Is the par for a golf course hole base upon its yardage?

Question

I'm trying to figure out if the yardage of a golf hole determines its par. Or is it a function of the difficulty?

Answer 1

Hello Clay

There are basic rules for determining par for a single hole.

normally under 250 yards is a par 3

over 250 and less then 450 is a par 4

over 450 is normally a par 5

There are some special cases but these are the norms..

I hope this answers your question .

Leon

Answer 2

You can have two 18 hole PAR 72s but one can be 5300 yards and the second can be 7300 yards.

Both carry the same PAR, but the course thats 2000 yds longer will be much harder.

So length alone does not dictate PAR for a COURSE.
But length will dictate PAR for the specific HOLE

How do you get a par of "72" on most courses??

Because *most* 18 hole courses will have (regardless of length) the following:

-Ten Par 4s (40 Strokes) Par 4s are typically 250-450 yds.
-Four Par 3s (12 Strokes) Par 3s are typically 75-250 yds.
-Four Par 5s (20 Strokes) Par 5s are typically 450 and longer

So 18 holes = Par 72 Strokes

(Some courses may be restricted by land limitation and they may have five Par 3 and three Par 5s, so par will be less.A few course sneak in a Par 6, so they may be 73 or even 74.)

But even if Course A and B both have a 400 yd par 4, one can be uphill with trees and bunkers the other can be down hill and wide open, so length alone is not the only factor. The function of difficulty for each hole and course is captured in the Slope and Rating of a course. Your score card will typically identify the Slope and Rating for the course you're playing.

Those 2 figures helps you determine which courses of similar distance and par are most difficult.

Slope and Rating are tough topics to get through but here are some brief overviews.

http://www.leaderboard.com/abcs.htm
http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf/a/hfaq_sloperate.htm

Answer 3

It boils down to difficulty.
In general, using any club in the bag...
If the average player can reach the green from the tee box using only one good stroke, it is a PAR 3.
If the average player can reach the green from the tee box using only two good strokes, it is a PAR 4.
...three good strokes, its a PAR 5.
BUT...
The same hole that is normally a PAR 5, for the average player, may be deemed a PAR 4 hole when the professionals come to town.
That's because of the difficulty factor.

Answer 4

It is the yardage.

You get 2 putts on any hole to make a par.

Par 5's are the longest so it takes 3 shots to get on the green, then 2 putts to make par.

Then Par 4's. 2 shots to get on the green, then 2 putts to make par.

Then Par 3's are the shortest holes. 1 shot to get on the green, then 2 putts to make a par.

Answer 5

The USGA has recommendations for the length, but they also look at wind directions and other things.

Answer 6

quite simply, yes.

Answer 7

Yes , and yes.