9 hole Course Membership

[Shortknocker]

Anybody a member of a 9 hole course? I joined a 9 hole course last fall and I'm really starting to regret it and thinking of Dropping it and joining a 18 hole course. The 9 hole course is so aggravating because they don't control it and you have holes where 3 and 4 groups are waiting to Tee off! It took me 1.5hr this morning just to play the last 6 holes. 

 

I do have a 27 hole course that is half the membership fees but it's just not in as good a shape. Few fairways has erosion issues (No Grass) and couple Tee boxes is just dirt due to not being able to grow grass. But it being 27 holes it's spread out and not near as aggravating. Sure me playing as single catches people there too, But they can let me play through on that course whereas the 9 hole course you can't go anywhere even if someone lets you play through. 

The only good thing about the 9 hole course Is it's in as good shape as any around here! They also just built a new big clubhouse to open next month and also just built a lighted par 3 course to open next year. 

[RetiredBoomer]

6 minutes ago, Shortknocker said:

Anybody a member of a 9 hole course? I joined a 9 hole course last fall and I'm really starting to regret it and thinking of Dropping it and joining a 18 hole course. The 9 hole course is so aggravating because they don't control it and you have holes where 3 and 4 groups are waiting to Tee off! It took me 1.5hr this morning just to play the last 6 holes. 

 

I do have a 27 hole course that is half the membership fees but it's just not in as good a shape. Few fairways has erosion issues (No Grass) and couple Tee boxes is just dirt due to not being able to grow grass. But it being 27 holes it's spread out and not near as aggravating. Sure me playing as single catches people there too, But they can let me play through on that course whereas the 9 hole course you can't go anywhere even if someone lets you play through. 

The only good thing about the 9 hole course Is it's in as good shape as any around here! They also just built a new big clubhouse to open next month and also just built a lighted par 3 course to open next year. 

Everybody has his/her own priorities, of course

Maintenance is my FIRST Priority.

Hardpan bunkers, poorly maintained tee boxes, bare areas, uncleared underbrush, poor drainage--these are disqualifiers for me regardless of how good everything else may be.  

By the same token, I probably tolerate slow play better than anybody else on this forum
I don't consider myself a slow player at all.  I'm just patient and never in a hurry on the golf course. 

My point is that we're all different, so if you're willing to put up with poor maintenance in exchange 
for less delayed play, there's your answer.

[Shortknocker]

7 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

Everybody has his/her own priorities, of course

Maintenance is my FIRST Priority.

Hardpan bunkers, poorly maintained tee boxes, bare areas, uncleared underbrush, poor drainage--these are disqualifiers for me regardless of how good everything else may be.  

By the same token, I probably tolerate slow play better than anybody else on this forum
I don't consider myself a slow player at all.  I'm just patient and never in a hurry on the golf course. 

My point is that we're all different, so if you're willing to put up with poor maintenance in exchange 
for less delayed play, there's your answer.

The 9 hole I'm Currently member at is in great shape. Now the 27 hole course I'm speaking of not so much. No sand in bunkers, Couple bare Tees, Few Fairways has patchy Grass. I played there few days ago and really got ticked off cause my wife has some serious health issues but likes to go ride with me. There was 3 of us so two carts regardless They charged her just to ride in the Cart with me even though I had already paid for the Cart! So just not sure I can join a course thats gonna charge her Everytime she goes and just  rides around with me. Now I could understand an Extra cart but that's not the issue. I would probably deal with the slow down before that. The 9 hole course I'm member of has never once questioned me or charged me for her to ride. 

Another downfall of the 9 hole course is it's short. It's like a hybrid 18 you play one color Tees then 2nd 9 you play different set of Tees. 18 holes is like 5700yds total. 

[elight]

As has been said, all about personal preference. I don't think the issue is that it's 9 holes (assuming it's priced appropriately). The issue is that they aren't managing it well. There are 9 holes courses that are managed great, and 18 hole courses that are managed terribly. The great news is that it seems you have options - not everyone does! 

The other thing I'll say is that they're packing the course because of money. If you know other members, it might be worth approaching management as a group with your concern. Your money is important too and the risk of losing a bunch of members simultaneously might get their attention. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

I wouldn't do a 9 hole course, but that's more me and my preference. 

