Playing nine holes of golf is an excellent option for those who are new to the game or short on time.
The nine-hole mark seems to be the perfect amount of golf before you get tired or decide that you have other things that are more important to do.
Nine holes of golf is a great choice for many players, but there are some important things to know about playing nine holes of golf.
How Much Time Does It Take to Golf 9 Holes?
It should take two hours and 15 minutes to play a round of nine holes.
A nine-hole round is going to be about half as long as an 18-hole round.
Golfers who play nine holes are usually short on time or perhaps a bit new to the game.
There are some advantages to playing nine holes that make some people actually prefer it over playing eighteen holes.
Let’s look at why nine holes of golf can be an even better experience than 18 holes.
Advantages of Playing Nine Holes
If you are new to the game of golf, don’t be concerned with only being able to handle nine holes of golf.
Here are some of the benefits of playing nine holes.
1. Fatigue
When you play a round of eighteen holes, you are going to cover about five miles of land in the process.
For those who are walking the golf course, this is quite a bit of land to cover.
After a certain number of holes, fatigue will start to set in.
Golfers who play all the time are usually in relatively good shape.
They are able to play golf and finish the eighteenth hole and feel like they could play more if they wanted.
For many players, by the time they get to the ninth hole, they are ready to be done.
Building up your tolerance for more holes takes some time and effort.
You won’t learn to play eighteen holes overnight.
When players start to get tired because of the physical wear and tear of the game, their golf game will struggle.
When you are tired, you tend to hit lazy types of shots that often start out and continue sailing to the right.
Until you can play nine holes with zero fatigue, it would be best to avoid playing 18 holes.
2. Cost
Golf is an expensive sport.
If you want to become great at the game, you will have to spend quite a bit of time out on the course.
To keep the cost down, one thing you can do is play nine holes.
Many golf courses offer a reduced rate on the green and cart fees for nine holes.
In fact, you may be able to avoid the cart fee entirely if you play nine holes.
Walking nine is very different from walking eighteen, and it can save you some cart fee money.
3. Time
We talked about the fact that nine holes of golf will clearly take quite a bit less time than eighteen holes of golf.
This is a great thing for people who claim they don’t have more time to put into their golf game.
If you are a player who knows you only have time for an 18-hole round on a Sunday, you may have time to fit nine holes of golf in earlier in the week.
Although you probably can’t fit eighteen holes in after work, there is always a chance that nine holes could be an option for you.
When you play nine holes of golf, you are getting quite a bit of practice in as well.
If you play nine holes on your own and there are no other golfers in front of you, you may be able to finish a round in an hour and a half.
An hour and a half of time spent practicing your game is going to be time very well spent.
What Is a Good Score for Nine Holes?
Shooting below 45 for a nine-hole round of golf is going to be considered pretty good.
Of course, if you are a scratch golfer and you shoot 45, you may be very disappointed.
When you shoot a 45, you have made a bogey on each of the holes.
Bogey golf is considered decent, and most bogey golfers are considered average golfers.
If you can somehow mix in a few pars with your bogeys, you will be headed towards becoming a lower handicap player.
Bogey golf is considered consistent.
If you miss a shot here and there and it causes you to lose your par, that is understandable.
It is certainly more respectable than making a double or a triple bogey on each hole.
Showing that you can make a bogey proves that you have some control over your golf game.
How Much Do Nine Holes of Golf Cost?
As we mentioned, nine holes of golf tend to be quite a bit cheaper than eighteen holes.
You can usually play a round of nine holes for around $20 or so if you don’t take a cart.
Of course, there are some higher end courses that will charge $80 for nine holes, but it is usually a reasonably affordable way to get around the golf course.
Look for specials and deals at golf courses.
Some will offer a frequent player card where, if you play enough nine-hole rounds, they may give you a nine-hole round for free.
Golf courses like to reward frequent players as they are the base that keeps the golf course going.
Do I Need 14 Clubs for Nine Holes?
Some golfers wonder if they really need to bring their entire bag along for a round of nine holes.
For this question, you have to decide what your goal is.
Do you plan on trying to shoot your best round ever, or are you out for a leisurely round?
It can be a good thing for your golf game not to carry all your clubs.
You will test out your shot-making abilities and learn to be creative with some of the shots you hit.
However, most people decide that bringing their entire set of clubs with them will make sense.
If you do decide you want to leave a few clubs at home, look into purchasing a Sunday golf bag.
These bags are lightweight and a perfect thing to grab for a quick nine-hole round.
You should only need a few golf balls, a few tees, and your favorite golf clubs.
Sometimes this can help you save money as well because Sunday golf bags are easier to carry and won’t require you to take a cart.
Conclusion
As golfers, we are lucky to have the nine-hole option.
It is a much better choice from a time perspective and allows golfers the ability to fit in a round on their own time.
The other great thing about nine holes of golf is that it can save some money.
We are all conscious and aware of what the sport of golf can do from a financial standpoint.
When you catch the golf bug, you will spend hundreds of dollars to keep your hobby going.
If a few of your rounds are offered at half price, that is certainly nothing to complain about.
