Luke is an avid weekend-warrior golfer from the East Coast who plays golf more than he cares to admit.
Have you found yourself wondering how many acres is a golf course? Maybe you have heard that a golf course has to be a set amount of acres and want to know if that is true?
Or are you curious and want to know more? No matter what the reason is that brought you here, we have the answers for you!
Finding out how many acres a golf course is can be tricky. After all, every golf course you visit is so different, it can be hard to measure and compare the size!
So you head online to see if you can find the answer but are met instead with contradicting and conflicting information that leaves you unsure where to turn or who to trust.
Well, no more! Today, we are here with the answers you need. Just keep reading to find out how many acres is a golf course and everything else you need to know about the size of a golf course!
How Many Acres Is A Golf Course?
Let’s dive straight into it! How many acres a golf course has varies from course to course, but on average they are 160 acres. This space includes a practice area and a small clubhouse.
Typically, golf courses will range from 120 to 200 acres for a full 18-hole golf course. You can expect a nine-hole course to be around half the size, with an average of 80 to 100 acres.
Again, this includes the clubhouse, practice green, and driving range if these facilities are available.
Executive golf courses tend to be smaller, with an average of 80 to 100 acres. These will usually be around 36 par compared to the 72 par you can find on normal golf courses.
You can find out what par a golf course is by contacting them before you arrive. This helps to give you a better idea of the size too!
There are lots of factors that will determine how many acres a golf course is (more on this later), but you can expect a normal 18-hole golf course to be over 100 acres.
That offers plenty of space for you to spend your mornings or afternoons practicing or playing a full 18 with your friends.
What Impacts The Size Of A Golf Course?
Now that we have established how many acres a golf course usually has, let’s take a look at some of the factors that can impact the size and acreage of a golf course.
Remember, no two golf courses are the same! Each piece of land used for a golf course will have different terrain and usage, giving slightly different results.
Design
First, we need to consider the design of the golf course. Complex designs with water features will take up more room, reducing the size of the playable golf course.
The course might also have natural features like rivers or areas of protected land that must be considered.
These can eat away at the size of the golf course, leaving you with fewer acres to enjoy, even if the patch of land is huge!
Size Of Clubhouse
Similar to the design, the size of the clubhouse must also be considered when looking at the size of the golf course.
Some golf courses will have a small clubhouse, giving them more space for their golf course, whereas others will have a larger clubhouse and compromise on the size of their golf course as a result.
The size of the clubhouse also depends on its intended use of the clubhouse. Smaller clubhouses will tend to offer space for players only to change, have a drink, or have a small bite to eat.
Larger clubhouses, however, will offer large function rooms perfect for events or parties like weddings or work parties.
This provides the golf course with another revenue, and the potential to expand too (with hotel rooms or diversifying the events they offer).
Of course, this does mean they might have a smaller golf course but could make more money as a result.
Practice Range Area
If the golf course offers a larger practice range area, then this can impact the size of the playing course.
This will depend on the area of putting green and range for your long game and varies from course to course.
Length Of The Course
The length of the course, how many holes it has, and the yardage of each hole, will determine the acres of the course.
Holes that require longer yardage mean there will be fewer holes to play across and a smaller acreage of the course.
On the other hand, if all holes have relatively small yardage, you can fit more holes on, giving you more holes for your acreage.
Golf courses tend to offer a range of yardage to diversify the holes to ensure that players of all abilities have a chance at getting some hole in ones and plenty of fun along the way!
Difficulty
Finally, the difficulty also plays a role in the acres a golf course has. Doglegs and unique areas that make the golf course harder or easier can add or subtract from the acreage of the golf course.
You could end up with fewer acres trying to make the golf course easier or harder, so it’s worth considering this carefully if you are looking to create a golf course.
If you are looking for a new course to play, consider that the difficulty of it might impact its acreage.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! A golf course is usually between 120 to 200 acres, with the average golf course being 160 acres.
Of course, this does vary from golf course to golf course, with a range of factors influencing the size of the course.
You can check out the acreage of golf courses on their website, or by contacting them directly.
You can also find out how difficult the course is and the facilities available too, so you can decide which course is right for you!
