Length of a round of Golf
How long a round of golf should last is an issue that is important in the golfing world. When the pace of the game is increased, it has been observed that people tend to follow and enjoy the game more. Fast-paced games have a way of getting the adrenaline pumping. Slow-paced games that tend to carry on for over five or six hours can be lethargic and cause people to lose interest easily.
There is no simple answer to how long a round of golf should take. This is because some factors determine the duration of a golf play. Such factors include the talent of the players, the golf course terrain, the number of golf players, how many individuals are on the field, the number of holes ( 9 or 18), the length of the golf course, the form of play and the mode of movement across the golf course. All these things will determine the duration of a round of golf.
So, how do these circumstances affect the duration of a round of golf?
Determinants of A Game of Golf
The talent of players involved
A group of professional players numbering up to 4 playing 18 holes will likely conclude the game in around three and a half hours. This is even if they walk the golf course. Of course, plying the field with a golf cart will greatly reduce this time even by half of an hour.
As for amateurs playing under the same conditions, you would expect some bits of dallying around which would extend the duration of their play to about four hours plus. Using golf carts to move along the field will reduce this time to about four hours.
The terrain of the golf course
The terrain of the golf course can be difficult to ply through or quite easy. If the former is the case, it will affect the overall pace of the game; whereas if it is not so difficult, players would easily move around either by walking or with a golf cart. This latter scenario will invariably increase the time it will take to finish the round of golf.
Average golf players would complete a round of golf in difficult terrain in about four hours and thirty minutes by walking through, and in about four hours and less than twenty minutes moving through the golf path by a golf cart. Professional players will most possibly finish a round in difficult terrain in three hours and less than thirty minutes using a golf cart. By walking, three hours and about thirty minutes should be enough for golfers who know what they are doing to conclude the play.
The number of golf players
This is another important factor to consider. The more the number of players, the longer the game will last. A group of two players should complete a round of golf of 18 holes in under two hours and thirty minutes and in within two hours for 9 holes.
For four players or more, the game may extend from about four hours and thirty minutes to five hours depending on whether they are professionals or not.
The number of people on the field
Traffic on the golf course largely depends on the season and weather conditions. During summer, when the weather is conducive, many people tend to turn out on the course, which makes the course busy. Whereas, in winter, few people come out to the golf course. This means less traffic.
If the golf course is busy, there will be delays on tee boxes which generally add up to the total duration of the game. On the other hand, If there is less traffic on the course, the pace of the game will be faster.
The number of holes
A round of golf could be played for 9 holes or 18 holes.
A round of golf of 9 holes will finish quicker than that of 18 holes given that all other conditions are constant. Going by this, professional players on 9-hole golf or 18-hole will finish a round of golf faster than average golfers on the same number of holes. Generally, whether 9 holes or 18 holes and played by professionals or average players, a round of golf needn’t extend beyond four hours and thirty minutes to five hours.
The length of a golf course
The length of a golf course varies. It can extend beyond or below 8000 yards. This means that the total distances that will be covered for a golf course of 5000 yards will be less than that of 8500 yards. The former will mean less time for the duration of the round of golf and more time for the latter.
The form of play
There are different types of play that can be chosen for a round of golf. The major ones are Stroke play and Matchplay. Others are Foursome and Stableford.
The Stroke play extends the duration of the game since players are required to complete all the holes in the round. A foursome is faster than stroke play because golfers here can take shots preferably. This helps to increase the pace of the game and reduce the duration of the game.
Golf cart or walking?
The debate over which one makes the game of golf faster between riding a golf cart or walking it out has been ongoing for some time now.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages as regards the pace of the game. Riding a golf cart can improve the pace of the sport if there is little traffic on the course, if the weather condition is ideal and if the golf field is not too difficult. In winters, however, riding a golf cart can slow down the pace of the game as you would have to be moving often through the paths. This can cause delays which will eventually tally up to the longer duration of the game. If there is traffic on the golf course, walking and manoeuvring your way around will make more sense in improving the pace of the game.
In ideal conditions, riding a golf cart is usually faster than walking.
Bottom line
The duration of a round of golf depends on factors such as the ones listed above. At the end of the day, the average time for a round of golf is about three and half hours for professional players in the right conditions. For average players, four and half hours to five hours is usually sufficient for the game to round up.