25 best sub-6,000 yd, 50 best 9-hole & 25 best par-3 courses in the World

[Thomas Dai]

A few courses highlighted in these pieces that will likely gladden the hearts of posters herein -

Best 25 below 6,000 yrd courses - https://golf.com/travel/best-short-courses-world-6000-yards/amp/?__twitter_impression=true


Best 50 9-hole courses - https://golf.com/travel/50-best-9-hole-courses-2020/


Best 25 par-3 courses - https://golf.com/travel/25-best-par-3-courses-world/

atb

[Tom_Doak]

I wonder who has seen the most of these nine hole courses, before the list was published?


I have been to 22 of them, which is decent, considering there are at least a dozen I had never heard of!

[Bernie Bell]

Perhaps a restored Rock Creek in DC might have made this list one day, but I think the Trust are leaning in a different direction.  In part to fit in a new driving range?

[John Mayhugh]

Good to see that Clyde contributed to this. He has to have seen a lot of courses in this category.

It's especially cruel of Dai to post this given that I was to be playing three of them in a couple of weeks on a Buda trip.

[Mike Hendren]

You mock me, sir as I was scheduled to play no less than four of these beauties in a couple of weeks. 


Should I die soon I hope our president is one of my pallbearers so he can let me down one last time.


Mike

[Tim Martin]

I wonder who has seen the most of these nine hole courses, before the list was published?


I have been to 22 of them, which is decent, considering there are at least a dozen I had never heard of!

The article makes reference to Cohasse GC “as actually being stronger than Whitinsville GC, with lots less attention and fame.” I think it’s a coin flip but Cohasse is way under the radar.

[Tom_Doak]

The article makes reference to Cohasse GC “as actually being stronger than Whitinsville GC, with lots less attention and fame.” I think it’s a coin flip but Cohasse is way under the radar.

That's one of the ones that was unfamiliar to me.

[Duncan Cheslett]

A field of 50 professional golfers competed today over the 5700 yards of Cavendish, one of the courses featured in the article.


Only 7 broke par.


That says a lot about how challenging “short” golf courses can be.

[Thomas Dai]

John and Mike,
Sorry!
Looking forward to seeing what you and others make of the likes of Welshpool and Kington and Church Stretton next year (presumably/hopefully). Fingers crossed.
Some cool links nearby too at Aberdovey, Harlech/RStD, Borth etc and a fair few other rural and rustic interesting architecture type courses all within reasonable distance as well ... Llandrindod, Machynlleth, Knighton. And Painswick, Minchinhampton Old, Cleeve Cloud ain’t that far away either.
Atb

[Garland Bayley]

A few courses highlighted in this piece that will likely gladden the hearts of posters herein - https://golf.com/travel/best-short-courses-world-6000-yards/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
 
Atb


PS - note the links in the article to the best 50 9-hole courses and the 25 best par-3 courses.

Kind of pretentious to claim they know the 50 best 9 hole golf courses in the world since they have obviously only sampled a small fraction of the 9 hole courses on the world.

It became obvious they didn't know what they were talking about when they put Bushfoot in their list.

[Tommy Williamsen]

A field of 50 professional golfers competed today over the 5700 yards of Cavendish, one of the courses featured in the article.


Only 7 broke par.


That says a lot about how challenging “short” golf courses can be.

It is nice to see a shot-makers course hold up against the pros.

[Steve Lapper]

A field of 50 professional golfers competed today over the 5700 yards of Cavendish, one of the courses featured in the article.


Only 7 broke par.


That says a lot about how challenging “short” golf courses can be.

To the best of my knowledge only one person, Dudley Hart, a PGA professional has ever broken par at the Hamilton Farms Par 3 Hickory Course.  Tiger had multiple tries and couldn't! It is nice to see a short course hold up against the pros.

[Tim Leahy]

Mt. Woodson in Ramona, CA east San Diego County is one great short course at 5700 yds from the back tees that didn't feel like a short course.

[Tom_Doak]

Kind of pretentious to claim they know the 50 best 9 hole golf courses in the world since they have obviously only sampled a small fraction of the 9 hole courses on the world.

It became obvious they didn't know what they were talking about when they put Bushfoot in their list.

The first time anyone does a list like this, there's no way to cover all the bases, and it's inevitable that there will be a handful of old standbys that don't belong.  I have not seen the Hotchkiss course myself but listing it in its present condition is wishful thinking based on what I've heard about it.  Likewise the little course on Cape Cod is a lovely place but probably not one of the best nine-hole courses in the world.


But they did include a lot of great choices, and in Googling the ones I wasn't familiar with, it seems like they included some real hidden gems.  The two in Spain both look amazing.  There is also one in Norway I could have let them onto, but I don't remember being asked directly.


What will happen now is that readers [and Golf Club Atlas] will give them a bunch of free input on what they missed, and the next time they do a ranking it will be much more thorough, and the chaff will be removed.


The one I am amazed they did not include is the Valliere course at Morfontaine.  That should easily be in the top ten.  They made a rule to only include stand-alone nine-holers, which makes sense, until you consider they're fencing out a course like the Valliere from all the rankings they do.


P.S.  I don't know how they ranked them from 1 to 50 since they didn't ask me as a panelist to vote on them.

