[Norbert P]

Doak and Case envision several innovative concepts for the course.
" . . . Right now we're exploring the idea of building a much shorter front nine and a more challenging back nine, so that the first few holes will be free in the evenings for family play and for the people who aren't so interested in what score they post, while the challenge builds steadily for those playing the full 18 holes."          
(Full story at . . .   http://www.cybergolf.com/indexGenerator.asp?newsID=5579   )  


   This sounds interesting, especially for a tropical resort, but I have a couple of questions.

 Do course ratings/slopes ever get split by nines?

 Does this set a precedent or has this model worked previously elsewhere?

[Tom_Doak]

Slag:

The only place I've actually seen this are two courses by Bill Coore -- Rockport CC in Texas (his first) and East Hampton GC.

In both cases Bill was stuck with an existing routing for the front nine by somebody else, which gave him no room to expand.  Still, both courses turned out very well and I don't think anybody really cares about the disparity in the two nines.  He just didn't try to do it deliberately.

Still, this idea may go by the wayside, as they are having me look at shifting several holes to another part of the property which would mean the current routing is moot.  Unfortunately, we're still a year away from getting under construction.

P.S.  And yes, they do compute course ratings and slopes for each nine holes on any courses which have returning nines, although few courses publish the splits.

[Peter Pallotta]

Tom, Slag, others -

I can imagine how, by simply making it shorter, a front nine can be made easier than the back while still keeping the 'character' of the course in tact/the same over the full 18 holes. But I can't really envision how a back nine can be made markedly more challenging than the front in other ways (e.g. different style/use of hazards, green contours, fairway widths etc) while still retaining the charcter that was established on the front, and making the whole course 'all of one piece'. I've seen it done poorly (i.e. I didn't like the feeling of playing two different courses), but I can't remember seeing it done well; others who play more golf/golf courses may have. How does it work when it works well?

Any thoughts? Thanks

Peter    

[Matthew Hunt]

I was told Kilkeel (Discused here before) is like this but I find both the nines to be the around the same.

[JohnV]

Slag / Tom,

All courses should have ratings for the front 9 and back 9 as well as for the full 18 holes.  

For example, see Pebble Beach Rating

Additionally, ratings can easily be computed for any specific set of 9 holes on the golf course.

At Hannastown (see My Home Course), when the new 9 was built, the original 9 was used for holes 1,2,9-12 and 16-18.  Since these were the 9 holes that were next to the clubhouse, many people played them in the evenings.  I had the WPGA calculate a rating for those 9 holes so that scores could be posted.

The following assumes you are using a computer in an association that uses GHIN.  I assume other handicap providers in the US have the same capability.

When you go to the computer on your home course, you will be asked if you played 9 or 18 holes.  If you pick 9, you will be presented with the 9 hole combinations that have been rated for your course.  You select the one you played and put in your score.  When you have two 9 hole scores saved, they are combined into an 18 hole score.  If you look the printout of your scores, these rounds will be marked with a "C".

[Garland Bayley]

I think the idea works well. As I have mentioned here before, the older members of my club appreciate the shorter front 9, and will walk it far more willingly than they will the longer back 9.

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