Best 9 hole course you've played

[Jason Topp]

Most that I have played are small town Iowa courses but the best I have played is probably the 9 hole course at Sand Hollow.  It contrasts sharply with the more dramatic 18 hole course but is a pleasant walk.

[Josh Stevens]

Frankston in Melbourne is a nice little track.  Perhaps not quite Worlington, but excellent. But no info available, very private, no website etc

[Greg Gilson]

Good point about Frankston, Josh....its a ripper. "Millionaires Club" as its known colloquially. Closest thing to a miniature Swinley that have had the joy to play.

[Peter Galea]

Rip Van Winkle CC in Palenville, NY.
Easy walk with strategy off of every tee.
Flanking, meandering mounds and bunkers.
A chocolate drop, maybe two, and shots over brooks.
Beautiful scenery with a Catskill mountain backdrop.

Gleneagles in SF when Eric DeLambert was there.
Steel spikes required.
Pure greens and "greed bunkers".
It is one tough test.
Very comfortable, dark wood 19th hole.


Aetna Springs definately.

[Sean_A]

For me the Sacred 9 is tops, but I have never seen the US contenders.

I really like The Channel Course at Burnham and Cruden Bay's 9.  Though second for me is Musselburgh...very under-rated course in a tough neighbourhood. 

Ciao

[Tim Martin]

Anyone played Weekapaug?


Dunes Club would be hard to beat, but I intend to put it to the test by getting out the Whitinsville as soon as possible.

I have played Weekapaug and it is fun but not in the same class as Whitinsville.

[Joe Bausch]

Out of the 9 hole courses I played, the best has been Phoenixville CC, of which I was a member for a few years.  A good amount of quirk, variety and character with a lot of the challenge closer to the greens.  I never tired of playing there, even on those rare days I was able to get around a few times.

Phoenixville is a wonderful course and a great club:


http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/Phoenixville/

[Mike Hendren]

I need to duck under the desk after I make this post:
 
I enjoyed Sweentens Cove immensely and I think what Ari and Rob have accomplished is extraordinary.  That said, a contrarian might opine that it reminds him somewhat of an ostentatious Parade of Homes house where the builder is more interested in displaying his talent and capability by including every conceivable bell and whistle than he is in building an architecturally brilliant residence. 
 
Sweetens is fun to play and a great marketing model for Rob, but I don't think it's a great golf course.  Favorite nine-holer?  Perhaps.  Best?  Not in my opinion.
 
Perhaps I should have waited to post this until AFTER the Dixie Cup.
 
With all due respect,
 
Bogey

[Phil Lipper]

I played Cruit Island in Donegal last month, its easily the the best 9 hole golf course I have ever played.

[John McCarthy]

Every year there is an an event for The First Tee of Greater Chicago at the Dunes Club.  They just had it last Monday but I am pretty sure it is an annual event.  Put it in your calendar to check the website of the First Tee in six months and anyone willing to write a check is welcome.

[Adam Lawrence]

Bogey - I understand what you mean. I can't speak for Rob, good friend though he is, but I very much doubt there would be as much going on at Sweetens if it was his tenth course. But this is an environment in which it is very, very hard for a young golf architect to get an opportunity to build new golf, let alone that close to home. So I think it is totally unsurprising that he would have thrown the kitchen sink at the place -- your point about it being a good business model for him is on the money.


Is it a great course? I don't know, but I do know that the greatest courses are those that have great sites, and clearly Sweetens, which is dead flat, doesn't. I think it's a place where the architect did everything he could to improve on the raw ground he was given, without moving huge amounts of earth to craft a new landscape. It's all small-scale work, greens contours and the like.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

West Chester Golf & Country Club outside of Philly was a pretty fun track. Best nine in the country? No, but it is a blast to play.

[cary lichtenstein]

The par 3 at Augusta

[Daryl David]

Would be very hard to beat Royal Worlington. If Sweetens is in that league, then I can't wait to see it.

[Charles Scalzott]

Just played and rated a great one two weeks ago. Philly Crickets St. Martins course deserves mention, hosted two US Opens before the changes. Beautiful course complete with sand tee boxes for the hickory set. Great sight lines and nice greens. Hope to get invited back to try it with the hickories.

St. Martins is a blast to play.

Here is a winter look of the course:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/PCCSM/

 
St. Martins is actually my favorite 9 of the 5 to choose from at the Cricket Club.  It is (as is mentioned elsewhere in this thread) overshadowed by the other 2 18 hole courses at the club, particulary with "everyone's" excitement about the Wissahickon renovation.
 
It has been a while since I've posted...looking forward to joining the conversations more consistently in the future.

[Bill Crane]

 This post made me think about nine hole courses that I have played.  Man, I must have been at this game along time if I can think of this many 9 holes courses that I have played in such a short period of time! This really plumbed the depths of my memory – thinking Geographically.  ST OLAF at Cruden Bay is the best 9 hole course I can recall, but a special mention of  Highlands Link course, Truro Mass on the big Cape Cod dunes – a true links course in the US – winning my award for the most BEAUTIFUL VIEWS, panoramic in nature that include the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Race Point in Provincetown, Provincetown Harbor and Cape Cod Bay.  Firm and Fast most of the time!  You will find some posts on Highland Links if you search.