[Peter Pallotta]

A field of 50 professional golfers competed today over the 5700 yards of Cavendish, one of the courses featured in the article.

Only 7 broke par.

That says a lot about how challenging “short” golf courses can be.

For the sake of Cavendish and its members, I'm glad to say that I was completely wrong.
Of course, I'm very often wrong and even more often in doubt!

[Sean_A]

Kind of pretentious to claim they know the 50 best 9 hole golf courses in the world since they have obviously only sampled a small fraction of the 9 hole courses on the world.

It became obvious they didn't know what they were talking about when they put Bushfoot in their list.

The first time anyone does a list like this, there's no way to cover all the bases, and it's inevitable that there will be a handful of old standbys that don't belong.  I have not seen the Hotchkiss course myself but listing it in its present condition is wishful thinking based on what I've heard about it.  Likewise the little course on Cape Cod is a lovely place but probably not one of the best nine-hole courses in the world.

But they did include a lot of great choices, and in Googling the ones I wasn't familiar with, it seems like they included some real hidden gems.  The two in Spain both look amazing.  There is also one in Norway I could have let them onto, but I don't remember being asked directly.

What will happen now is that readers [and Golf Club Atlas] will give them a bunch of free input on what they missed, and the next time they do a ranking it will be much more thorough, and the chaff will be removed.

The one I am amazed they did not include is the Valliere course at Morfontaine.  That should easily be in the top ten.  They made a rule to only include stand-alone nine-holers, which makes sense, until you consider they're fencing out a course like the Valliere from all the rankings they do.

P.S.  I don't know how they ranked them from 1 to 50 since they didn't ask me as a panelist to vote on them.

I don't understand the "stand alone" criteria.  Just counting some good relief courses would eliminate a fair amount of chaff.

I probably would have included The Himalayas....putting course  .

Ciao

[Daryl David]

Kind of pretentious to claim they know the 50 best 9 hole golf courses in the world since they have obviously only sampled a small fraction of the 9 hole courses on the world.

It became obvious they didn't know what they were talking about when they put Bushfoot in their list.

But they did include a lot of great choices, and in Googling the ones I wasn't familiar with, it seems like they included some real hidden gems.  The two in Spain both look amazing.  There is also one in Norway I could have let them onto, but I don't remember being asked directly.

Too bad they left out Valdres in Norway. Maybe some folks would might have checked it out. I don’t know anyone from the US besides myself and Tom that have even heard of it!

[Adam G]

The one I am amazed they did not include is the Valliere course at Morfontaine.  That should easily be in the top ten.  They made a rule to only include stand-alone nine-holers, which makes sense, until you consider they're fencing out a course like the Valliere from all the rankings they do.

In the accompanying article they say that they only considered stand alone 9 holers. So the Valliere at Morfonataine and the Primrose at The Country Club were not eligible.

[jeffwarne]

I wonder who has seen the most of these nine hole courses, before the list was published?


I have been to 22 of them, which is decent, considering there are at least a dozen I had never heard of!

Only 12 of the 9 holers
(Covesea desreves a spot)



and 9 of the "sub 6000" 18 holers


No love for Cullen? Corballis?
surprised to read Perranporth has a card yardage of 6200 plus(a perfect candidate otherwise)

[Tom_Doak]

Too bad they left out Valdres in Norway. Maybe some folks would have might have checked it out. I don’t know anyone from the US besides myself and Tom that have even heard of it!

I couldn't remember the name!  That's one I stumbled onto via Google Earth, and you were kind enough to check it out.  One of the courses in Spain (La Roja) actually reminded me a bit of that, with several holes right on the water.


Now that I think of it there are a bunch in Europe they missed, based on my research for future travels.  Pine Cliffs in Portugal looks pretty good.

[Mike_Clayton]

Nice to see RACV Healesville included. For anyone coming all the way to Melbourne to play the sand belt and the Mornington Peninsula it's worth a day to see the course and the town.
The funny thing is the RACV - a hugely successful mutual which pours its significant profits into projects benefiting its members - don't really seem to have a sense of how good the course is.

[Michael Wolf]

Why does Corballis never get any love? It's got to be one of the least hidden of any hidden gems. But I never read it mentioned anywhere.

Does it go by another name or am I missing something?

Michael

[Sean_A]

Why does Corballis never get any love? It's got to be one of the least hidden of any hidden gems. But I never read it mentioned anywhere.

Does it go by another name or am I missing something?

Michael

Corballis was made for this list....it comfortably belongs.

I must admit to not understanding the description for Welshpool. It reads like the writer has never seen the course. Ditches and pot bunkers? European?

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Now that I think of it there are a bunch in Europe they missed, based on my research for future travels.  Pine Cliffs in Portugal looks pretty good.

Pine Cliffs is a blast, and one or two really excellent holes, particularly along the cliffs themselves.

[Mark Pearce]

The funny thing is the RACV - a hugely successful mutual which pours its significant profits into projects benefiting its members - don't really seem to have a sense of how good the course is.

Indeed.  I loved it when I was down there but it was sad to see the condition it was in.  Some fairways had almost no grass.  I hope the last 4 years have treated it better.