Golf Par

A hole is classified by its par. Par is the number of strokes that a skilled golfer should require to complete the hole. A skilled golfer expects to reach the green in two strokes under par (in regulation) and then use two putts to get the ball into the hole. For example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the green on a par four hole in two strokes, one from the tee (his "drive"), another to the green (his "approach"), and then roll the ball into the hole with two putts. Traditionally, a golf hole is either a par three, four, or five although, due to the distance obtained off the tee by many of today's professional golfers, a few par six holes now exist. The par of a hole is primarily, but not exclusively, determined by the distance from tee to green. A typical length for a par three hole is anywhere between 91 to 224 m (100 to 250 yds.), for a par four, between 225 to 434 m (251 to 475 yds.). Par five holes are typically at between 435 m (476 yds.) and 630 m (690 yds.), and par six holes are anything longer than that. It should be noted, however, that these distances are not absolute hard and fast rules; for example, it is possible that a hole of length 500 yards could be classed as a par four since the par for a hole is determined by its 'effective playing length.' So, if tee to green on a hole is predominantly downhill, it will play shorter than its physical length and may be given a lower par. Many 18-hole courses have approximately four par-three, ten par-four, and four par-five holes. The total par of a regulation course is 72. In many countries, courses are classified by a course rating in addition to the course's par. This rating describes the difficulty of a course and may be used to calculate a golfer's playing handicap for that individual course (see golf handicap).