How Long Does a Round of Golf Take?

In this article, I am going to answer the question "how long does a round of golf take?" and also layout the reasons why the pace doesn't always go according to standard.

I am a big proponent of playing golf at a relatively good pace. I am not saying that I want to feel rushed or uncomfortable, but there are many positives to playing at a nice pace, which is a good tip for beginners as well.

The majority will agree that moving at a good pace and not standing around twiddling our thumbs on the golf course makes for such a better experience, no matter how poor the golf is. 

I’m just asking for everybody to do their part in making ALL of our experiences much better. 

Key Takeaways

• 4 hours is a good total round time for playing 18 holes as a group of four. 

• Slow golfers are the most significant cause for extended rounds; avoid overthinking, as it hinders performance.

• If you’re a beginner, it’s OK to suck as long as you suck quickly.

• Keep it moving!

How Long Does it Take to Play 18 Holes of Golf?

Four hours is a respectable pace of play to finish an 18 hole round. 

There is how long a round of golf takes and how long a round of golf SHOULD take.

I am not one to play so quickly that it feels rushed, but playing at a nice pace with no (or minimal) waiting every time I get to my ball for the next shot is something I relish. 

The problem now, especially when playing municipal courses, is that some rounds go as far as 5+ hours. It’s no fun when it’s that backed up since we are just standing around waiting for groups to get moving. 

One hour and 45 minutes is the fastest I have ever played 18 holes. I was playing twilight at a municipal course just after it had rained, so everyone was scared away. I took a cart and breezed through it; it was so much fun. I sporadically played about 10 other holes before the sun set since it was empty, and the marshals did not care. 

Now that is probably TOO fast of a pace for 18 holes, but I enjoyed it and closer to 3.5 hours or the 4 hour time frame should be the norm.

How Long Does it Take to Play 9 Holes of Golf?

This is very simple division but, based on the 18 hole acceptable duration, it should take 2 hours on average to play 9 holes of golf.

If you are able to do it in 1 hour and 45 minutes without rushing, and by playing ready golf, even better!

What Slows Down Rounds of Golf?

There are courses that are pretty difficult with their layout, enhanced by a lot of water, bunkers, narrow fairways, and trees, which can be an obvious slowdown for golfers of all handicaps. Links golf courses could slow down play as well, given that they are often more challenging than regular courses.

Some of these longer courses with a difficult layout (lots of distance between holes) to get around end up being carts only, which helps the pace a bit, but I don’t think skill level should be an accepted excuse for slow play. 

I am not a professional golfer, and I have practiced and worked on my game to get to a reasonable level, but even when I was a beginner hitting bad shots (slices, tops, shanks, complete whiffs of 40 yards), I have been a quick player.

Everybody is different, and some people like to overanalyze and be very methodical with their next move, but that actually hurts your golf game once you start thinking too much.

What ends up happening is they overthink, and overthinking by nature hurts human performance, causing them to hit a bad shot. 

Then, naturally, as overthinkers, it’s a reset to more time spent on the next shot. 

We all get a case of the shanks sometimes, but the pace of play really needs to be followed. Just note what typical result you are getting, keep it moving, and work on those areas at the range or in practice sessions. 

Improving Pace of Play

Well, we now know the leading cause of slowing rounds down in golf is generally slow golfers; how do we improve it?

Play Ready Golf

This should be a religion to golfers.

Ready golf is being prepared to play your shot when it’s your turn. 

How many times do we see everybody in a group ahead walking over and standing around to watch Bob hit, then they walk 25 yards parallel to watch Tony hit, and so on?

Or, watching people in carts drive over and wait for the one group member to hit, then get in the cart, drive over to their cart partner’s ball, and commence shot prep instead of dropping off the first person to drive over and get ready to hit their shot.

Everybody can do their part to make sure they are ready to hit their shot reasonably when they get to their ball. I'm not saying you have to run up and just smash, but have your golf glove on your hand and an idea of what you want to do with the shot.

I understand the importance of flow and a consistent pre-shot routine, but let's make sure that the pre-shot routine doesn’t involve 20 practice swings to top it 60 yards.

Marshals Actually Marshaling

As I continue writing this article, it feels like it is starting to come off as a big rant, but in reality, I think these are just a few considerations that are not difficult for people to adhere to.

This includes the marshals! There are so many great marshals who work at municipal and private courses. They do a fantastic job of getting groups to speed up a bit if they are behind so we can all have fun out there.

Unfortunately, there are a few places you will end up playing where there is not even a marshal in sight, or they just drive around and make their presence known but don't actually do anything. 

Tee Off Times

I think putting a few more minutes between tee off times is a must for municipal courses and, to be frank, all courses.

Some of these courses have 8-minute gaps between tee times, which is ridiculous. It would be more reasonable if everyone picked up their play pace.

The reality is that you will have the 5th tee time of the day, then you get to the starter, and they are already behind a few minutes.

I understand the courses are trying to maximize their revenues, etc. That said, it should be MIN 10, but more appropriately, 12-15 minutes between tee times. 

Conclusion

Thanks for checking out these thoughts on the length of golf rounds. I want to reiterate that this was not meant to come off as a rant in any way, but I think most reasonable people will agree that golfers of all skill levels doing their part to contribute to a good pace of play will make the rounds much more enjoyable! 

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