How Long Does a Round of Golf Take to Complete?

Last updated on May 26th, 2023 at 04:34 pm

An amateur golf outing of nine holes should take around two hours to complete, while an eighteen-hole match is double.

So why does it take so long to complete a game of golf, and are there ways that you can speed up the pace of play? Does a PGA Tour take longer to complete than an amateur game? What factors tend to be out of your control when playing golf? Can ready golf help speed up the pace of play?

Here is the complete breakdown of how long a round of golf takes to complete!

Table of Contents

How Long Should it Take to Play Each Hole in Golf?

It takes about 15 minutes or less to play a standard par four hole in an amateur golf setting. Some factors might add to more or less time, like playing a par three, par five, or having a small/big group of players, but 15 minutes is suitable.

How Long Do Nine Holes of Golf Take to Complete for Amateurs?

Completing nine holes of golf for a regular player should take between an hour and a half to two hours. The time it takes to complete a nine-hole round of golf might increase or decrease if you are playing on a par three or five courses. Suppose it takes you 15 minutes to complete each hole, which comes out to 135 minutes, which is just slightly over the two-hour mark.

How Long Do 18 Holes of Golf Take to Complete for Amateurs?

According to The Golf News Net, a round of 18 holes takes about four hours to complete. Some golf courses will require players to finish the 18 holes in a certain amount of time if it is a busy course.

What Factors are in your Control to Increase or Decrease the Pace of Play of Golf?

One way to have a good pace of play is using a golf cart to move around to each tee box and on the fairway. While walking around a golf course is a fantastic way to get your steps in, you should consider a golf cart for every two playing partners. Having a golf cart can improve your game because you don’t have to carry your golf clubs around, which saves your energy and focus for your next shot.

Another factor that can help improve the pace of play is utilizing foursome golf. Foursome golf allows partners to alternate between shots, which helps speed up the game. Using a foursome style of play helps to reduce slow play since you only need to get two balls in the hole instead of four.

Matchplay is another popular mode of golf to play with your friends. You don’t need everyone to get their ball into the hole during match play. Once a golfer in your group gets their ball in and your ball is close to the hole, you can pick up your golf ball and move on to the following marking. Matchplay helps save a few minutes on each hole due to miss putts, which can cut about a half-hour out of your time on the green.

Finally, you can help improve the pace of play by playing with similar handicappers. Playing with similar golfers can help introduce casual elements, like a mulligan, to retake a shot. If you are playing with a group of golfers who don’t want to use a mulligan, you might be the slowest member in your crew if you are not hitting the ball well, which adds to more round time.

What Factors are out of Your Control?

The weather can significantly impact how long a round of golf takes. For example, a rainy and windy day can make it difficult for golfers to square up a shot properly. A windy or rainy day can be challenging during a putt and tee shot if you cannot hit the ball exactly how you would like.

Another factor out of your control is the group in front of you. For example, the first group of golfers might show up a bit late to their tee time, which then might set your tee time back a few minutes. Depending on their number of players and skill level, they might need more time to complete a hole. Similarly, a busy course, especially on the weekends, might slow the pace of play down for everyone to take their next tee shot.

The course difficulty is another issue that is out of your control. For example, playing on a challenging course with water hazards and bunkers will add to the average golf time. On the other hand, playing on an intermediate course, like a par 4, might make the game less time to complete.

What is Ready Golf?

Ready golf is a way to speed up the time wasted during a golf game. One way to implement Ready golf is to play out of turn, which means hitting your golf ball out or order instead of waiting for the person furthest from the hole to hit. Implementing this method can create faster rounds because you don’t wait on a single player to shoot.

Another Ready golf tip is to park the cart as close as possible to the ball to limit the amount of time it takes to walk. In addition to close parking, think of what club to get from your golf bag while on the cart. That means once you arrive at the ball, you know what golf club to get and can start your shot faster.

Finally, another tip to speed up play is anticipating lost balls and carrying extra while on the golf course. Spending minutes looking for a lost ball adds to a long round of playing time, so use a new ball if you can’t find the original and keep playing.

How Long Does a PGA Tour Round Take?

According to Golfing Focus, a Masters tournament can take anywhere between four and five and a half hours to complete. While there is no shot clock in golf to speed up play, some players take more time than others. For example, some golfers can take a few minutes to line up a long putt, while others need seconds.

Another factor adding to longer PGA Tours is sponsorships and commercial breaks. These breaks in the action help advertisers reach the audience watching the tour.

Conclusion: How Long Does a Round of Golf Take?

In summary, an amateur league round of golf should take about two hours to complete. If you are playing 18 rounds of golf, you can expect that to take four hours or more. If you are part of a professional match, expect that to take over five hours.

There are ways that golfers can speed up play, but some factors are out of their control. Ways to speed up the pace of play is to use golf carts, implement Ready golf, offer mulligans, and more. However, the weather, the course, and the pace of play of others might add to the time of play.

How Long Does a Round of Golf Take?