High Quality Nine Hole Golf Courses: A Rarity

Everyone has played a nine hole golf course from time to time. But how often are those courses really that good? While these little courses certainly have a place in the world of golf, most of the time they are nothing special and simply give golfers a place to play. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. Golf Digest published a list of the top 25 nine hole golf courses two years ago. If we are to assume the list does, indeed, rank the true top 25 nine hole courses, then it is rather indicative of the average quality of these courses nationwide. This writer has played two of them: #3 ranked Northwood and #24 ranked Annapolis Golf Course.

Northwood is an old Alister MacKenzie design in northern California. This course does have some interesting greens and some of the holes have quality shot values. But in other places, the trees have encroached on the course so much that it is virtually unplayable. The playing corridor on 9 is 25 yards wide. Not the fairway, the entire playing corridor, from the trees on the right to the out of bounds stakes on the left. The trees greatly effect turf quality as well. This course is not bad, just average; 3 out of 10 on the Johnny B. scale.

Annapolis Golf Course...well, to put it as nicely as possible, this just is not a course you would recommend to your friends. The fairways have no turf grass, only weeds mown to an inch in height. The greens are near perfect circles occupying the otherwise huge original green pads. Bunkers no longer have sand, only weeds. For the real student of architecture, the course is so good as to nearly brings tears to the eyes. But for a normal golfer, this might be the worst course he will ever see. The course was designed by Charles Banks, who learned design from Seth Raynor. The pedigree is outstanding. But the course has fallen into such disrepair as to completely prevent any interface with the architecture as it sits. Again, I fully assume due justice was done in coming to the conclusion that this is the 24th best 9 hole golf course in America. Given that is the case, it speaks volumes to the mediocrity of 9 hole courses in America.

One other course off that list worth a note is Pottawatomie Golf Course in Illinois. While this writer has not played it, another writer on Wegoblogger31.blogspot.com has ranked the course #305 out of 330 courses played as of this writing. Pottawatomie was ranked #15 on the 9 hole courses ranking.

Given these three examples and other 9 hole courses played, it would seem to be, sadly, the case that 9 hole courses are generally of a lower quality. That is not to say there are not good ones, indeed The Dunes Club in Michigan and Royal Worlington and Newmarket are widely acclaimed by a large number of people. But those seem to be great outliers.

This is quite sad really. 9 hole golf courses that are of high quality would be a great way to get golfers onto high quality golf courses without having to spend 4 or 5 hours on the course. The courses would also take up less land, making them cheaper to own, which should lead to lower costs passed on to the golfer. That would seem to be a winning combination, lower cost to the golfer and faster play.

Of course 9 hole courses exist everywhere. Some were originally designed that way. Some, like Annapolis, were designed to be part of an 18 hole facility, but only 9 were built. Some are what remains of a course that once had 18 holes, but for whatever reason had to close the other nine holes. But few are of solid quality.

Indeed, Northwoods is the finest 9 hole course this writer has played. But in an overall ranking, probably fits somewhere around 125 of 183. The other courses fall below that, some far below. It's quite sad that so few of these courses are built and maintained at even an average quality. Of course, the market yields this, few people want to play 9 hole courses, they even have a stigma, deserved these days, of being low quality courses. It would be great to see attitudes from golfers and operators change to allow for more of these little courses. The game would not suffer if that happened.

Moose Run Golf Course (Hill)- Fort Richardson, AK

This is the older and short course at Moose Run. This course is also a bit wider and generally easier than the Creek course. The two nines were built at different times, and while this writer does not know which nine was built first, there is an obvious quality difference between the two. The front nine occupies rolling land and has solid holes. The back nine occupies a very flat section of land and, sadly, is rather repetitive. The par 4's blend together on the back nine because they are all flat, though the one par 5 has some interest and is scenic playing back to the mountains. But this is simply an average course and, due to the back nine, the lowest quality course among the six 18 hole courses around Anchorage and out into the Valley.

