9 or 18 ?

[BobLib]

If I had to be honest, 12 holes is my sweet spot.  3 warmup holes then go hard at the next 9 before the wheels fall off.  Unless, of course, I am playing well then 18 is perfect.

[mattkulick]

I use to play 9 a lot when I was in a weekday league now its mainly 18 since I moved to a Saturday morning league.

I'm also more inclined to play 18 outside of league due to the rates that courses charge for 9 holes now.  

[MN Loon]

My preference is to play 18 holes, but I have played a number of 9 hole rounds this season.  Time is the biggest factor in determining between playing 9 or 18 holes. 
 

I’ve also started playing more Executive length courses.  Here I can get a quick 9 holes in and get to work on various parts of my game.  Driving ranges are great, but playing a quick 9 on an Executive Course - often by myself - allows me to play 2 balls and get in some situational shots.

[MattWillGolf]

I prefer to walk when I play but unfortunately due to arthritis walking 18 is no longer possible. Usually on hole 9 I become aware of my feet. So now 18 holes for me means a cart. 

[Duxman130]

Prefer a full day at the course starting with putting & chipping, range time, 18 holes, finishing with bar/dinner. 

Reality is lots of 9 hole matches after work. If I'm lucky, I get in 20-30 mins range time, before 9 holes. 

9 holes is always better than zero holes.  Range is better than no club in the hands for a day.

[StrokerAce]

I wish golf was 15 holes. That's close to the 3 hour mark and by then I'm either feeling great (played well!) or feeling like I'm ready to finish up the last 3 quickly (not playing so well).

That being said, I'll gladly take 9 when I can get it. When I was in a league the last 2 years it was a 9 hole match and that was great. Every hole mattered and you really focused on the task at hand. 

Like most of you my preference is 18 but a 9 and dine is also fun.

[GaryH]

Other than league play, has to be 18 or I don't consider it a "full" day of golf

 

[USMCSnyper]

I prefer 9 so it doesn't take up most of the day. Lime many others stated, my game starts to falter after 14. I like to play early (7am) so I have time to do the summer stuff we un Central NY only have a few months to enjoy.

[10Hockey]

I really don't like playing just 9 holes .  It's like hanging meat in front of a hungry dog who can't get to it  !

[tristar rick]

I am a fan of walking when I play. And as the weather warms up the number of holes played goes down. Between nine and twelve holes has become the norm.

[Brian F.]

Golf if golf, so playing any golf is fine by me; but if I do prefer playing a full 18, for a variety of reasons. My closest public course is a half hour drive so I like to take full advantage of the miles. It also feels more "official". I find that playing the full round tests not only your physical endurance, but also your focus. 

[JGreene]

Because of the time and other responsibilities, then I prefer 9 holes.  Otherwise, I end up feeling too selfish for staying away from the house for 5+ hours.  I would love to get 18 in, especially when after 9 holes my scorecard is looking horrid.  It's golf and I always feel like I can do better on another (back) 9.  I do get to play 18 about once a month for work outings, so my appetite for a longer round is satiated through that.

[Golf2Much]

When I was working in Western New York, I had a great cadence:  9-hole league on Thursday after work and 18 holes on Saturday mornings.   Golf on Thursday night helped me feel like it was almost the weekend and I was able to get 18 holes in the day after.  My last home course was about 35 minutes away.  From Memorial to Labor Day they had set tee times and no one liked to play early.  I'd get up early on Saturdays, drive out and it would be me and the groundskeepers.  I'd walk 18 holes in 2.5 hours and drive home.   My golf day was about 4 hours, except a good chunk was driving.  

Living in Key West, you have to get out early to beat the heat (and humidity).  Luckily, our men's league has the first tee times Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  As rabbits, we know we have to set the pace so there's little tolerance for slow play.  We are typically in the 3:15 to 3:30 hour round times, sometimes shorter.  So, we tee off at first light and finish before it gets too hot.  

