A lack of time is usually the main reason why many golfers play nine holes instead of the regulation eighteen but there is so much more to gain from a nine-hole course.
The Finest Nines, a book written about the best nine-hole golf courses in North America, states its case for the value of a short course.
A "complete" round of golf today is eighteen holes, which is based on The Old Course in St. Andrews; originally this course had twenty-two holes but, if you look back even earlier into Scottish history (as far back as 1562), golfers played twenty-five holes!
In his book, writer Anthony Pioppi states that a nine-hole round of golf is perfectly legitimate and that golfers should embrace nine holes and give the courses in this book validation as a true test of a golfers' skills.
Did you know, according to the USGA, "the First U.S. Open in 1895 was played on a nine-hole course"?
Nine holes are also great for a quick test of skills, an afternoon walk, and that it is totally "legit" and counts towards your handicap!
According to a press release issued by the USGA and the R&A, in 2020, a universal golf handicap system will take effect. "A minimal number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap; a recommendation that the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap be 54 holes from any combination of 18-hole and 9-hole rounds."
The courses in The Finest Nines were selected for their architecture; strategy and shotmaking, how a golfer makes his way from tee to green and the diversity of the par-3's, 4's and 5's were the determining factors considered.
So, which course did the author hail as the "finest nine-hole course in the country?"
Pick up a copy of the book and find out! Okay, okay, spoiler alert - it's Whitinsville Golf Club in Whitinsville, Massachusetts!
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