How Long Should an Average 18-Hole Game of Golf Take? (Average Duration & Pace Tips)

When playing an 18-hole round of golf, it's always vital to make sure you've got enough time. Nothing ruins your time on the course more than having to leave a round early. Imagine being on course for a personal best and having to leave before finishing your round. To ensure that never happens to you, in this blog, we'll dive into; what time you should be aiming to play a 18-hole round of golf in, factors that influence your playing time, and a few tips to keep up your pace of play in a round of golf.

What's the Average Playing Time?

The average playing time of an 18-hole round of golf is different for many people for multiple reasons. From personal experience, on multiple courses, when playing an average 18 hole round of golf it should typically take a maximum 4.5 hours.

What Affects How Long You Take?

• Preference of Transport

  Most courses these days have an option for you to play your round with a golf cart. Travelling the course by cart will usually speed up your round of golf. However, walking is still preferred by some due to the health benefits.

• Difficulty of the Course & Design

  Playing on a harder course means theres more margin for error, which will end up resulting in more shots and more time searching for lost balls. Additionally longer holes will leave you taking more shots, resulting in a longer game.

• Size of Group

  On average the bigger the group, the longer the game. This comes down to more shots being taken over all, more time spent look for balls from wayward hits, and more potential distractions from the game.

• Traffic on the Course

  Playing at peak-times will mean more golfers trying to get through a round. This naturally results in course traffic. Sometimes the pace of play of your round can be dictated by the group golfers in front.

• Level of Experience/Skill

  At the start of your golfing career, you may find your rounds taking longer than expected. This will be due to; slower decision making, more practice swings, more shots, and more time looking for the ball. And thats ok, every golfer started somewhere. The more you play, the better and quicker your games will be.

What Time to Aim for

When playing golf there are multiple factors that can affect the duration of your game. When you're playing in typical settings we'd suggest aiming for the following when walking;

• Solo

  When playing a solo 18-hole, if you're as quick as can be you might be able to get a round complete within 2-2.5 hours. However, on average you're better off aiming for 3 hours.

• Two-ball

  Adding an extra person to your round will add extra time. Remember, there will be around twice as many shots being played throughout the round, and the time waiting to take yours will add up. We'd say to aim for 3.5 hours.

• Three/Four-ball

  Playing with a group of three or four people will drastically increase the time of your golf round compared to when you play solo. This is due to multiple factors. Aim for 4-4.5 hours.

Remember, this is an ideal time on your average course if you're walking. All of the things we discussed earlier can have an influence on how long it takes to play your round.

Best Advice to Keep Your Rounds Under 4 Hours.

If you're having trouble keeping your playing time down, here are the best tips for speeding up your round of golf.

• Choose the off-peak tee time to avoid course traffic.

• Limit your practice swings to one or two.

• Always be prepared for your shot. Have an extra ball or two in your pocket to have ready if you need.

• Ride a golf cart rather than walking.

• Keep ball searching short. Have a maximum time of three minutes per ball search.

  
  

Small changes can make a big difference in the overall pace of play and course etiquette.

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Written by Sam at SAMAYAKI