Nine-hole courses are underrated in Australian golf, yet many represent intriguing options.
Count me among those golfers who used to regard nine-hole rounds in the same manner that people view eating half a meal, watching half a movie or, frankly, doing half of anything. Golf is 18 holes – and for a reason. These days, however, include me among those who say, “Nine holes is better than none,” and that extends to course size as much as round duration.
My awakening was complete last October when I played the delightful Teven Valley course in northern New South Wales for the first time. A late-afternoon tee-time meant it was only ever intended to be a nine-hole sojourn on what is a thoroughly charming and captivating layout. When you venture to the first tee knowing nine holes is all you’ll play (as distinct from, say, a rain-shortened round), there’s a certain comfort in the short version of the game as well as a sense of ‘enjoy it while it lasts’. The latter is rarely a sensation felt during 18-hole rounds.
Teven, with its creeks, streams and wall-to-wall zoysia grass, offers a tranquil yet testing examination that includes a downhill par 3 to open proceedings and a sharp uphiller to end them. It showcases everything that’s right about nine-hole layouts – there’s an economy of space and time yet no compromise on quality. Craig Parry’s renovation there a few years ago brought out the best in a site that loses nothing by being cut in half by a road.
Across Australia are 428 nine-hole courses, according to Golf Australia figures, representing almost a quarter of all golf courses here. There’s a disproportionate number of nine-holers in Tasmania, where so many small towns can’t support (or don’t need) 18 holes, while many of the best can be found where the larger populations are – in New South Wales and Victoria.
Often, like at Teven, there’s no step down in quality with the smaller number of holes. Or you might encounter a course like the Cups layout at The Dunes, where the nine-hole sibling bears a close resemblance to the main track.
Some nine-holers are 18s in waiting – such as Bingara Gorge, south-west of Sydney – while others are former 18s now happy as nines, like Geelong Golf Club or Quamby near Launceston. There’s also a little grey area around what constitutes a genuine nine-hole course, as some offer 18 tees that greatly vary a second lap, or there are more than nine greens in play. A prime example is Tathra Beach, on the Sapphire Coast of NSW. Long lauded as one of the best nine-holers in Australia, Tathra these days features 12 greens and plays more like an 18-holer.
Others might be about to receive their due, such as unheralded Llanherne Golf Club in Hobart’s east. With the much-anticipated opening of the 7 Mile Beach course later this year, little Llanherne – a Peter Toogood design on a wonderfully sandy site adjoining Royal Hobart and on the way to 7 Mile Beach – will surely draw more attention.
The accompanying list is a selection of leading nine-hole courses as nominated by our national panel of Top 100 Golf Courses judges. They voted for 95 different nine-holers, of which these 33 represent the most favoured.
At a time of year when an 18-hole round might not be possible, don’t overlook the enjoyment that comes from playing nine holes – especially if it’s at a course that’s new to you.
Nine is fine
Thirty-three of the best nine-holers in Australia, according to our panel of Top 100 Golf Courses judges.
New South Wales
Bingara Gorge
Bondi
Castle Cove
Lord Howe Island
Mollymook (Beachside)
Palm Beach
Teven Valley
Thredbo
Yarrawonga Mulwala (Executive)
Victoria
Apollo Bay
Burnley
Cerberus
Cheltenham
Frankston
Geelong
Lorne
Metung (Kings Cove)
Omeo
Peterborough
Royal Park
Spring Park
Tambo Valley
The Dunes (Cups)
Wattle Park
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Greens Beach
King Island
Llanherne
Quamby
Tasman
Photos by: Gary Lisbon, Rob Loughridge, iStock
