Par 5 holes are the longest you’ll play at most golf courses. And, while they can certainly be challenging to navigate, they serve as a great opportunity for scoring.
But, how many par 5 holes are on a golf course?
In this article, you’ll learn how par 5s are usually distributed on a standard 18-hole golf course, including the factors that affect how many you’ll find on the course.
Ready to learn? Let’s go!
How Many Par 5 Holes on a Golf Course?
Usually, there are four par 5 holes on a standard par 72 18-hole golf course, along with ten par 4s and four par 3s. However, there can be anywhere from two to six par 5s, depending on any budget and site constraints in the golf course design.
What Makes a Par 5?
In golf, the par score of a hole is determined by the playing length from the tee box to the green. In addition, the difficulty of the hole is also taken into consideration.
According to the USGA, par is set for each hole according to the following lengths:
| Par | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Up to 260 yards (240 meters) | Up to 220 yards (200 meters) |
| 4 | 240 to 490 yards (220 to 450 meters) | 200 to 420 yards (180 to 380 meters) |
| 5 | 450 to 710 yards (410 to 650 meters) | 370 to 600 yards (340 to 550 meters) |
| 6 | 670 yards and up (610 meters and up) | 570 yards and up (520 meters and up) |
So, a par 5 is a hole with a length ranging anywhere from 450 to 710 yards.
As you can see in the table, there is an overlap. In cases where a hole length falls across two ranges, the difficulty of the hole becomes the deciding factor on the par score.
Golf Courses With Four Par 5 Holes
Typically, 18-hole golf courses follow a standard arrangement of four par 5 holes, ten par 4s, and four par 3s — totaling par 72 for the entire course.
This equates to two par 5s, five par 4s, and two par 3s on both the front and back nines.
For decades, this arrangement of holes has been the standard in golf course design. In a post for Golf Course Industry, golf course architect Jeffrey D. Brauer stated that “most golf course architects design to par 72 to avoid inevitable criticism.”
“Pre-1900 courses were likely to sport pars from 69 to 73. I’ve never known exactly why “consensus” declared par 72 best, although it’s not hard to speculate. As the business of golf matured, pros liked balanced nines to allow nine-hole rounds, tournaments and starts off 1 and 10 tees to give golfers similar experiences.”
Jeffrey D. Brauer via Golf Course Industry
Under pressure to meet expectations, most golf courses built in the last century feature two par 5s on the front nine, followed by another two par 5s on the back nine.
Four par 5 holes became a pivotal component of many golf courses. Across 18 holes, par 5s, par 4s, and par 3s were commonly adopted in a 4-10-4 arrangement.
In a forum post on Golf Club Atlas, renowned golf course architect Tom Doak suggested that Augusta National might have set the standard — The Masters became an important tournament in the 1950s, with many looking upon Augusta as the “perfect” course.
Below are a few notable examples of golf courses that have four par 5 holes:
- Torrey Pines (North and South) in San Diego, California — four par 5s.
Course arrangement: four par 5s, ten par 4s, four par 3s
- Augusta National in August, Georgia — four par 5s.
Course arrangement: four par 5s, ten par 4s, four par 3s
- La Quinta (Stadium Course) in Palm Springs, California — four par 5s.
Course arrangement: four par 5s, ten par 4s, four par 3s
Golf Courses With Less Than Four Par 5s
However, while the majority of golf courses worldwide feature precisely four par 5s across 18 holes, there are some courses with fewer par 5s.
Sometimes, site restraints limit the number of long holes that can be inserted into a golf course design. Put simply, lack of space can reduce the number of par 5s.
Alternatively, some golf course architects purposely adopt fewer par 5s. Often, par 5 holes require second “lay-up” shots that are inherently less interesting. Instead, par 4s provide golfers with the opportunity to hit the green on the second shot.
As a result, not every golf course is a par 72. In fact, par for a standard 18-hole course can range anywhere from 68 to 73, depending on the par for each individual hole.
Here are a few examples of golf courses with less than four par 5s:
- National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York — three par 5s.
Course arrangement: three par 5s, twelve par 4s, three par 3s.
- Kingston Heath Golf Course in Victoria, Australia — three par 5s.
Course arrangement: three par 5s, twelve par 4s, three par 3s.
- The Island Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland — two par 5s.
Course arrangement: two par 5s, thirteen par 4s, three par 3s.
Golf Courses With Over Four Par 5s
Conversely, some golf courses are designed with more par 5 holes.
Essentially, this brings about a different challenge. Rather than playing ten par 4s, golfers might be required to play more par 5s and par 3s. This provides a unique balance of each type of hole throughout an 18-hole course.
Here are some golf courses featuring more than four par 5 holes:
- Arthur Hills at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, Michigan — five par 5s.
Course arrangement: five par 5s, nine par 4s, four par 3s.
- Pinecrest Lake Golf Club in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania — six par 5s.
Course arrangement: six par 5s, six par 4s, six par 3s.
- Cabot Cliffs Golf Course in Nova Scotia, Canada — six par 5s.
Course arrangement: six par 5s, six par 4s, six par 3s.
Are There Par 6 Holes in Golf?
In rare cases, golf courses can feature lengthy par 6 holes.
The USGA defines a par 6 hole as having a distance of over 670 yards for men, and over 570 yards for women. Therefore, this type of hole is often reserved for longer courses with an abundance of space to work with.
Here are a few courses that feature a whopping par 6 hole:
- The Links Golf Club in Kootenai County, Idaho — 777-yard par 6.
- The Links at Kahite Golf Club in Monroe County, Tennessee — 808-yard par 6.
- Meadow Farms Golf Course in Locust Grove, Virginia — 841-yard par 6.
Conclusion
In summary, there isn’t a set number of par 5 holes. Most commonly there are four, but there can be anywhere from two to six on a standard 18-hole golf course.
Torrey Pines, Augusta National, and La Quinta are all notable examples of golf courses featuring four par 5 holes. They follow a traditional 4-10-4 arrangement of par 5s, par 4s, and par 3s — somewhat of a “standard” in golf course design.
However, some courses stray from this traditional arrangement of holes, either opting for fewer par 5 holes or up to six par 5s through 18 holes.
Ultimately, there is no rule outlining the number of par 5s that a course should have. It’s entirely up to the discretion of the developer and the golf course architect.
