If you have ever trudged through a rain-soaked afternoon on the 16th hole, tired and wondering when the game will end, you might have asked yourself: Who decided this round should be this long? Why not 15? Why not 20?
As St. Andrews was the most prestigious club in the world, other courses began to emulate the "Old Course" layout. In 1858, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews officially mandated that a match would be considered to consist of 18 holes. 18hots