How many holes are in a round of golf?
A standard round of golf has 18 holes. The number comes from the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, which was cut from 22 holes to 18 in 1764.
Early golf courses had no fixed number of holes. Some had 5, others 12 or more. The Old Course at St Andrews originally had 22 holes, playing 11 out and 11 back. In 1764 the club combined several short holes, leaving 18. As St Andrews became the home of golf's rules, the 18-hole round became the standard everywhere.
A full course is usually split into the front nine and the back nine. Each hole has a par, the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to need, usually 3, 4 or 5. Most 18-hole courses have a total par of about 70 to 72.
Shorter rounds
Many clubs also offer 9-hole rounds for players with less time, and some courses have only 9 holes. A popular myth says 18 holes were chosen because a bottle of whisky holds 18 shots, but there is no evidence for this story.
Did You Know?
The Masters, played every April at Augusta National in Georgia, is the only men's major championship held at the same course every year. Its winner receives a famous green jacket.