Closest to the Pin
Closest to the pin is a golf contest in which the player whose tee shot stops nearest the cup on a designated par-3 hole wins a prize. It is most often run as a side competition during charity, corporate, and association tournaments, and is commonly abbreviated KP or CTP.
What is closest to the pin?
Closest to the pin runs alongside a regular round of golf as a side competition. Tournament organisers pick one par-3 hole, name a prize, and award it to the player whose tee shot finishes closest to the cup. Some events run a separate contest on every par-3, but the format on each hole is the same.
The contest exists for two reasons. It gives every player in a tournament a real chance to win something, regardless of handicap, because a single well-struck iron is all it takes. And it generates extra fundraising or sponsorship value at charity events, where the contest can be sold as its own sponsorship slot.
A few other names refer to the same thing. Players may hear it called closest to the hole, closest to the flag, KP, CTP, or, in some regions, NTP for “nearest to the pin.”
How a closest to the pin contest works
The format follows a simple system that has been standard at amateur tournaments for decades. Organisers designate the contest hole and put a marker near the green, often a clipboard mounted on a metal spike with space to record names and distances. The first player to land their tee shot on the green writes their name and distance on the marker, then plants it where their ball came to rest.
When a later group beats that distance, they cross out the previous entry, write their own name, and move the marker to the new spot. By the end of the day, the final name on the marker is the winner. American Hole ‘n One, a major prize-insurance vendor for golf events, describes this proxy-marker system as the standard procedure used at most tournament-style contests.
A small number of events post a referee on the contest hole with a tape measure, especially when the prize is valuable enough to risk disputes. The rest run on the honour system among groups.
How is closest to the pin measured?
Two measurement standards are in common use, and the difference between them matters.
Most tournaments measure from the edge of the cup to the edge of the ball nearest the hole. Hooking a tape onto the lip of the cup gives a firm, repeatable starting point, and measurement is taken in a straight line across the green. The flagstick is not used as a reference because it can lean, which would add inconsistency.
A smaller number of events measure from the centre of the cup instead. Aussie Golfer, a long-running golf blog, has noted that the difference between the two methods is roughly 5.4 cm, the radius of a regulation golf hole, which is 4.25 inches in diameter under USGA and R&A rules. The difference is small but real, and groups should agree on the standard before play begins.
Whichever method is used, the tape should be pulled taut and held flat against the green. A sagging tape adds length and produces an inflated reading.
Why is it called KP?
The “K” in KP is one of golf’s small mysteries. The word “closest” begins with C, so the abbreviation should logically be CP, but the form that caught on is KP. Brent Kelley, a golf journalist who has covered the sport for over three decades, asked the USGA Library directly. The reply from librarian Patty Moran was short: there is no formal reason. It is simply a colloquialism that took root and spread.
Two informal theories circulate. One is that “CP” was already in use at some courses for another purpose, so KP was substituted. The other is that someone scribbled “klosest to the pin” as a joke, and the K stuck. Neither has been confirmed.
Variations of the closest to the pin format
The standard format has produced several spinoffs that show up in different event types. The table below summarises the most common.
| Variation | How it works | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Standard CTP | Individual tee shots on a designated par-3 | Most charity and association tournaments |
| Team CTP | The team’s best ball of the four counts | Scramble formats |
| Split contests | Separate winners for men, women, juniors, or seniors | Larger mixed-field events |
| Multi-hole CTP | A separate contest on every par-3 on the course | League play and member events |
| Side bet | Players agree on a wager during a casual round | Friendly groups |
A hole-in-one on the contest hole automatically wins, since a distance of zero cannot be beaten. Some events sell extra attempts on the contest hole as a fundraising add-on, with the cost of each shot going into the prize pool.
Related Golf Terms
- Closed clubface — When the clubface points left of the target at impact for a right-hander.
- Closed stance — A stance where the front foot is closer to the target line than the back foot.
- Hole-in-one —A tee shot that finishes in the cup, often the trump card in any closest to the pin contest.
- Chunk — Hitting the ground behind the ball, resulting in a poor shot.
- Closed out — In match play, winning the match before all 18 holes are played.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ball have to be on the green to count?
In nearly all formal events, yes. A shot that finishes on the fringe, in the rough, or in a greenside bunker is ineligible, even if the ball is just inches from the cup. WIM VA’s published tournament rules state plainly that any ball off the green is ignored, which reflects the standard at most charity and association events.
Is closest to the pin always played on a par-3?
Almost always. Par-3 holes work because every player is hitting from the same teeing ground and trying to reach the green in one shot, which keeps the comparison fair. Some friendly side bets relax this rule and allow approach shots from a minimum distance, often 120 yards or more, but tournament-run contests stick to par-3s.
What if someone makes a hole-in-one on the contest hole?
A hole-in-one wins automatically. The ball is in the cup, so the measured distance is zero. No subsequent shot can beat that.
How is closest to the pin different from longest drive?
Both are proxy contests, meaning side competitions run on a designated hole during a tournament. Closest to the pin rewards accuracy on a par-3. Longest drive rewards distance on a par-5 or long par-4, with the rule that the ball must come to rest in the fairway to count.
Is closest to the pin in the official Rules of Golf?
No. The Rules of Golf published by the USGA and R&A do not govern proxy contests, which are organised by individual tournaments. The word “pin” itself is not used in the rule book; the official term is “flagstick.” Closest to the pin is a tournament tradition rather than a formal rule.
Sources
- USGA. “Rules of Golf.” Accessed November 2025.
- Kelley, Brent. “Here’s What Closest to the Pin Contest Means at a Golf Tournament.” LiveAbout. Accessed November 2025.
- American Hole ‘n One. “What is Closest to the Pin?” Accessed November 2025.
- WIM VA. “Closest-to-the-pin Contest.” Accessed November 2025.
- Aussie Golfer. “How do you measure nearest the pin?” Accessed November 2025.
- The Oaks Course. “What Does Closest to the Pin Mean in Golf?” Accessed November 2025.
