They say golf courses hate slow play, but the truth is everyone hates slow play. It tops the list of ways to ruin your time on a golf course, and no, we’re not exaggerating. How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart can turn really excruciating.
The length of a round of golf varies from course to course and day to day. There are numerous factors to consider, but an average round lasts 4 hours and 30 minutes. A slower day is defined as a long round of golf. A shorter round of golf indicates a faster pace of play.
Regardless of how good you are as a player, there will be times when you need to focus and determine the right angle for your swing. Although the speed of your swing gradually increases over time, you can still find yourself spending more than the required time on the course.
Especially when you have to walk around the field for the next goal. A round of golf is ruined by slow play. No matter what your standards are, try to play in four hours or less.
According to the rule of thumb, nine holes will take half the time of eighteen holes. Surprised? We thought so! Moreover, there are plenty of factors affecting your golf game. Some of them include how long it takes for you to reach the holes by foot and cart.
How Much Time Does One Hole Take?
The most important factors determining how long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart are group size and pace of play. Playing with a foursome on a busy weekend, for example, will take much longer than sneaking off the back nine as a single with no golfers in front of you.
According to the USGA, there are time expectations based on par for the hole you’re playing. Par 3s should take 13 minutes, par 4s about 15 minutes, and par 5s about 17 minutes.
A typical course has four par 3 holes, four par 5 holes, and twelve par 4 holes (an average of 15 minutes per hole). Add them up and you get 270 minutes or four and a half hours.
Apart from these, another question that most people end up asking is how long it takes to play 18 holes of golf with a cart. Hence, we’re here to clear up all doubts.
18 Holes of Golf with a Cart
The average time for 18 holes with a cart is 3 to 3 and a half hours. This is an average game in a group of four golfers, with no excessive ball searching, slow play, or other issues.
Remember that the most common reason you’re slow with the cart is that the guys in front of you are slow. It’s frequently irritating, but that’s just the way it is.
| No. Of Players | Lowest time with Cart | Highest time with Cart |
| 1 | 1 hour 30 mins. | 5 hours |
| 2 | 2 hours | 5 hours 20 mins. |
| 3 | 2 hours 40 mins. | 5 hours 40 mins. |
| 4 | 3 hours | 6 hours |
The golf cart play time is determined by a variety of factors, which we’ll discuss further below.
How does the 18-hole play get affected by a cart?
Level of Skill
Skill level is unquestionably one of the crucial factors regarding how long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart. However, it is not a perfect game of golf because it is dependent on lost balls and searching for them.
Therefore, golf officials reduced the ball search time from 5 to 3 minutes. They conducted research and discovered that there is little difference in the number of found balls between 3 and 5 minutes, but it does speed up the game.
How Many Players Present
It differs if you plan to play 18 holes with a cart alone, or if there are three or four of you. Despite your faster driving, the time of play increases due to more shots lost balls, and so on.
Some people can play 18 holes of golf in an hour with a cart covering 180 yards. They are capable of finding almost all fairways and greens, so their games stay uncomplicated.
Occupying Golf Courses
Whether it’s a busy day on the golf course or not, most of your 18-hole play time depends on the clutter on the course. Sometimes you can move quickly with a cart, and other times you can play for up to five hours if you wait for the groups ahead of you. As a result, one of the most important factors is golf course occupancy.
Golf Course Architecture
Golf courses come in a variety of styles and designs. The length and/or design of the game influences how long you play. Consider having very deep rough on every hole and not hitting the fairway that day.
Trust us, it’s a nightmare. It turns out that you need to look for a ball that you thought was a pretty good shot. This significantly slows you down.
Not to mention returning to hit a new ball (your third shot) – if you’re not sure about your first shot, always play a provisional ball. It can significantly speed up the game.
How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart (Speeding)
Many golf facilities rely heavily on golf carts. especially for elderly people who have a knack for the game but are not physically eligible to trek around the golf course for hours. A golf cart lends a hand in moving them around without tiring them out and speeds up the process.
Nonetheless, golf carts are an ideal mode of transport for golfers of all ages and genders. Not to mention its increased significance when it comes to a single player. It can be useful in finishing up the game quicker, so you don’t spend half your game time fishing out lost balls.
Apart from carts and their benefits, there are countless things outside the control of golfers that impact their playtime. How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart is one of the prime examples.
Things Golfers Can’t Control
Why is a round shorter or longer?
People will argue about skill level, how long it takes to take a single shot, and, of course, difficulty. These factors are important, but not as much as how busy a course is.
Whatever your playing partner or location, groups ahead of and behind you rule supreme. Playing for four and a half hours on an empty golf course is extremely slow.
With a cart and no groups in your way, an average golfer can complete a round in three and a half hours. Five-hour rounds on How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart are automatic if you have multiple groups walking ahead of you.
How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart take when you’re playing alone?
Anything more than four hours is slow if you are walking alone, with no groups to slow you down. Over three and a half minutes in a golf cart is excessive. Three hours is excellent.
When you’re golfing alone, you’re more likely to hit more shots and practice new techniques. This is when the pace of play is less important. However, if you’re playing in front of a group and 18 holes of golf takes as long as it would with a full group, you’re not going to make any friends.
Do golf courses leave time between tee times?
Tee times on most golf courses are between eight and twelve minutes apart. Contrary to popular belief, the pace of play is faster when tee times are twelve minutes apart rather than eight minutes apart.
Teeing off eight minutes after the foursome ahead of you means you’ll be waiting on shots all day. Bottlenecks are also caused by quick tee times, which typically occur on a short stretch of a few difficult holes.
Tee times that are more evenly spaced allow for more forgiveness for bad shots, lost balls, and other delays. Because there are fewer golfers on the course, you won’t have to wait as long for those ahead of you, and those behind you won’t put as much pressure on you.
The issue for golf course management is that when tee time intervals are closer together, more golfers arrive on the course. They can earn more money despite the slower pace of play.
Conclusion:
Nevertheless, golf has its own set of pros and cons. How long it takes for you to speed up your game depends on numerous factors. However, one thing that remains constant is practice and patience.
A golf cart is one of the countless things that have a positive impact on your outcome. However, we don’t recommend completely depending on it. How you play, the layout of a golf course, and your group all have a simultaneous effect on the time. Hence, contemplating all the factors above can lead you to an increased performance quickly. You can also check our blog about price of golf carts and why are golf carts so expensive.
there’s all from us folks, hope this blog answered your questions about How long to play 18 holes of golf with a cart.