Havre, Montana
September 18, 2024
Nine-hole golf has a rich tradition. The first U.S. Open, in 1895, was played on a nine-hole course. Less than 30 years ago, almost half of the golf courses in America had nine holes.
Today, there are more than 3,700 nine-hole facilities in the U.S. – about 26% of the total supply. Approximately 85% are open to the public, with 2/3 of them daily-fee courses. Iowa, with 246 nine-hole courses, leads all states, but Texas (198), New York (187), Illinois (174) and California (171) aren’t far behind, according to the NGF’s facility database. (Fourteen states have more than 100 nine-holers, the majority of which are in the middle of the country.)
A map of 9-hole facility supply in the U.S.
At some point during the golf boom of the late 20th Century, 18 holes of “bomb and gouge” became the accepted definition of golf, and nine-hole golf was reduced in status. Recognizing the pace of our busy lives, there’s been an emerging movement in recent years that returns to the very roots of golf in the U.S. and the configuration by which many rounds were originally played.
“I wish I knew how it happened, but somewhere along the lines people came to the realization that golf doesn’t have to be 18 holes,” Pioppi said. “It’s OK. The goal is to play golf.”
Nine-hole rounds are a fulfilling way to enjoy the game in half the time, often at a reduced price and in a format that is more welcoming to friends or family members who may be less experienced. People are busier today and spend more time at the office. Leisure time is precious, and the extra hours spent on an 18-hole round is not something everyone can afford.
Through the end of the summer months in 2020, Core golfers reported that 33% of their rounds were of the nine-hole variety, as many took advantage of the way the coronavirus had changed the contours of the work day, particularly when daylight hours were longer. The number of shorter loops (as a percentage of the overall total) was up 15% in 2020.
“Every other recreation, it seems, takes more or less two hours: movies, dinner, cocktail parties, tennis, bowling, going to the gym,” said Golf Digest’s editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde. “If golf were invented today, it would be a nine-hole game.”
Comments