The best nine in golf - frontside or backside - one course.....?

[jkinney]

As a newbie, I'm curious as to what you all think is the best nine. I'll start off by nominating:
                        THE BACK NINE AT SHINNECOCK

[David_Tepper]

The front-9 at Royal Aberdeen is very, very good.

[Matthew Hunt]

Front nine RCD
Back nines at Augusta, St Andrews
Both at Pine Valley

[Tim Pitner]

I haven't had the pleasuring of playing it, but I would guess that the front nine at Royal County Down will get a lot of votes. 

I'm not going to say it's the best in golf, but my favorite nine holes is the front nine at Pacific Dunes.  After the first hole which is interesting but not especially strong, each hole is unique and very good to great. 

[jkinney]

Guys, limiting our choice to only 1 nine will make us all really focus.

[John Foley]

Back 9 at Pasatiempo is pretty special

[Dean Stokes]

Back 9 TPC Sawgrass. Every hole is good.

[Bill Satterfield]

Based solely on the courses I've played, I'd take the back nine at Cypress Point.

[Jimmy Muratt]

The front nine at Crystal Downs is fantastic.....

[Doug Ralston]

How could it be anything but the back nine at Tobacco Road? 

Doug

[Michael Ryan]

I'll second the back nine at Shinnecock.  One reason for my selection is that this 9 holes has my favorite par 3 (#11), par 4 (#14) and par 5 (#16) in all of golf.  I like the other 6 holes too, but just that alone is the reason for my vote.

Mike

[PThomas]

back 9 at Wolf Run in Indu comes to mind...

[John Moore II]

Doug--I would actually put the front nine at Tobacco Road ahead of the back. (I do however, know that you are not being serious in your comment)
--Best Nine-- Back nine at Cypress.

[Doug Ralston]

Doug--I would actually put the front nine at Tobacco Road ahead of the back. (I do however, know that you are not being serious in your comment)
--Best Nine-- Back nine at Cypress.

You're right, of course. The front nine 1st, the back nine second! ROFL

Yes, I am teasing. How could this question have an objective answer? It is just fun to contemplate.

Doug

[J Sadowsky]

Front Nine at RCD is the traditional answer, I think.

[ClarkW]

I hate to be repetitive but... put me down for the front nine at Royal County Down also. The perfect combination of beauty, quirk/blind shots, and difficulty, in my opinion. Throw in firm and fast conditions... heaven!

[John Sabino]

Back nine at Somerset Hills
Front nine at Sypglass
Back nine at Carnoustie
Either nine at Merion

[Will MacEwen]

I'm not going to say it's the best in golf, but my favorite nine holes is the front nine at Pacific Dunes.  After the first hole which is interesting but not especially strong, each hole is unique and very good to great. 

I'd take the back over the front.  The par 3s add to the unique flavour, 13 is grand, and 18 is a great and demanding finish.

You can't go wrong with the front though.

[Chip Gaskins]

front at RCD

[Lloyd_Cole]

Front Nine at RCD is the traditional answer, I think.

With good reason.

[Mark Smolens]

How about the middle 9 (holes 5-14) at the River Course, especially in the fall with the leaves turning and the salmon swimming upstream for some genetic reason - even though they're not actually going to be spawning.  Quite the wild ride from Mr. Dye.

[Phil McDade]

I'm sticking with the front 9 at NGLA.  That's just a concentrated blowaway collection of CBM's greatest hits...

...Valley, Sahara, Alps, Redan, Short, Road, Bottle...all in 9 holes.

If this was music, that's like the front sides of Van Halen I, Cheap Trick Live at Buddakhan or, my own personal fave, Kiss Alive. 

I think we discussed this, if I recall the haze of the hops-induced evening, at the Wisconsin Langford-Moreau outing this past fall.

Of the ones I've played (and that's alot narrower spectrum than most on the board):

Abroad -- Machrihanish front nine.

Domestic -- West Bend CC's Langford/Moreau-designed front nine.

[Tim Pitner]

I'm not going to say it's the best in golf, but my favorite nine holes is the front nine at Pacific Dunes.  After the first hole which is interesting but not especially strong, each hole is unique and very good to great. 

I'd take the back over the front.  The par 3s add to the unique flavour, 13 is grand, and 18 is a great and demanding finish.

You can't go wrong with the front though.

Will,

Interesting you say that--I tend to think of the front as clearly better, but what do I know?  As a rule, I prefer par 4s so that obviously plays a part in my analysis.  Overall, though, I'd say that the back nine has more holes that have some limitations--#10, #12, #14 and #18--versus the front, where I'd only put #1 and possibly #5 in that category (keep in mind, I'm nitpicking with regard to all these holes; I don't think PD has a weak hole).  I suppose I also don't love #9 to the upper green. 

[Matthew Mollica]

Front nine, Royal Melbourne Composite, Original sequence.

Like a compilation tape of 9 of your all time favourite songs.

When you putt out on one hole, the next is even better.

MM

[Kevin Pallier]

RCD's F9 and the B9 at Nth Berwick have wonderfull variety but I simply cant go past the B9 at St. Andrews (Old) for 11..14..17..18 alone.