I was often surprised that inner nine-outer loop nine type routings seemed to take up considerably less land than other types on a "regular" piece of property. Not sure why.
As to out and back, an old story, but I once got a call from a guy who asked if 300 something acres was enough for a golf course. I said you might even get 27 or 36 holes on it. He sent me maps of his proposed land......he was thinking of buying an abandoned rail line, which was mostly 100 feet wide and a several miles long, which would yield exactly zero golf holes, LOL.
Yes, out and back works on narrow property, and not all parcels are equal when it comes to placing 18 holes.
Many people who visit gca offices are non-plussed to find plastic golf holes of various lengths, hinged at the 800 foot doglegs (or whatever that gca uses) as an aid to routing. Often, the first routing task is to throw 18 of those, with approximate lengths you thinkg you want, on the site plan, just to see if they fit, and if close, how they might best fit. If they seem to fit, then you start looking at how to use the perimeters, where the clubhouse might go, etc., before filling in the rest. Come to think of it, maybe that process alone explains the inside-outside loop routings of many courses, LOL.