St Andrews becomes 18 holes

Golfers at St Andrews combined shorter holes, reducing the Old Course from 22 holes to 18. Other courses did not change overnight, but the 18-hole round gradually became golf's familiar format.

The Old Course once counted 22 holes, with shorter holes near the beginning and end. Golfers combined these into longer holes, leaving the 18-hole circuit that later became familiar around the world.

The change was local before it became universal. Other clubs still played different numbers of holes, and the gradual spread of the St Andrews model shows how a practical choice can become a tradition.