How Long does it take to play 18 holes of golf?

According to my wife, way too long! And I generally have to agree. This guide will assess all of the relevant variables that affect how long it takes to play 18 holes of golf.

How long does it take to play 18 holes of golf?

The question is simple enough, but the answer is quite complicated. Put simply, it varies. While the average round takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, there are many variables at play that could make that average time less (rare) or more (very likely).

The variables discussed below are relevant to all golf courses and affect “pace of play.”

pace of play

Pace of play is how fast you play each hole. How long it takes to play 18 holes of golf is directly associated with how long it takes to play each hole. Hole lengths vary with each golf course. There will be par 3s, 4s, and 5s. A par 3 will take less time than a par 5 (hopefully). Generally, a par 3 should take 10 minutes or less and a par 5 should take 15 minutes or less.

Number of Players

For each tee time, the number of players can be between one and four people. Logically, the more players that play in a group the longer time it will take to complete 18 holes. However, the number of players does not double or triple the time on the course. For example, if a twosome plays a round and finishes in 4 hours, it does not mean that a foursome (double the amount of player) would double the amount of time to 8 hours.

A good rule of thumb is that the more player in a group, the longer time it will take to finish a round.

Skill level of players (on course and in grouping)

The skill level of the groups ahead of you and the playing partners within your own group will determine how long your round will take. Skilled players will play faster than the average golfer. If the group ahead of you takes three balls apiece to put a ball in play from the tee, it is going to be a long day of slow play.

Related to skill level, the idiosyncrasies of players within a group can also impact the time it takes to finish a hole. For example, one player may take 30 seconds with a range finder and then proceed to take 20 practice swings for 45 seconds prior to actually hitting the golf ball. In contrast, another player could just walk up and smack it within 3 seconds. These are the fun surprises of being paired with randoms. From a rules perspective, the USGA sets a max of 40 seconds from club selection to striking the ball, but I think 20 seconds is more than enough time for each shot’s pre-shot routine.

I’d be remiss not to mention lost golf balls. We all hit golf balls astray, some more holes than others, but all it takes is one person on the course to search for their ball for an eternity to slow pace of play down for everyone. The USGA rules of golf used to state that you could look for a lost ball up to five minutes. Thankfully, the USGA are just as impatient as me and lowered it to three minutes. Honestly, three minutes is still too long. I think a good 30 seconds at best is sufficient looking for lost balls.

Day of the week

Playing on a random Tuesday will likely be faster than playing on the weekend. It makes sense, more people are out and about on the weekend. Also, a traditional job of Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm, is unfortunately not very conducive to 4+ hour round of golf after work.

Weekday golf, if you can swing it (pun intended), will have a lot less course traffic than on weekends.

Time of Day

Personally, time of day is the most important variable in how fast a round of golf will take. Because pace of play is such a huge consideration for me, I typically only schedule tee times in the late afternoon. If I am desperate to play a morning tee time, I’ll aim to book the first tee time (or at least the first couple groupings). The first tee time is the best as there are zero groups in front of you so you set the pace of play for the whole day.

Tee times in the late afternoon/early evening are known as “twilight” tee times because you play during twilight hours with the sun setting. The downside to twilight tee times is that you may not have enough daylight left to finish the round. However, I believe this is made up for by twilight tee times being substantially discounted (up to 50% off of regular tee times).

The later the tee time, the less amount of people will be on the course, which means the faster you can play. I typically finish a round in about 3.5 hours when playing twilight hours. The only downside is the risk of not being able to finish all 18 holes.

Riding or Walking

Whether you walk or ride a golf cart will definitely impact the time to finish a full round. Riding a golf cart will always be faster than walking.

Importantly, the pace of play to finish a round will almost always depend on your grouping and pairings. If a foursome goes out together, which consists of a couple and two singles, it matters whether anyone in that group decides to walk.

Food/drinks at turn

Let’s face it. Some people golf just to drink with their buddies for a few hours. With the average round lasting about 4.5 hours, many people need to stop at the turn for a little beverage or food.

“The turn” is between the 9th hole and the 10th hole – where the front nine (first 9 holes) turns into the back nine (last 9 holes).

Depending on cooking time, long lines, etc., stopping at the turn could be a brief pit stop or an event. To save time, it is always best to call your order in ahead of time (usually around the start of hole 9).

Tee Time Intervals

Tee time intervals vary by course but typically ranges between 8 to 12 minutes. An 8 minute interval will undoubtedly lead to bottlenecks at certain holes that will slow down the whole course throughout the day. Golf course management will bunch tee times together because the more people that are out on the course means the more people paid their green fees.

The longer the intervals, the less potential for bottlenecks and thus the quicker the pace of play.

Course Difficulty

Course difficulty kind of goes hand-in-hand with player skill level. Generally, the more difficult the golf course, the more shots you’ll take, the more balls you’ll lose, and thus the more time you’ll be out there playing.

Terrain may also impact overall time. A fairly flat desert environment will likely play faster than a course with a lot of water hazards or forest trees (again, that one guy will always spend as much time as he can to find his ball).

Weather

Weather conditions can negatively impact the course conditions that will slow pace of play down. When the wind is howling and your typical 300 yard drive only carries 100 yards, it is going to be a frustratingly longer day.

The rain negatively affects pace of play because extra time will be spent drying clubs, chasing more mishits, and wondering why your putt only went 3 yards when you thought you hit it with the strength to go 30 yards.

Geography

Where you are playing in the world also matters on how quickly you will finish the round. If you are in a major metropolitan city with only a few golf courses, you can bet every single tee time is filled with foursomes and the skill level of players will be all over the map. Therefore, 18 holes of golf will likely take more than 4.5 hours.

However, if you golf in a golfing metropolis like Palm Springs that has over 100 golf courses, chances are you can finish your round in under 4 hours because there courses aren’t as crowded and pace of play is quick.

Conclusion

How long it takes to play 18 holes of golf depends on a multitude of variables, as outline above. While the average time of 4.5 hours is a good baseline to measure off of, there are just too many variables to guarantee you’ll be able to finish in 4.5 hours.

If you play the first tee time of the day or twilight hours, you could easily finish in under four hours. However, if you play peak times on a weekend day at a busy course, I’d put my money on you finishing in over five hours.