Longest drive is a contest on a chosen hole to see who can hit their tee shot the farthest. It is one of the standard prizes at golf days and company outings, and it lets players who are not in contention on score still have their moment with one swing. Usually, however, the ball must finish on the fairway to count, so it rewards accuracy as well as distance.
Basic longest drive rules
Longest drive is not part of the Rules of Golf; each event sets its own rules. The most common format is:
- One or two designated holes, usually a long, fairly straight par 4 or par 5.
- Only the tee shot counts. A long second shot does not.
- The ball must be at rest on the fairway. Balls in the rough, in a bunker or out of bounds do not count. Decide in advance how to treat a ball sitting on the edge between fairway and rough.
- The ball farthest from the tee wins, not the one closest to the hole.
- Some events run a separate contest for women or seniors, or have them play from different tees.
Marking the ball and passing the marker on
At a golf day, the longest drive hole usually has a marker flag or a card for players to write their names on.
- The longest hitter in the first group puts the marker next to their ball and writes their name on it.
- In later groups, anyone whose ball finishes beyond the marker moves it to their own ball and writes their name.
- Whoever’s name is on the marker after the last group has played wins the prize.
Before moving the marker, have the whole group agree that the ball really is farther. If it is too close to judge by eye, pace out both distances to keep it fair.
Keeping up the pace on the longest drive hole
On a longest drive hole, everyone tends to try a bit harder, and things can slow down.
- Do the measuring and move the marker quickly on your way to your second shot.
- Do not spend too long searching for a ball that flew a long way.
- Do not tee off while the group ahead is still around their second-shot landing area. The longer the hole plays, the easier it is to hit into them.
Tips for winning longest drive
Because the ball has to stay on the fairway, hitting it solid and in play is a better path than swinging out of your shoes and spraying it.
- Swing at your normal tempo rather than harder than usual. Forcing it tends to cause poor contact, and the ball often goes shorter.
- If your ball has a consistent curve, aim at the wider side of the fairway. If you slice, aim down the left side; if you hook, aim down the right, so the ball can curve and still finish in the fairway. Ball flight is covered in slice, hook, draw and fade explained.
- If the marker is already a long way out, it can be smarter to forget the prize and focus on your score.
Longest drive and long drive competitions
At golf days the prize is usually called longest drive, and the hole is often called “the long drive hole”.
- “This is the long drive hole.”
- “Is my ball past the marker?”
Long drive is also a sport in its own right. In long drive competitions, players compete purely on distance, and only balls that finish inside a marked grid of fixed width count. That is quite different from a longest drive prize on an ordinary hole during a round. In Japan, the golf-day contest is known as “dora-con”, short for driving contest.
Running a golf day in Southeast Asia
At golf days in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, longest drive is commonly paired with closest to the pin. Most courses provide caddies, so asking them to help check ball positions and move the marker keeps play moving. Some courses do not provide longest drive markers or cards, so the organizer should bring them or check with the course beforehand.