We have a few 9 hole and 18 hole options around and whole the 9 holes are nice they aren't worthwhile in my opinion.

The course I am at now is 18, 6 hole and 6 home par 3 so always good variety!

[RetiredBoomer]

On 8/25/2024 at 10:41 PM, Shortknocker said:

The 9 hole I'm Currently member at is in great shape. Now the 27 hole course I'm speaking of not so much. No sand in bunkers, Couple bare Tees, Few Fairways has patchy Grass. I played there few days ago and really got ticked off cause my wife has some serious health issues but likes to go ride with me. There was 3 of us so two carts regardless They charged her just to ride in the Cart with me even though I had already paid for the Cart! So just not sure I can join a course thats gonna charge her Everytime she goes and just  rides around with me. Now I could understand an Extra cart but that's not the issue. I would probably deal with the slow down before that. The 9 hole course I'm member of has never once questioned me or charged me for her to ride. 

Another downfall of the 9 hole course is it's short. It's like a hybrid 18 you play one color Tees then 2nd 9 you play different set of Tees. 18 holes is like 5700yds total. 

Short isn't a downfall for me!

Our course opened in 1906, so it's not that much longer (barely 6000 from the tips).

Just the right amount of golf for yours truly, however.

[Nick_Chilelli]

There’s a phenomenal 9 hole course in South Jersey called Merchantville Country Club. Perfect conditions, nice amenities, and a very reasonable price. I had a couple of buddies who were members so I got to play it pretty frequently. If a lot of your rounds are 9 hole loops, then it’s a perfect style of course to belong to. 
 

Personally I would only join a 9 hole track if I had another 18 hole course I was a member at. Even with rotated tee boxes, and some holes with dual greens, 9 hole tracks get very redundant after a while. But if you’re able to afford a dual membership with another course, the 9 hole can be your way to break up the monotony of your other membership.

[RetiredBoomer]

I've always thought that if golf were invented in America, it would have been a nine hole game.

Playing nine holes is more in line, time wise,

with other recreational activities.

Playing eighteen holes is essentially the whole day.

How many people spend 4½-5 hours bowling?

[DaveP043]

36 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

I've always thought that if golf were invented in America, it would have been a nine hole game.

Playing nine holes is more in line, time wise,

with other recreational activities.

Playing eighteen holes is essentially the whole day.

How many people spend 4½-5 hours bowling?

I think its more about WHEN golf was invented, rather than where.  Certainly a game coming into form now would be subject to modern time constraints, while something that evolved a few hundred years ago may not have had those same constraints.  If you look at golf in the 1800s, particularly to the beginnings of the Open Championship, you'd see widely different courses.  Musselburgh was 9 holes, Prestwick was 12, St Andrews was 18 (down from its original 22).  Those early Opens were decided over 36 holes, pretty reasonable when we look at the courses in the rotation.  I believe that as more clubs adopted the Rules of the R&A, discarding their own versions, they also adopted St Andrews 18 holes as the "standard".  

[RetiredBoomer]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

I think its more about WHEN golf was invented, rather than where.  Certainly a game coming into form now would be subject to modern time constraints, while something that evolved a few hundred years ago may not have had those same constraints.  If you look at golf in the 1800s, particularly to the beginnings of the Open Championship, you'd see widely different courses.  Musselburgh was 9 holes, Prestwick was 12, St Andrews was 18 (down from its original 22).  Those early Opens were decided over 36 holes, pretty reasonable when we look at the courses in the rotation.  I believe that as more clubs adopted the Rules of the R&A, discarding their own versions, they also adopted St Andrews 18 holes as the "standard".  

That's my understanding as well.

Golf was imported to the US simultaneously with the explosion of the industrial revolution, however,
and here, it was played just outside of highly populated urban areas first.

For that reason, if it were a product of our own imagination rather than an imported game,
I doubt that it would have ever been an eighteen hole game. That's just my suspicion, of course.

 

 

 

[Shortknocker]

I pay 110 month member dues, and 8 for cart fee. 15 cart if play it twice. They are building a new 9 hole course (It's almost completed). And a new clubhouse that will open next month. The final stage will be an RV park along the lake. I'm pretty sure once all is completed it will go private. Right now it's public and they do nothing to stop Stacking on Tee Boxes. I have went out on weekend and there be 5 groups waiting to Tee off on #1 and then someone of every hole. That gets old quick!! I stopped going on weekends. 

