Which Courses are Regarded as the Best 9 Hole Golf Courses in the World?
It isn’t often that golfers will choose to play a 9-hole golf course when there is an 18-hole course available.
The 9-hole course is often seen as a necessary evil to play when there isn’t the chance to get a full 18 holes in.
However, 9-hole courses offer just as much charm and enjoyment as an 18-hole course.
The only problem is the stigma attached to the smaller courses by golfers.
According to Golf Digest, 9-hole courses aren’t just a challenge, but they are economical.
They are also far more ecological than 18-hole courses.
Although not all golfers will choose to play a 9-hole golf course, there are some amazing courses they are missing out on.
Dunes Club – New Buffalo, Michigan
The Dunes Club is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to 9-hole golf courses.
It features on plenty of golfer’s bucketlists, and it has been attracting golf travelers for years.
Located in the sleepy resort area near Lake Michigan, the Dunes Club was dreamed up by Mike Kaiser.
He hired golf course designer Dick Nugent to build a 9-hole golf course similar to New Jersey’s gorgeous 18-hole Pine Valley.
The secluded club is far different than Pine Valley, however.
It is small, intimate and incredibly fun to play.
The entire course is a par 72, and the Dunes Club’s little intricacies make it so much fun to play.
Whitinsville Golf Club – Whitinsville, Massachusetts
Built in the 1920s by famed golf course architect Donald Ross, Whitinsville Golf Club lies just outside of Boston.
The course has been changed little since it opened.
This 9-hole gem is laid out over hilly land, so players could be hitting up or downhill.
Although newer 9-hole golf courses have been built in the area, nothing can hold up to this gem of a course.
It is only 9-holes, but the Whitinsville course feels much larger.
The greens can be unforgiving, and experts of Ross’s golf courses believe Whitinsville could be the most challenging he built.
The ninth hole is considered the best of them all and golfers will need to hit their ball over a water hazard-marshy area to an elevated green to reach the cup.
Northwood Golf Club – Monte Rio, California
Northwood may be the most beautiful 9-hole golf course in the United States.
A gorgeous green course set in the middle of a redwood tree forest, Northwood provides a majestic outdoor setting while playing golf.
The course was co-designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie, who later helped assist the designing of Augusta National.
One of the great aspects of Northwood, other than the location, is the low prices to play such a highly rated golf course.
Players can pay as little as $16 after 5PM on the weekends. How many golf courses in the world that are regarded so highly can claim such a low fee?
The holes are short, even for 9-hole course standards; and some critics complain about the distance.
However, Northwood is about remembering your fundamentals when teeing off.
Aetna Springs – Pope Valley, California
Voted a top five 9-hole golf course by Golf Digest, Aetna Springs is a beautiful, wide open course.
It is regarded as the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi River.
The course’s designers famously built the course with the local terrain, rather than re-arrange it.
A par 70, Aetna Springs encompasses 6,114 yards of Northern California wine country.
Low lying trees and mountains are in the distance behind the greens.
The course is often called “a diamond in the rough” due as it is location in the rural interior of the state.
The course that lies at Aetna Springs today is the third on the site, and it incorporates elements of the two original.
Aetna Springs is a beloved course, because power hitters will strike out when playing it.
The course takes finesse, so leave those power swings at home.
Anstruther – Fife, Scotland
Scotland has a number of beautiful 18-hole links courses.
Thanks to the abundance of great golf spots, 9-hole course can be overlooked. Anstruther is one that shouldn’t be.
This par 62 course is seriously challenging.
Half of the course is considered extremely short, while the fifth hole is regarded as being a monster of a test.
The greens are not expansive, so having a shot roll off it likely.
The course is extremely wide open and players can look down over the sea.
Due to this, weather can play havoc with a golfer’s game.
Wind and rain can make the course just as challenging as the distance from the tee.
If you want to play some beautiful courses in Florida every day, contact Keiser University College of Golf.
