What is the standard size for the golf ball hole?

The standard size for a golf-ball hole is 4.25 inches in diameter.

That measurement equals 4¼ inches, or about 10.8 centimeters. It refers to the diameter of the cup cut into the putting green, not the diameter of the golf ball itself. A modern golf ball is roughly 1.68 inches wide, leaving enough clearance for a well-struck ball to drop into the cup.

The 4.25-inch standard is commonly linked to a piece of drainpipe used at Royal Musselburgh in Scotland. When the Royal and Ancient Golf Club standardized rules in the late nineteenth century, that existing hole size became the accepted dimension. The number was later adopted throughout organized golf, including under USGA rules.

The hole is also regulated in other ways: it must be at least 4 inches deep, and its liner is normally placed below the putting surface. Golfers sometimes assume the hole was designed to be only slightly wider than the ball, but its relatively generous size reflects the game’s historic development and the need for consistent play across courses. The flagstick marks the cup’s location but does not change its diameter.