Golf Hole
Authority: USGA Rule 5.5
An official USGA regulation golf hole (cup) must measure exactly 4.25 inches (108 mm) in diameter and at least 4.0 inches (101.6 mm) in depth below the putting green surface.
| Parameter / Specification | Standard Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Cup Diameter | 4.25 | in (108 mm) |
| Minimum Cup Depth | 4.00 | in (101.6 mm) |
History & Origin
The 4.25-inch golf hole almost certainly owes its size to a piece of equipment rather than any deliberate design choice. The first known hole-cutting tool was built at Musselburgh, Scotland, in 1829, and it happened to cut a hole exactly 4.25 inches across -- widely believed to be because it was fashioned from a length of drainage pipe of that diameter. That original cutter still survives and is on display at Royal Musselburgh's clubhouse today.
The measurement remained an informal local convention for decades before golf's ruling body, the R&A, formally adopted 4.25 inches as the official worldwide hole diameter in 1891. Because of the R&A's influence over the rules of golf at the time, the size spread quickly to courses everywhere, and it has never been altered since -- making it one of the oldest unchanged measurements in organized sport.