St Olaf - Cruden Bay  (Scotland UK)  WINNER
Highland Links – MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEWS ( Truro, MA USA )
 
Others I can readily remember in order of ranking:
St Martins – Philadelphia Cricket Club (Chestnut Hill, PA USA) – post restoration.
Merchantville G C ( Merchantville, NJ USA )
Mount Tabor G C (Mt Tabor, NJ USA )
Reservation C C ( Mattapoisett, MA USA)
Lake Waramaug C C ( New Preston, CT USA)
Chequesset Yacht and C C  ( Wellfleet, MA USA)
Cedarbrook Country Club ( Cheltenham, PA USA)  - 9 holes when I played it.
L C Boles Golf Course – College of Wooster (Wooster, OH  USA)
Lawrenceville School G C ( Lawrenceville, NJ USA)
Old Forge Green Pond ( NLE?? Sparta NJ USA )
 
Wm Flynnfan
 

[Thomas Dai]

A shame that the Cruden Bay website doesn't contain any photos of the St Olaf course. An oversight IMO.


Those of us who know the St Olaf course know how good it is but CB ought to promote the St Olaf more and the web is the modern day shop window........


Atb

[Joe Bausch]

West Chester Golf & Country Club outside of Philly was a pretty fun track. Best nine in the country? No, but it is a blast to play.

Indeed!


http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/WestChester/

[Andrew Simpson]

A decent course but my most enjoyable 9 holer is Traigh.
Great views on just about every shot and for the coast of Scotland my 2 visits have both been on sunny and near calm weather.

[Chris_Blakely]

Here's a few of the best that I have played:

St Mary's CC (emmet 9
Holer in Pennsylvania)

Wilson Lake CC (stiles and van kleek in Maine)

Immergrun (emmet former estate course in Pennsylvania)

The Casement Club (nle course built by precast concrete owner in Ohio for employees - lost to flooding)

Keweenaw Mountain Lodge GC (Michgan UP rustic course)

Northport Pointe Club (throwback old Bendelow course in Michigan that Doak redid the bunkering)

Les Cheneaux GC (UP Michigan throwback course with wild greens)

If I had to pick just one it would be Wilson Lake.

Chris

[Tom_Doak]

Just to inject a little rigor, here are the numbers we have so far in The Confidential Guide:


9 8 9 8     Royal Worlington & Newmarket
6 6 - 8     The Dunes GC, Mich. * vol. 3
7 - 6 -      Whitinsville GC  * vol. 3
- 7 - -      Sweetens Cove
6 - - -      Aetna Springs
5 6 - -     Culver Military Academy  * vol. 3


Note that everyone's grades for courses listed in Volume 3 may still be changed as publication is a year away.  Also, my own convention is to rate 9-hole courses one grade lower than I would give them if they had 18 holes of the same quality, though I can't say if my fellow authors share that view.


Other nine-hole courses that received a 5 rating from one or more of us:


Leckford Old Course, Magallanes [Chile], Oakhurst [W.V.], Reigate Heath, Sewanee, Traigh, and Shiskine [which of course is 12 holes]


Courses mentioned above that I rated a 4:


Mulranny, Cruit Island, Petaluma, Phoenixville, Northport Point, Pelican Beach, Dixie Red Hills, Northwood [CA]

[Andrew Simpson]

Just to inject a little rigor, here are the numbers we have so far in The Confidential Guide:


Other nine-hole courses that received a 5 rating from one or more of us:


Leckford Old Course, Magallanes [Chile], Oakhurst [W.V.], Reigate Heath, Sewanee, Traigh, and Shiskine [which of course is 12 holes]

Traigh, woo-hoo, I'm not going mad :-)  (Pardon the crude edit)
On the enjoyment factor I should also mention what is probably a new name to every single reader on here.
Stroma, a small island just off the Scottish mainland in the North near John O Groats and before Orkney.
It's the Island my fathers family are from and now owned and farmed by a cousin. Every year about 20-30 of us go over and play a 9 hole course that we set up just for that day. Very old school with the fairways/rough kept by the sheep and the greens cut 3 or 4 times leading up to the game and on the morning of play
Most holes run along the cliff tops and range from 100-260 yards long with some played across gorges.
If I can find photos I should do a write up if only to be laughed at, this year is the 24th playing.

[Tom_Doak]

On the enjoyment factor I should also mention what is probably a new name to every single reader on here.
Stroma, a small island just off the Scottish mainland in the North near John O Groats and before Orkney.
It's the Island my fathers family are from and now owned and farmed by a cousin. Every year about 20-30 of us go over and play a 9 hole course that we set up just for that day. Very old school with the fairways/rough kept by the sheep and the greens cut 3 or 4 times leading up to the game and on the morning of play
Most holes run along the cliff tops and range from 100-260 yards long with some played across gorges.
If I can find photos I should do a write up if only to be laughed at, this year is the 24th playing.

Andrew:


That sounds like great fun, I hope you do post pictures.


It reminded me that I forgot to mention the nine-hole Isle of Harris course, another fun diversion in the Outer Hebrides.

[Gary Sato]

The par 3 at Augusta

That's a par 3 course. I think they are looking for a semi regulation course that is 9 holes.


With that said, does Pine Valley short course qualify?

[Greg Gilson]

Tom, any advance ratings for Valiere (Morfontaine) or Little Frankston (Melbourne)? I'd be interested to see how the 4 of you (or however many have played them) compare those two to Dunes Club, RW & N etc.