[Dustin211]

Usually play 9, because of league play. It's also easier to squeeze in a round of 9 after work. With time constraints these days, 18 holes seems like a treat. 

[Chuckles0318]

I prefer to play 18 to get the full experience i.e. full round, cold beers, hot dogs at the turn etc. but I'll definitely sneak out for 9 after work on a random week night if I don't have anything else going on. 

 

[Kevin W]

18 is most certainly preferred but 9 is better than 0. 

[AZ86Jayhawk]

18 holes because it takes me 9 holes to figure out what I'm doing!

[KP9231]

I love playing both but tend to gravitate toward 9 hole outings more often than not. Gives me more time to do "real world" stuff while still getting out. Playing 9 tomorrow morning and very much looking forward to picking up lunch on the way back and taking a glorious nap after

[Erin B]

36 please! I’d play all day if my body would allow, especially on a new course. It would allow me to work on things I messed up on the first round. But to answer the question 9 or 18, 18 all day every day. I’m not going to balk at a 9 hole round though.

[Punster46]

I typically prefer to play 18 but after a layoff of a couple months I start with 9 or if I want to work on some part of my game I play 9 alone so as to not hold anyone up 

[Julioooo11]

Personally, I’m just happy to be out there. I’ve only been golfing for a year but I’m obsessed with the sport! Minimum 9 holes a week but I’ll always play 18 if I have the time. I think playing one round a week whether it’s 9 or 18 is my requirement. 

[PaulOrz61]

I am a member of a 9 hole course and love the fact I can play after work on a weeknight.  I enjoy playing 18 when I have the time, but get many more rounds of 9 in during a work week.

[Julioooo11]

20 minutes ago, AZ86Jayhawk said:

18 holes because it takes me 9 holes to figure out what I'm doing!

Damn it, this is so true

[MrCrowley]

I'll play whatever I have time for. With the longer summer days here, where I live, 18 holes during the work week is manageable. 18 holes on weekends unless I have something else going on. If time is short 9 holes it is. 

[Indyday42]

My wife and I usually play 9. It leaves some time in the day for other activities. But I find that sometimes when I am having some issues with my play I'd rather do 18 to work out the kinks.  I do enjoy an occasional 18 holes.

[frazzman80]

9 holes feels so...unfinished. Especially if I'm having a great 9, I'm always left with what might have been. If I'm not having a great 9, I'm always left with "but I could have gone low on the back and saved it!".

18 for me...always if possible.

[Julius]

I prefer 18 as it is a 45 min drive to the closest course where I live and then back, so it is going to take a while, going for 9 holes seems like a waste of travel time.  However, at our summer house they have recently, and I mean as in the last month, finished a new 6 hole par 3 course that I am going to play this summer - that one I can walk to in less than 15 min.  I will go early, enjoy the views, and do 1-2 rounds through it just to get in some short game work then walk home - all in a fraction of the time it takes me to play the 18 today.  So I am flexible on this one, it is more dependent upon the time available and the time to travel.   It needs to be worth the hike, so 18.  

[msanagustin]

I will always prefer 18, but now that I have a weekday membership at a local course it actually makes it easier to get out more frequently and if I only have time for 9 that's good. I'm fine with twilight times and depending on how busy the house is, if a single it's easy to jump on the front or back without interrupting the round for others assuming the starter/desk give the thumbs up!

I will admit that early on in my golf life is was 18 or nothing, but over time I have realized it's not always all or nothing....guess it's true as you get older you have a better appreciation

[Frankast23]

My preference is 18, but I do enjoy playing 9 once in a while. My local course has a short 9 in addition with holes ranging from 70-130yds. It’s great. I always use it when I’m testing golf balls because there are opportunities for a lot of different wedge shots. 

[OU812DAY]

I enjoy 9 holes but voted for 18.  Take me 4 holes to warm up and the last 4 or five get a bit tired so the 9 I usually enjoy is in the middle!!   HaHa