How Long to Play 18 Holes of Golf? Average Round Duration

How Long Does an 18-hole Round of Golf Take?

Both for average golfers and for professionals on the PGA Tour, an average round of golf takes about four hours to complete.

There are various reasons for this and various factors which could affect the length of a round of golf, making it longer or shorter than four hours.

In PGA Tour events, the actual process of stroke play only takes around 45 minutes, but the round of golf can still take over four hours to complete, as per The Verandah Blog.

The group size and course and/or tournament rules can affect the duration of the round of golf.

As per the PGA rules, when play is in groups of four, groups must play at a 4 hour and 21 minute pace for the 18 hole round. When play is in groups of three, groups are asked to play at a 4 hour and 3 minute pace.

For casual golfers, courses tend to be busier on weekends than on weekdays, lengthening the time taken to play a round of golf.

Rounds can also vary according to whether golf courses allow driving golf carts between holes or require players to walk between each hole.

However, Golf.com estimates that a round of golf takes about 3 hours and 47 minutes for an average golfer.

How Long Does 18 Holes of Mini Golf Take?

Rounds of mini-golf are generally completed much quicker than rounds of golf due to the ease of travelling between holes and simpler techniques.

Typically, as per Puttstars, two players can complete 18 holes of mini-golf in around 30 to 45 minutes. Larger groups, however, usually need more time. For instance, a group of four might take between 60 and 90 minutes to finish 18 holes.