# What was the first 18 hole golf course in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646 "2006-10-24T00:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/1 "2006-10-24T00:13:03Z")
ssia. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/2 "2006-10-24T02:18:48Z")
St Andrews in [1764](http://www.standrews.org.uk/welcome/history/timeline.html). CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/3 "2006-10-24T02:19:49Z")
From [here](http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/eighteen_hole_round.htm): > [@](#): > > By 1857 however, St Andrews had put second holes in the 8 double greens of the Old Course, creating a proper round of 18 holes, and in 1858 the St Andrews club laid down a round of 18 holes for matches between its own members. From first page of Google results from “first 18 hole golf course”. ---
**Author:** ![rocksolid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@rocksolid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocksolid)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/4 "2006-10-24T14:17:07Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] From [here](http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/eighteen_hole_round.htm): From first page of Google results from “first 18 hole golf course”. [/QUOTE] How does 2 holes in 8 greens make 18 holes? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/5 "2006-10-24T14:57:14Z")
[QUOTE=rocksolid] How does 2 holes in 8 greens make 18 holes? [/QUOTE] Presumably there are also 4 single greens. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/6 "2006-10-24T17:12:30Z")
From the same link, two paragraphs earlier: > [@](#): > > St Andrews (Old Course) had 12 holes by 1764, and probably much earlier. The holes were laid out in a line and 10 holes were played twice - once ‘out’ and once back ‘in’, making a ‘round’ of 22 holes. However, in 1764, the golfers decided to combine the first four holes into two, which produced a round of 18 holes, though it was really 10 holes of which 8 were played twice. So there were originally 12 holes, and they dropped that to 10. 8 of those ten were played twice, bringing a round to 18. Later, they put a second pin location on those 8 holes that were played twice, making for a full round of 18. - 2 holes played only once - 8 holes played twice, but with different pin locations * * * - 18 holes ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-18-hole-golf-course-in-the-world/377646/7 "2006-10-24T20:47:33Z")
[QUOTE=rocksolid] How does 2 holes in 8 greens make 18 holes? [/QUOTE] The Old Course demonstrates its antiquity even now with fucking enormous double greens. I suppose it isn’t the hardest course (there are far harder courses in the world), but there aren’t many who have mastered it four days in a row. Ask Tiger how much he’s enjoyed playing it - he’s one of the tiny handful who have coped wonderfully.