A hole's par always includes two putts, so a par 6 is one where the expert golfer is expected to hit the fairway with his tee shot, advance the ball farther up the fairway on the second and third strokes, hit the green with his fourth stroke, and then take two putts to get the ball in the hole.
There are no rules about how long or short golf holes should be. But in its Handicapping Manual, the United States Golf Association does offer these guidelines:
- For men, a par-6 hole is more than 690 yards long
- For women, a par-6 hole is more than 575 yards long
(Important: Those yardages are not actual, measured yards, but, rather, a hole's effective playing length. Think of it this way: Say a hole has been measured off at 508 yards. But that hole is all downhill from the tee to the green, so it plays shorter than its measured yardage. That hole's effective playing length might only be 450 yards.)
As noted, par-6 holes are rare, with most golf courses having only par-3, par-4 and par-5 holes. Most recreational golfers go their entire golfing careers without ever seeing a par 6.
