Golf Course Size

Every golf course will be slightly different, but a ‘typical’ standard 18-hole might consist of 14 Par 4s and Par5s, with 4 Par 3s.

The size of features on any course can also vary significantly and this will influence the maintenance inputs, but for illustrative purposes, the 'typical' golf course is estimated as follows:

• Total area: 500,000m² (50 hectares / 123½ acres):
• Greens, including practice green/s: total size 10,000m² (2½ acres).
• Tees: 6,500m² [∼30% for winter tees / ∼70% summer tees] (1½ acres).
• Fairways: 80,000m² (20 acres).
(Greens, Tees and Fairways might be referred to as ‘cultivated’ turf)

• Driving range: 20,000m² (5 acres; this might be 250m in length and 80m in width).
• Semi-rough: total size 40,000m² (10 acres).
• Bunkers: 60 in total with a total area of 3,000 m² (¾ acre).

Other areas that would need managing, but with much reduced inputs, include:
• Rough: total size 80,000m² (20 acres).
• Deep rough: total size 110,000m² (27 acres).
• Woodland: total size 120,000m² (30 acres).
• Other, including water features: total area 30,500m² (7½ acres).

References:
• National audit of Scotland’s golf courses, Sport Scotland, 2003,
• ‘Average Golf Course Length; Size | Acres | Areas’ (for US courses, but a useful comparator)
• Castella, T. (2013) ‘How much of the UK is covered in golf?’
• Hawtree, F.W. (1983) ‘The Golf Course Planning, Design, Construction and Maintenance’, E. & F.N. Spon.

Par 3 short courses will typically be of 9 or 18 holes and will be much smaller in size than standard courses, with dimensions varying significantly between individual courses, but as a guide the ‘typical’ Par 3 18-hole golf course might be estimated as follows:
• Greens: 120m² each x 18 = 2,160m².
• Tees: 50m² each x 18 = 900m² (supplemented with an artificial tee mat per hole).
• Fairway, including greens surround: 1,000m² x 18 = 18,000m².
• Rough (primarily semi-rough): 3,000m² x 18 = 54,000m².
• Bunkers: 20 in total, with a total area of 500m².