BUNKER-TO-BUNKER… Inside Golf writers have their say!
By Michael Davis
I DON’T think you have to be a member of Mensa to overwhelmingly acknowledge that scheduling more nine-hole competitions would prove to be a boon for golfers and golf clubs alike. For a plethora of reasons, everyone seems to have less time on their hands these days.
Most of being time poor relates to work and family commitments despite the fact that the work force largely operates from home post-pandemic. This obviates the need to travel to and from work which frees up more time for family, entertainment and leisure.
Yet the (minimum) four hours plus if takes to play 18 holes is just far too big a juggle for people wanting to have a friendly game, let alone play in a club competition. I reckon you could add another 30 minutes to a round when the opportunity arises to have your name on the honourboard or even in the club newsletter.
Those steeped in the tradition of the game will argue the game should always be played over 18 holes. And I can see where they are coming from. But it is better to have people on the course for a couple of hours than deny them the opportunity to experience the joy of club competition. In my view it takes the game to a new level of satisfaction no matter what standard you play.
Even putting aside the competition aspect of the game, nine holes may well be the way of the future as many clubs create immaculate par-3 short courses to cater for this burgeoning market opportunity.
By Michael Court
OH great! That’s just terrific … NOT!
The next thing they’ll be making bottles of scotch with only nine nips in them instead of 18.
Everything else we buy these days seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Surely golf cannot head that way too. So, I’m sorry, but it’s not on. Nine-hole golf. You’ve got to be kidding me.
For starters, it takes me about nine holes before I actually hit my first decent shot … and I’m not kidding.
You may as well just play social golf. Or worse still, go to the driving range and hit balls.
That way, when you hit one thin or slice it OB, you can just shrug and drop another ball and hit it just as badly – as I always seem to do when I head for the driving range.
Seriously, if you’re time-poor go play tennis or that silly game they seem to love in Queensland these days – pickleball.
Golf is an 18-hole game folks. And if you only play on a nine-hole course then go around twice, if you have to.
We’ve tried playing nine-hole ‘chicken runs’ at our club over the years and there are always a few that turn up for a quick hit.
Yet I don’t regard them as serious golfers. Never have. And when they turn up for 18 holes once a year, I ask them where they’ve been.
‘Working’ … well, spare me the tears. We play golf to escape from that so I’m not keen to get it over with that quickly.
By Peter Owen
WHEN T20 cricket was first mooted the traditionalists wailed that it was the end of the game, that only Test cricket mattered, and that the fad would soon pass. Well, clearly, they were wrong since T20 has subsequently become the most popular form of cricket worldwide.
The same would not be the case if golf clubs scheduled a greater number of nine-hole member competitions. There’s a sufficient number of members who love 18-hole events – and have the time to devote to them – to ensure that four-and-a-half-hour competition rounds will continue indefinitely.
But it would be a godsend to those golfers who haven’t yet retired, who have work and family commitments and who have zero chance of finding a half-day for golf at weekends, let alone during the busy working week.
Change of any sort is painfully slow coming in golf. But what’s wrong with a few clubs programming nine-hole comps midweek – open to both men and women, playing off whatever tee they like – and see what the response is like?
Who knows? We might uncover a host of members we’ve never met before – people who did not have the time to play regular 18-hole comps, but could surely find a couple of hours now and then for a quick nine holes.
And it might encourage a new wave of members who, finally, see some value in joining a golf club where they are actually able to play the game at a time – and for a length of time – that suits them.
By Larry Canning
YES, absolutely! Nine holes is often the only option for thousands of golfers. Nine holes should be a legitimate competitive option at all golf clubs.
Oh, that’s only if we want more golfers at our courses, the game to continue to grow and become accessible to time-poor people who have crazy work commitments and/or young kiddies.
Or for that matter, older people who still like to walk the course for exercise but can’t get around all 18. If you feel the game in Australia is full, then maybe it’s not such a great idea.
I certainly haven’t noticed an overflow of golfers. Has anyone else?
As a golf professional, I have a responsibility to sustain and grow the game. It’s part of the unwritten oath you take when the PGA of Australia hands you your credentials, which I’m finding myself now constantly showing my playing partners to prove I am a professional.
But you shouldn’t have to be a pro to assume some obligation to keep the game we all love alive and well. Come on committee people all across Australia, come up with a plan to include a regular nine-hole competition at your course.
I’m not suggesting we eventually do away with 18-hole competitions for those lucky enough to have five to six hours on a weekend up their sleeves, but just give the other half of our golfing population another option to enjoy a hit in the competition and remain employed … and married.
What do you think? Email comments to david@insidegolf.com.au
Australia's Golf News Leader, Inside Golf gives you in-depth coverage of Australian golf news, golf events, golf travel and holiday destinations, Australian and international golf course reviews, the hottest new golf gear and tips and drills to improve your golf game. Written by award-winning journalists, Inside Golf also features interviews with Australia's top professional golfers, the game's rising stars, industry leaders and golf equipment manufacturers. You can even win great golf prizes and equipment. It’s all in Inside Golf. FREE at Australian golf courses, driving ranges and golf retailers across Australia. 