[Northern Monkey]

The club I’m a member at is a 9 hole course. It’s in great condition, is members only and there is a tee booking system that works really well. You very rarely get held up and I’m typing this sat outside the club house having just played 18 holes in 2 hours 20 mins. We have 2 separate tee boxes on each hole to make it an 18 and I really like it. I do play at other courses, usually at least once a month, but I have no complaints about our course. 

[Shortknocker]

8 minutes ago, Northern Monkey said:

The club I’m a member at is a 9 hole course. It’s in great condition, is members only and there is a tee booking system that works really well. You very rarely get held up and I’m typing this sat outside the club house having just played 18 holes in 2 hours 20 mins. We have 2 separate tee boxes on each hole to make it an 18 and I really like it. I do play at other courses, usually at least once a month, but I have no complaints about our course. 

That's basically exactly how ours is. I mean I play by myself 90% of the Time and through the week, Most of the Time I can play 9 holes within 1hr 15 mins. It's the weekends that get crazy. The course is in pretty good shape. I just don't like playing 18 there because even off the different Tee you playing the same hole twice (just different yardage). That gets old and I play sometimes 4 days week so I'm starting to get burned out on the same old 9 holes. I do play different courses couple times a month as well. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I don’t think I could be a member at a 9 hole course. I think I would get bored with it quickly. I do play two to three times a week. But 18 for me. If the conditions at the 18 were that bad I’d travel further to find a better course.

My course has some issues but they are being addressed. After my first year I was contemplating leaving. But they made changes already and it is improving every week.

For those that mentioned a rider fee. My course charges riders. It’s $45 on the weekends to play including cart. Riders are an extra $10. If your a member, golf is free, walking is free, but it’s $20 for a cart.

 

[Shortknocker]

1 hour ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I don’t think I could be a member at a 9 hole course. I think I would get bored with it quickly. I do play two to three times a week. But 18 for me. If the conditions at the 18 were that bad I’d travel further to find a better course.

My course has some issues but they are being addressed. After my first year I was contemplating leaving. But they made changes already and it is improving every week.

For those that mentioned a rider fee. My course charges riders. It’s $45 on the weekends to play including cart. Riders are an extra $10. If your a member, golf is free, walking is free, but it’s $20 for a cart.

 

My wife has health issues where I have to care for her. She enjoys riding in cart with me while I play. I'm already paying for that cart so I WILL NOT pay extra for her to just ride around with me in a cart I've already paid for when I'm a single! If it was a foursome and she needed an extra cart that's one thing, But not when I have an empty seat beside me. That's one thing My 9 hole course has Never Questioned me nor charged me for is for to ride. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

17 minutes ago, Shortknocker said:

My wife has health issues where I have to care for her. She enjoys riding in cart with me while I play. I'm already paying for that cart so I WILL NOT pay extra for her to just ride around with me in a cart I've already paid for when I'm a single! If it was a foursome and she needed an extra cart that's one thing, But not when I have an empty seat beside me. That's one thing My 9 hole course has Never Questioned me nor charged me for is for to ride. 

I get it. But all I can say is the last several courses I’ve either played or been a part of has rider fees. 
If people insist on their own cart they also get charged an additional $10

But if you are a single or a threesome you don’t get charged for the empty seat.

 

[Shortknocker]

9 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I get it. But all I can say is the last several courses I’ve either played or been a part of has rider fees. 
If people insist on their own cart they also get charged an additional $10

But if you are a single or a threesome you don’t get charged for the empty seat.

 

I did other day at one of my local courses. There was 3 of us but the owner still charged her to ride in my empty seat of cart if already paid for. The sad thing is he knows all about y wife's health issues. That was the other course I was thinking about joining But likely not now if he is gonna charge her Everytime she goes and rides with me. Im not doing it 

[ColdOkieGolf]

I've grown to like/appreciate the 9 hole course near me.   It has some interesting holes,  some risk/reward tee shots and it's darn cheap.  

It's nice to not feel like you need to commit to a whole day out there.  Just go walk an easy 9 for some exercise and a casual round.   It's been a nice change of pace.