Holes to Note

Hole #2: Par 4, 422 yards
From the tee, this hole bears a passing resemblance to the eighth hole at Pine Valley. The landing area is obscured by a large hill that enters from the left and slopes down across the fairway to the right. The best play is to aim for the center or left-center of the fairway and let the ball feed down to the right. The green is easy to approach from either side of the fairway, but players that reach the right side will be afforded a flatter lie and level approach. From the fairway, the player may choose to either fly the ball to the hole or bump it along the ground. The green is equally receptive to either shot with very limited protections from approach shots. Easy second hole and a fairly good chance for birdie.

From the tee, the hill is imposing and blocks the landing area from view. For those who have seen it, the resemblance to #8 at Pine Valley is readily visible. 

From the right side of the fairway, the green is easily accessed from a flat lie. The green sits in wait with limited protections.

Hole #5: Par 5, 518 yards

Solid par 5 that plays blind over the hill to the fairway. The hole bends to the left, but the player is given no indication of that from the tee. The best line is to play up the right side, leaving the player a chance to go for the green with a straight shot. From the top of the hill, the hole spreads out in front of the player and, while not an exceptionally strategic hole, it's certainly photogenic. The green is, like most here, lightly defended (the green actually has a bunker left and also long, but due to green shrinkage over time, they are so far offset that this writer failed to even notice them on the course and only saw them upon looking at the course from overhead).

 Completely blind off the tee, the player has no idea what is in store.

 Fortunately for him, there was no trouble awaiting in the fairway and the only concern is whether or not the ball ended up in the fairway and if he can make an attempt to go for the green in two shots.

From the 150 yard marker, the shot is uphill to the green and not very difficult.

This course could be a solid golf course if they did some work on it and perhaps brought in a professional designer to add a bit of interest to the back nine. It simply gets repetitive on the closing stretch. But there have been changes over time here. Bunker shrinkage can be seem in numerous places, as can green shrinkage. An aerial view of the front nine shows how far offset the bunkers are from the greens. If there existed some cash to spend on this course, it could be as good as the other courses in the area, if not better than some. 

The square edge indicates where the green used to be and how much rough encroachment exists on the third green.

This course is not bad, indeed it is actually average. It is actually something of a compliment to the quality of golf in this area overall that this course is at the bottom of the heap. For an area with as short a golfing season as Alaska, there exists a generally high quality of golf here. This course: 3 out of 10.

September 11 in America

Prior to 2001, September 11 was just another date on the calendar. There was nothing notable about that date. Sure there had been a few historical events that took place, a few noteworthy births and deaths, but nothing that made it anything other than an ordinary day. In 2001 that changed for Americans. For the first time in sixty years United States territory came under large scale attack. The history of that date is known by all. Just the same, everyone who witnessed the attack on TV, let alone those who saw it in living color, will remember where they were when they heard the news.

I was in college at the time, attending a community college in North Carolina. Assuming the building is still there 11 years later, I could show you within inches where I was sitting when I heard what happened. A TV was brought into the main cafeteria/common area for people to watch what was happening. The images of the aircraft hitting the towers, people jumping from 80th floor windows, the towers collapsing and any number of others will forever be burned into my mind.

It was not until I got in my car to drive home that I heard that the Pentagon had been attacked. This was most significant to me being from a military family and living in a military town, hearing that someone had been able to attack the Pentagon, the very symbol of the US military was shocking.

In the days that followed, I remember everyone trying to comprehend what had happened and really struggling to do so. I remember watching people show a general dislike of all Muslim people, a dislike, even hatred, that still exists in America today.

Since then, America has entered into wars going after those suspected to be part of the plot. After nearly ten years, we were able to find and kill Osama bin Laden. We have, hopefully, made it more difficult to be a terrorist.

We all need to take time today, everyday, to remember those Americans who died on September 11, 2001. Some were heros, some were innocent people going about their daily lives. All tragically died that day. We must carry on for those people.

As I was on the course today, I got to thinking about everything. I remembered this song that came out not too long after the attacks. It's a very good song and perhaps something that all people should listen to and apply in their lives.