simplicity

So here's a complete newbie question that I can only ask on a website (where I don't have to stay at home for week afterwards for fear of meeting you!!!!!) -

are there specifically 9-hole and 18-hole courses? Is there any real difference in these courses (from a beginner's perspective) apart from one being shorter than the other??? I mean, would an 18-hole course be designed more in mind of the professional golfer?

Do you have a preference?

Caddy

I have got to say it all depends on the day for me.

18 Holes is great for improving my consistancy and game plan. whereas 9 holes is great for practicing technique and overall skill

CanCaddy

I usually only play 9 holes, mostly because of time. When I do play 18, it's a nice change and you get to expand your endurance too.

I guess I would prefer to always play 18 holes, because it provides the most variety in different setups and keeps you totally in shape if you walk the course especially. I don't always have the time to play a full 18 though, so I only fit in a full round once a month or so.

Not_My_Style

I always like to play 18 holes if I can. I'll play 9 holes if I'm short on cash or time. And yes, there is a difference between 18 hole and 9 hole golf courses. Usually 18 hole courses are much nicer and well put together because they obviously had more space and money. 9 hole courses can be good, but many of them are losey and not worth playing (especially the par 3 courses).

sparky

I have only played once and that was an 18 hole course and to be honest I was dissapointed when we had finished the round because it went to fast so I dont think I will ever play on a 9 hole course.

GolfGimp8224

Simplicity,
I would have to say that most golf courses are 18 holes becuase that is the way that the game is truly designed to be played, but there are many 9 hole courses. I would say that there is some differences in the difficulty of them also. It is my belief that most 9 hole courses are designed for beginners over really good players, because beginners are the ones you are typically going to see on these. This doesn't have to be the case because it can vary, but from my experience on 9 hole courses they are usually easier. Although they do design many easy 18 holers, if you are looking for a real challenge, an 18 hole course would be the way to go. I would also have to say that I feel differently than NotMyStyle. 9 hole courses and 3 par courses can have some advantages. They are not usually as busy as courses that are a full 18, and sometimes you can get out there all by yourself and take advantage of practicing all varities of shots on a real course. I feel it is more valuable to be able to practice and hit a ton of balls on a real course over a range or a putting green because it puts you in a playing situation frame of mind and not practice. Unfortunately on 18 hole courses you can't do this often, because you are usually waiting for the people in front of you, or trying to move on to get out of the way for the people behind you. If you are by yourself and it is not some type of tournament or a round that you are taking really seriously, I say take advantage of being able to hit more than one ball for the practice. One thing I like to do is hit my first ball for actual score, and than hit a bunch of practice balls to keep my game sharp if I am by myself. This would not be legal in a tournament and would get you disqualified, but the more you can get out of your practice sessions the better. Personally, I would prefer to play 18 holes if I want a serious round of golf, but 9 holers can be fun to mess around on. I hope my input helped.

Matthew_22

I actually heard of a little town here in Australia that has a three hole course. Only a few people in the town play, and for comps they play the course 3 times in a row.

Back to the topic. I usually only play 9 holes, for the simple fact that it is quicker and easier to manage as far as organising and time management.

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memorex88

I always play 18.

scott.cant.putt

i always play 18 too but some courses are designed to be 9 hole courses, some of them are designed to be easier(thats the 9 hole course) but some are designed to be played round twice so arnt much easier than 18 hole courses. Personally i think 9 is too short and you dont have chance to warm up, i sometimes play 27 holes lol

Xander

I always play 18, unless I'm in a hurry. I don't see a big difference in how they are set up differently, just go with the 18, if you're a begginner you probably need the practice.