Will 18-Hole Golf Become A Thing Of The Past? - Why More Players And Golf Clubs Want Shorter Formats

For years I have regularly enjoyed playing less than 18 holes. Not necessarily by choice, but through circumstances. I’m a mum, I work full time, I’m self-employed and I cannot give the time for 18 unless it’s a special occasion. I know for a fact that I am not alone in this. According to 2023 research carried out by experience platform Players 1st, 52% of golfers are interested in booking 6,9 or even 12 hole rounds given the choice.

I’ve had time to accept that this is my golf (for now) and I actually really enjoy 9 holes , possibly more than I did 18. Not simply because of the time factor, but I find myself relaxing enough to enjoy it more.

In the past when faced with a whole day out of my schedule, I’d enter the event already stressing about work and how I would make the time up. This takes away from the experience. With 9 holes I know I have made time and it’s not eaten into my day to have a serious impact.

Nine holes is scoffed at by many a stalwart 18-hole golfer. But it doesn’t mean you have to forgo competitions or the ability to gain a handicap , as 9 holes can be a competitive format and should be widely available at all courses.

It’s not just women, there are plenty of men who would benefit from a shorter version . Whether it’s time or health orientated issues holding them back, a 20:20 cricket version of golf may just get them dusting off their clubs or taking up the sport from scratch, but for this piece, I want to shine the spotlight on women.

I recently gave a talk to a group of women who play at a prestigious club and they all have a golf handicap. They regularly play 18 holes and rarely without a scorecard. I asked them how many would embrace a 9 hole format of the game, akin to 9 hole leagues and matches played at many golf clubs in the USA and Canada.

Some of the women literally melted, saying that it would be amazing. Many admitted to squeezing in golf around an already busy diary filled with grandparent duties and other hobbies. Some also confessed to totally losing concentration after 12 holes as they just had too many other things to think about. This lease of focus can be sorted with a nifty pre-shot routine, but at the end of the day, some of these golfers are out there playing the kind of game they think they should be playing, not the game they’d love to be playing. I guarantee if you asked members of ladies’ sections at clubs all over the world, there would be a demand for a shorter version of golf.

Golf has always struggled to retain female players, traditionally losing them as teens or as they become mothers. The time golf takes is a huge barrier to women with little or no time to themselves. Add to that the distinct lack of creche facilities at golf clubs, it’s no wonder we see so few young mothers playing golf. Walk into a David Lloyd or other leisure facility and it’s a different story, providing childcare so women can take part in their chosen activities. If golf clubs adopted the same approach I believe we’d see a huge rise in mothers taking up the sport .

If golf was readily available as 3, 6 or 9 holes you’d immediately see mothers joined by grandmothers, students and businesswomen, especially if the benefits of golf within the workplace were shouted about more.

The environmental benefits of having a 9 hole course are staggering. As a new development, far less land is required and there’s far less impact on the natural biome. From a sustainability point of view it makes a lot of sense cost wise and environmentally to have either shorter courses or fewer holes. Clubs don’t need to start bulldozing their back nine, but some courses might want to consider the benefits of pushing 9 hole green fees.

However, I do know a few courses who are considering reducing 18 holes to 12 or 9, not just from a sustainability perspective, but because of the demand for a faster and more bite-sized version of the game. If golfers are playing smaller versions, they’ll play more often.

According to the aforementioned Players 1st  research, “Golfers would play 35% more often and they’d feel they are getting their money’s worth for their membership.”

Multiple visits in the week means multiple food and beverage purchases and increased revenue in other spins of sales. Clubs can fill those quieter gaps with shorter round green fees as special offers . Of course, 18 holes of golf will always be the pinnacle of the sport, but making a shorter and more manageable version of the game is critical if the sport is to grow.

There are swathes of people who won’t even consider playing golf until this option of a shorter version is explained and not ridiculed. If clubs aren’t willing to accommodate a 9 hole round then they’re going to miss out, which leaves the door wide open to new ventures who are thinking way outside the box.

A golf course that is willing to convert their current 18 to just 9 and then develop the rest of the site with leisure facilities and impressive practice facilities that incorporate some of the old holes, including a 3-6 hole pitch and putt course, perhaps some crazy golf, as well as short-game area. A facility to really hone your game and improve as well as encouraging beginners, juniors and women. It will accommodate lots of parking, and boast a clubhouse fit for family friendly functions and special occasions - my perfect club would have all these features.

The future of golf clubs lies with facilities that want to change up their customer base and become engulfed with families and young people, as well as those seeking somewhere to do business and play with clients without taking the entire working day up.

It doesn’t matter how many clubs do schemes or free taster days for juniors, women and new golfers, if there isn’t a shorter version of golf available to them as part of their pathway into the sport and the club, then the majority don’t pursue the game.

Golf isn’t something that fits into the majority of women’s lives under the age of 50. Life is busy. Present the chance to play 5 holes on a pitch and putt alongside the kids with fun competitions and dinosaurs, then the option for an hour’s fun session followed by spa - now you’re talking. This will attract a huge percentage of people who would simply never have given the traditional format of 18 holes of golf a chance.