Golf Glossary
Hole (Cup)
In short
The golf hole, also called the cup, is the round opening in the green into which the ball is played. Under the Rules of Golf it has a diameter of 108 millimetres, which is 4.25 inches, and is at least 101.6 millimetres deep. Once the ball is in the hole, the hole is finished.
Golf hole: diameter and size
The hole is the target of every hole on the course. Under the Rules of Golf of the R&A and USGA a golf hole has a diameter of 108 millimetres. That equals 4.25 inches, or 4¼ inches. The depth is at least 101.6 millimetres, which is 4 inches.
For comparison: under the rules a golf ball has a diameter of at least 42.67 millimetres, or 1.68 inches. The hole is therefore about two and a half times as wide as the ball. That sounds like a lot, but on a large green with slopes and fast turf it is small enough to miss putts regularly.
Anyone asking how big a golf hole is usually wants to know diameter and depth. The measurements apply everywhere in the world, even at professional tournaments and on the practice green beside the clubhouse. Only minigolf venues and other forms of the game often use different measurements.
Construction: cup and liner in the green
The hole is not simply a hole in the ground. It usually contains a liner, known as the cup. It protects the edge from breaking away and prevents soil from slipping in. Without a liner the hole would quickly fray after hundreds of putts.
The Rules of Golf prescribe two things for the liner. It must be sunk at least 25.4 millimetres, 1 inch, below the surface of the green, unless the soil makes that impracticable. The outer diameter of the liner must not exceed 108 millimetres. The rim of the liner therefore lies a little below the turf. As a result a slow ball drops in cleanly instead of hanging on the edge.
The hole is made with a special hole cutter. Greenkeepers use the tool to move a hole to a new place. The old spot is filled with a piece of turf.
Origin: why 4.25 inches?
The size of the hole has a traditional story. Before the uniform rule of 1891 courses had holes of different sizes. At Musselburgh in Scotland they are said to have measured 4.25 inches already.
According to tradition this was due to a piece of drainage pipe at Musselburgh that had exactly this diameter. The pipe was used to cut holes out of the turf. In 1829 the club is said to have ordered a tool for cutting holes from a blacksmith. He was given the size golfers were used to from the pipe. When the R&A wrote the first uniform rules of golf in 1891, it fixed the diameter of the hole at 4.25 inches.
The size was therefore not chosen for a sporting reason. It had simply become established. The details of the story are not documented in every point. What is certain is that the figure still applies today and the metric version in the rules is rounded to 108 millimetres.
When is the ball holed?
The ball is holed when it rests in the hole after a stroke and the entire ball is below the rim of the hole, that is below the surface of the green. Only then is the hole finished.
Two special cases matter for beginners. First: if the ball leans against the flagstick in the hole, it is enough if part of the ball is in the hole below the surface of the green. Then it counts as holed. Second: if the ball hangs on the edge so that part of it overhangs the hole, you have a reasonable time to walk to the hole. After that you may wait another ten seconds. If the ball drops into the hole in that time, it is holed. If it drops only later, it counts as holed, but you add a penalty stroke.
A gimme is a short putt that the opponent concedes. In match play the rules expressly allow this: the opponent may concede the next stroke, and the ball then counts as holed. Stroke play has no such option. There you must hole out every ball, otherwise you risk disqualification.
Example from practice: a putt at the hole
Imagine a putt of two metres. The hole is 108 millimetres wide. A ball of 42.67 millimetres in diameter therefore has a good 32 millimetres of play on each side. That is the tolerance when the ball arrives in the middle.
Speed is important. A slow ball can hit the hole across almost its entire width and drops even if it only brushes the edge. A ball that is too fast jumps over the hole or is carried out again at the edge. Golfers call this miss a lip-out.
Many coaches therefore recommend putting so that the ball rolls about 30 to 50 centimetres past the hole on a miss. That way the ball has enough pace to roll over small bumps on the line and still stays slow enough to drop. The numbers are a rule of thumb. How fast the green is plays a large role here. Practise length before you work on direction.
Caring for the hole and the hole location
Greenkeepers move the hole regularly. The reason is given in the entry on the flagstick: the turf should wear evenly. The liner is taken out and placed somewhere else. The old hole is filled with a piece of turf, a plug.
If the edge of the hole has been damaged, for example by the flagstick or by equipment, you may repair the damage under the Rules of Golf before you play. Natural wear of the hole is not included. If a ball stays in the hole after holing out, take it out with your hand. Whoever pulls the flagstick holds it so that the edge is not damaged.
For playing partners too: after holing out take all balls out of the hole, put the flagstick back and leave the green promptly. A well kept hole is a matter of consideration.
Comparison: hole, hole on the course and cup
The word hole has two meanings in golf that beginners easily confuse. First it is the opening in the green, which this page is about. Second hole stands for the whole hole on the course. When someone says we play 18 holes, they mean 18 holes from tee to green. Hole 7 means the seventh hole from tee to green. There is a separate entry on the playing hole (Spielbahn).
Golfers call the liner in the hole the cup. In everyday use many people use the word for the whole hole as well. In English it is simply hole, and to hole out means to put the ball in the hole.
The hole should be told apart from a hole in one. That is a result and not part of the hole: the ball lands in the hole with the first stroke from the tee. The term match play also has to do with the hole: there it counts who wins more holes, not the total number of strokes.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can experience how to get the ball safely into the hole on the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. It is a par 33 with par 3 and par 4 holes, plus water hazards, bunkers and protected greens. It can be played with the Platzreife (DGV) and is open from April to December. Up to four players can book a tee time online.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a golf hole?
Under the Rules of Golf a golf hole has a diameter of 108 millimetres, which is 4.25 inches. It is at least 101.6 millimetres deep. A golf ball is much smaller, with a diameter of at least 42.67 millimetres. The measurements apply on golf courses worldwide.
How deep is a golf hole?
Under the rules a golf hole must be at least 101.6 millimetres deep, which is 4 inches. If a liner is used, it must be sunk at least 25.4 millimetres below the surface of the green where the soil allows. Its outer diameter must not exceed 108 millimetres.
Why is a golf hole 4.25 inches wide?
According to tradition the size goes back to a drainage pipe at Musselburgh in Scotland that was used to cut holes. When the R&A drew up the first uniform rules in 1891, this familiar size was fixed. There was no sporting reason, and the details are not documented in every point.
When is the ball holed?
The ball is holed when it rests in the hole after a stroke and the whole ball is below the rim of the hole. If it leans against the flagstick, it is enough if part of it is in the hole below the surface of the green. If it hangs on the edge, you may wait ten seconds after a reasonable time to walk to the hole.
What else does hole mean in golf?
Hole means both the opening in the green and the whole hole from tee to green. 18 holes therefore means 18 holes on the course. For the opening itself golfers often say cup, which actually names the liner in the hole. In English the hole on the course is also simply called a hole.
As of: October 2026