Luke is an avid weekend-warrior golfer from the East Coast who plays golf more than he cares to admit.
There’s no denying that golf is a technical sport. Getting good at the sport requires excellent skill, knowledge, and the right equipment. On top of that, golf is a sport that requires you to understand the technical terms too.
Whether it be a scoring term like an eagle, the names of your clubs, for example, a 9-iron, or terms related to the laws of the game, you need to know everything if you’re going to make the most out of the sport.
One term you might have heard recently is executive golf course. The fact you’re here would suggest you’re not too sure what this means. If so, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s post, we’re going to tell you exactly what an executive golf course is, why it is called an executive golf course, and everything else you need to know.
If you want to further your golf knowledge, stick around!
What Is An Executive Golf Course?
Answer: To put it simply, an executive golf course is a shorter version of a regular golf course. Executive golf courses still have 9-holes and 18-holes, but they require fewer shots to get around.
Golfers playing on an executive golf course will hit fewer shots and travel a much shorter distance. As a result, a round of golf on an executive golf course can be completed much more quickly than on a regular course.
Most executive golf courses consist mostly of par 3 holes. However, they do also feature some par 4 and par 5 holes too. The par 4s and par 5s on this type of course will still be a lot shorter than par 4s and par 5s on a regular course though.
More often than not, executive golf courses are part of a bigger golf club.
Why Is It Called An Executive Golf Course?
So, why on earth is this type of course called an executive golf course? Well, the answer to that question is quite interesting.
The origin of the term executive golf course comes from who they were originally designed for. Executive golf courses were originally designed for businessmen and executives that don’t have the time to play a full-size regular golf course.
The main principle behind the executive golf course is that these busy business people can play during their extended lunch breaks.
Aside from taking too long to get around, regular golf courses can be busy. This shortened golf format ensures executives and business people can still play. Upon their inception, it wasn’t uncommon for executives and businessmen to hold meetings on this type of course too.
What’s The Difference Between A Regular Golf Course And An Executive Golf Course?
If you’re planning to play a round of golf on an executive golf course as opposed to a regular golf course, it’s a good idea to know the key differences between the two.
There are several differences between the two, with the main differences being the length of the holes and the overall par difference.
Although they come in a wide range of different shapes and sizes, the average 18-hole executive golf course is approximately 5,200 yards long. The average 9-hole executive golf course is half of this figure.
When compared to a regular course, the executive course is a lot smaller. The average 18-hole regular golf course is approximately 6,700 yards. As far as course par goes, things follow suit.
The average par for an 18-hole on a regular course is 71-72. The average par for an 18-hole executive golf course is somewhere around the low 60s.
Who Can Play On An Executive Golf Course?
Despite the name executive golf course, anyone that wants to play on an executive golf course can. You don’t have to be an executive or businessman to play on this type of course.
In fact, an executive golf course might be a good place for you to start if you haven’t conquered a regular 18-hole golf course yet.
Executive golf courses have always been accessible to everyone. The name simply refers to the sort of people this type of course was initially designed for.
What’s So Good About Executive Golf Courses?
Now that you know more about what executive golf courses are and what makes them different from regular golf courses, we can start looking at what makes them good.
By far the best thing about executive golf courses is their length. This shorter course length makes it much easier for those of us in a rush to get a round of golf in.
18 holes on a regular course might usually take 5 hours. On an executive golf course, it might only take you 3 hours.
Aside from taking less time to complete, executive golf courses are also great for beginners. New golfers might be hesitant to play on a regulation golf course.
Therefore, they can benefit from a shorter, more relaxed, and quieter course before then playing a regulation course.
Executive golf courses are also great places to practice. Not only can you practice your short game easier, but a lot of executive courses also feature putting greens and driving ranges.
Final Thoughts
In this guide, we’ve told you everything you need to know about executive golf courses.
We’ve told you what they are, where they got their name from, who can play on them, what makes them good, and the main differences between this type of course and a regular golf course.
Now you’ve made your way through this post, you should have a much better understanding of executive golf courses.
Now you know everything you need to know, why don’t you try an executive course and see what you think?
