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Why does 4-10-4 seem to be the norm for an 18-hole course?

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Thomas Dai:
There is also the issue of what 'par' was when the course was first opened as against what par is now.

I did a short review of Walsall GC just north of Birmingham, UK, a Dr MacKenzie course, which has a sign displayed at the 1st tee stating  "At the time of opening in 1930 the SSS was 76 and 6 of the holes were par-5's". The yardage hasn't lowered over the years but the Men's SSS is now 71 (par 70) ) and there are only 2 par-5's. How times change.

Only today I played a few holes on another Dr MacKenzie course, built late 1920's this time, playing with hickories, and the 420 yd reasonably uphill 10th hole, which has a bunker 60 yds short of the green that for many, me included, is not in play with modern equipment, was certainly very much in play with two good hits with hickory.

All the best.

Matthew Petersen:
It's funny that the notion of a "championship" being a par 72 persists, given that so many major championships are contested on 71 or 70 pars. Garnted, a good many of those are playing to that par number only because the USGA or PGA turned a par 5 into a par 4, but the public is still pretty used to seeing par 70s at US Opens these days.

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