why is the number of holes 18 in golf?

Answer 1

9 out, 9 back.

Answer 2

Why are Golf Courses 18 Holes in Length?
Like many developments throughout golf history, the standardization of 18 holes did not happen as the result of a momentous decision agreed upon by many.

And again, like many developments in golf, the standardization of 18 holes can be credited to St. Andrews.

Prior to the mid-1760s - and right up until the early 1900s - it was common to find golf courses that were comprised of 12 holes, or 19, or 23, or 15, or any other number.

Then, around 1764, St. Andrews converted from 22 holes to 18 holes. The reason? Well, everyone knows 18 holes are easier to take care of than 22!

Eighteen holes did not become the standard until the early 1900s, but from 1764 onward, more courses copied the St. Andrews model. Then, in 1858, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St.

Answer 3

Golf courses didn't always have 18 holes. The number of holes used to vary widely: 11, 22, 24, etc. As with most golf tradition-related questions, the reason why 18 became the standard goes back to St. Andrews of Scotland, the granddaddy of all golf courses.
The original course at St. Andrews (dating back to the 15th century!) consisted of 11 holes along a narrow strip of land next to the sea. Each hole was played twice, for a total of 22. In 1764, two of the holes were judged to be too short, so the course made the switch from 22 to 18 holes (nine holes played two times each).

In 1858, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, not an institution to be trifled with, issued an official decree that one round of links, or 18 holes, constituted an official match. Other courses pretty much followed suit, and by the 1870s, 18 holes was the standard.

One legend claims that the number 18 originated as a suggestion from one of the St. Andrews old-timers, who noted that it took exactly 18 shots to finish a fifth of scotch -- a shot per hole. However, this is just a rumor, so you can leave your hip flask at home!

Answer 4

Golf courses didn't always have 18 holes. The number of holes used to vary widely: 11, 22, 24, etc. As with most golf tradition-related questions, the reason why 18 became the standard goes back to St. Andrews of Scotland, the granddaddy of all golf courses.

The original course at St. Andrews (dating back to the 15th century!) consisted of 11 holes along a narrow strip of land next to the sea. Each hole was played twice, for a total of 22. In 1764, two of the holes were judged to be too short, so the course made the switch from 22 to 18 holes (nine holes played two times each).

Answer 5

Many people have asked why golf courses have eighteen holes.

The early golf courses all had different numbers of holes.

Leith Links had 5 holes in 1744 when the Honourable Company, as they would come to be known, held the world's first recorded golf competition and they added 2 holes later.

Blackheath followed Leith in having 5 holes and expanding to 7 holes.

Bruntsfield Links also had 5 holes at this time, but, because of space, could only expand to 6 holes in 1818.

Musselburgh Old Course had 7 holes for many years, added an 8th in 1832 and a 9th in 1870.

Montose Links had 7 holes by 1810; 14 holes by 1825; 11 holes by 1849; and 25 holes by 1866, though these were reduced sometime shortly after 1874.

St Andrews (Old Course) had 12 holes by 1764, and probably much earlier. The holes were laid out in a line and 10 holes were played twice - once 'out' and once back 'in', making a 'round' of 22 holes. However, in 1764, the golfers decided to combine the first four holes into two, which produced a round of 18 holes, though it was really 10 holes of which 8 were played twice.

Therefore, when Prestwick was built in 1851 with only 12 holes, it did not look out of place.

By 1857 however, St Andrews had put second holes in the 8 double greens of the Old Course, creating a proper round of 18 holes, and in 1858 the St Andrews club laid down a round of 18 holes for matches between its own members.

Answer 6

The St. Andrews way is that a man brought out a bottle of scotch 1/5 full. On every hole he had a shot when his bottle of scotch ran out he had played 18 holes and realized that he was now done. I read this in Snack bar at Johnny Goodman Golf Club in Omaha, Ne.

Answer 7

The Old boys decided to have a shot after each hole and after 18 they ran out of drink...

Answer 8

There is only one hole number 18 on each course (unless it's only a nine hole course) but certainly one hole 18 is the maximum number of hole eighteens on a course, of course!

Answer 9

Because that's the maximum number of holes even golfers can bear to play before becoming as indescribably bored as the rest of us.

Answer 10

Because the Scotsman who invented the game was counting the holes one day and he had to take his shoes and socks off when he reached ten.Then he realised he only had eight toes.
HA HA HA

Answer 11

Thats just the first number some drunk scottsman blurted out when inventing the game