The nineteenth hole is golf slang for the bar, grill or clubhouse where golfers go after finishing their 18 holes. It's where scores get added up, bets get settled and the round gets retold, usually with a few extra yards on every drive.
Why is it called the nineteenth hole?
A standard round has 18 holes, so the next stop after the 18th green is jokingly treated as one more hole. At most courses that means the clubhouse grill or patio. At some munis it's a snack bar, and at plenty of courses it's just the parking lot and a cooler.
Is the nineteenth hole part of the rules?
No. It's pure golf culture. The one place it sneaks into the game is match play: if a match is tied after 18 holes and needs a winner, players go to extra holes, and the first extra hole is sometimes called the 19th.
What happens at the nineteenth hole?
- Settling side bets and arguing about mulligans
- Checking scorecards and posting scores for your handicap
- Planning the next tee time
- Telling the story of the one great shot from a round full of double bogeys
Where the term comes from
The phrase is older than you might think. Word historian Pascal Tréguer of Word Histories traced it to Scotland: The Evening Telegraph in Dundee used "nineteenth" hole on December 5, 1890, in a report on the Monifieth Golf Club's annual supper. The Cheshire Observer described "a 'nineteenth hole' in the shape of a public-house" in June 1891.
It crossed the Atlantic by the end of the decade. The New York Times used it on May 21, 1899, in a story about Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, noting that the nineteenth hole was across the way at a place called Sullivan's. The Kansas City Star used it that July too.
Today the R&A calls the Jigger Inn in St Andrews arguably the most famous 19th hole in the world.
FAQ
What does "meet you at the 19th" mean?
Meet at the clubhouse bar or grill after the round.
Is the 19th hole a real hole?
Not usually. It's slang for the clubhouse. The exception is a tied match that goes to extra holes, where the first extra hole is sometimes called the 19th.
How old is the phrase nineteenth hole?
The earliest use found so far is from a Dundee newspaper in December 1890.
More golf words in our golf terms glossary. Headed to the course this weekend? Browse our used golf clubs, and earn points on every order with GolfRoots Rewards.
