Why Golf Holes Are Small: The History and Science Behind Golf Course Design

When you look at a golf hole, the small cup on the green where the ball must be sunk to complete a hole. Also known as the pin, it’s just 4.25 inches wide and about 4 inches deep. This tiny target is the heart of the entire game. But why is it so small? It’s not because early golfers couldn’t make bigger holes—it’s because they didn’t need to. The size was standardized in 1829 by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and it stuck. Back then, they used a tool called a golf hole cutter, a hand-operated device used to carve out the cup on the green. The tool’s diameter matched the size of the old-fashioned iron putter head, which was about 1.68 inches wide. The hole just needed to be wide enough for the ball to drop in, but not so wide that it made putting too easy.

Size isn’t just tradition—it’s strategy. A smaller hole forces precision. It turns putting into a mental game. If the hole were the size of a dinner plate, the skill gap between pros and amateurs would vanish. But with a hole this small, even a slight misread of the green or a shaky stroke means a three-putt. That’s why golf course design, the art and science of laying out fairways, greens, bunkers, and hazards to challenge players. revolves around making that little cup feel even smaller. Slopes, speed, and grain all conspire to make that 4.25-inch target feel like a pinhead. The golf ball, the small, dimpled sphere used in golf, typically 1.68 inches in diameter. is designed to fit snugly into the hole, not bounce out. That’s no accident. The rules of golf require the ball to be no larger than 1.68 inches, and the hole is just slightly wider. It’s a perfect match.

There’s also history here. Early golfers in Scotland played on natural links land with sheep grazing nearby. They used rabbit holes as targets. Those holes were small, irregular, and often uneven. When golf became organized, they kept the size—not because it was ideal, but because it was familiar. Over time, it became sacred. Today, the golf hole is one of the most consistent elements in all of sports. It hasn’t changed in nearly 200 years, even as clubs, balls, and greens have evolved. That’s rare. It means every golfer, from a beginner on a public course to a pro at the Masters, is aiming at the same tiny target. That’s what makes the game equal and unfair at the same time. You’ll find posts here that dig into the origin of terms like bogey, the oldest golf courses, and how course design shapes play. All of it ties back to that one small hole. What you’re about to read isn’t just trivia—it’s the foundation of why golf feels so different from every other sport.