A typical golf course will have 18 holes, although you will find a few that have only 9. That’s normally due to the developers not having enough space or didn’t have enough money to build a full course . Courses that are next to the sea are called links courses , this name comes from Scotland where golf was invented. (They were the link between beach and farmland .) You may have heard about the 19th hole – that is a term for the clubhouse, the place where golfers often visit after playing to have a drink and reflect on their game.
Most golf courses are between 5,500 and 7,000 yards in length , this is obviously the length of all the holes added together. You will find a few courses that are longer, but generally those courses are what the professionals use in the competitions. When you are a beginner, start at the low end of that scale steadily working your way up as your game gets stronger.
Every hole you play on a golf course will be a par-3, par-4, or par-5. Par means the number of shots a fairly good player should take to finish a particular hole. For example, on a par-5 hole, a player would probably make one drive from the tee, two more full swings, and two putts. Two putts is the norm on a green .
Using three putts isn’t very good . One putt is a great and what everyone tries for . In a perfect round of par golf, half the shots you take will be taken on the greens .
A par-5 hole is longer than a par-4 (two full swings, two putts), a par-4 is longer than a par-3 (one full swing, two putts). Generally, par-3s are between 100 to 250 yards in length; par-4s range from 251 and 475 yards long, and par-5s are anything longer than that.
Most of the courses you will play will have a total par of 72, and usually have ten par-4s, four par-3s, and four par-5s. There are however some golf courses with total pars of anywhere from 62 to 74. Almost anything goes.
Visit the advice section of online retailers of golf clubs and discount golf clubs to get additional help with course details.