playing length of the holes from tee to green, and not distances walking from one hole to the next, which affect the overall distance walked for a golf course.

Course Length For World’s Best Golf Courses

We reviewed the top 100 golf courses in the world to find out what sort of lengths they’re playing, from the back tees.

Out of the 100 golf courses included in the list, 45% have lengths of between 6500 and 7000 yards, and the average length was 6936 yards.

43 of the best golf courses in the world are at least 7000 yards long from the furthest tee boxes, and 5 of those courses including Whistling Straits and Pinehurst are over 7500 yards long.

The longest course on the list is Kiawah Island, measuring 7,820 yards long from the championship tees.

On the other end of the scale, just 12 golf courses are less than 6500 yards. Golf de Morfontaine and Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club both play less than 6,000 yards from the longest tees.

Generally speaking, golf courses in the US tend to be the longest on average, compared to the rest of the world, most likely due to the space available in the US and how many acres of land are required for a golf course.

This data also proves that a long course doesn’t necessarily make a good golf course, judging by the vast range of lengths of the top 100 golf courses in the world. Cypress Point is widely regarded as one of the best, yet it’s one of the smaller golf courses on the list.

Factors Affecting Golf Course Length

The length of a golf course will vary depending on a number of different factors, which include the tee box in play, the par for the course, its location and design, and the course type.

Tee Boxes

Most golf courses will have more than one tee box in play, each with a different course length.

This gives golfers all of levels the chance to play the same course, whether that’s off the front tees or the championship tees.

Golfers on the PGA Tour, for example, would be playing from the tournament or championship tees, which will be a much further course than what the average golfer would be playing from forward tees.

Course Par

The average golf course lengths also vary based on the par for the course. Par 68 regulation golf courses, for example, will have an average distance less than par 72 golf courses.

This is because, generally speaking, the higher the par, the more likely the golf course is to have more par 5s and long golf holes.

Location

A golf course’s location will also affect the length.

Areas with lots of land available are more likely to have longer golf courses as there’s just more space to develop.

The US has some of the longest golf courses in the world mainly because of the amount of space available in the country, compared to other smaller countries such as Scotland.

Type Of Course

The type of golf course will also heavily impact the length.

Golf courses which have been designed for championship golf will be longer than local golf courses designed for the average golfer.

Most championship courses which you see the top professionals playing each week will have been built or remodelled to be long and difficult. It’s for that reason, the average PGA course length is usually over 7000 yards.

How Might Golf Course Lengths Change?

With the increases in golf technology over recent years and big increases in the average driving distance players can hit the ball, golf courses are most likely going to increase in length.

The average course length has already increased significantly since the game began all those years ago equipment continues to get better, allowing golfers to hit the ball further.

If golf courses want to remain challenging to the top players, they have to continue to get longer or else risk becoming too easy.

Of course, adding length to a golf course isn’t always easy and will ultimately come at a cost to both the developer and the environment.

Final Thoughts

The length of golf courses varies depending on a number of factors. Whether it be the location or the style of course it is.

Whatever the length, the total golf course distance isn’t the only factor that will dictate the difficulty of the course. Well-designed golf courses can present just as big a challenge as those with longer holes.

FAQs

What is the average length of a golf course for men?

The average golf course length for men is around 6,900 yards, but this can range from less than 6000 yards to over 8000 yards in length.

How many yards is 18 holes of golf?

A standard 18-hole golf course will be around 6,900 yards in length, although this number can vary greatly depending on a number of different factors such as course type and which tee box is in play.

How long is the average golf course?

The average length of golf course is 6,900 yards, although this distance can change greatly depending on if it’s a 9-hole course or an 18-hole golf course, as well as other factors such as whether it’s played from the championship tees or the forward tees.

How long is a golf course?

A golf course can range in length from less than 1000 yards for a 9 hole pitch and putt course, to over 8000 yards for a longer 18-hole golf course.

What is considered a long golf course?

A golf course is considered to be long if its length is longer than 7,000 yards. The average length of 18 hole golf course is 6,900 yards, so anything which is more than that is considered above average.

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