What does 18-hole means and do you play the same with 36, 27 and 9-holes?

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The challenge levels in Golf Courses are commonly depicted in terms of holes. A golf course’s prestige and standard are often defined by how many holes it has and that is the scenario with Malaysian Golf Courses as seen in the very luxurious TPCKL or Tournament Player Club Kuala Lumpur and many others.

18-holes most popular set up

In the golf game today, most golf clubs come with 18-hole layouts. This is very much the standard because it is the standard scoring method used by most top tournaments. It must be noted though that there were no standard layouts before the 18-hole concept becomes the sporting standard. Then, there used to be 12 or even 23 hole courses. However, 9-holes, 36-holes and 27-holes are still widely used around the world today.

Background of the 18-hole game

The 18-hole layout only became a standard around the early 1900s and has been used ever since. Meanwhile, there are some Golf Courses that provide 9-hole layouts. The underlying principle of what an 18-hole course means is that it has, as the name implies, 18 holes. This is the same situation with 9-hole Golf Courses were to complete the course, the golfer will need to finish the 9 holes.

18 holes mean 18 short games

What it actually means is that the golfer will need to play 18 games. Each game will be scored using a separate hole. Starting from the first hole, the golfer will try to complete the hole with the shortest shots possible. Each hole will come with a par which determines how many shots the golfer is allowed to complete the hole which will then determine the score for that specific player whether it is a birdie, bogey or an eagle.

In most cases, the holes come with par-5 as the standard while shorter courses will have a par-3 benchmark. In a typical 18-hole course, it is very common that the holes are divided equally in nines. This is usually defined as the first and second nines respectively. This is usually labeled through the flagsticks on the holes which are most likely yellow for the former and red for the latter with numbers printed on the flags. For a seasoned golfer, completing the 18 holes will take about 3 to 4 hours while the recreational golfer might take longer.

The 9-hole golf game

In contrast to the 18-hole game, the 9-hole setup has lesser games which means it is shorter and quicker. Playing the entire 18-hole is often regarded to be time-consuming and can be taxing too. Putting that into context, a 9-hole game should not take more than 2 hours to complete. This makes 9-hole golf courses great destinations for golfers who are short on time. The Titiwangsa Golf Course in Kuala Lumpur is one of the popular golf courses in the Klang Valley where players can get in, have a game and get out within a few short hours. Besides that, 9-holes are known to be less stressful and more relaxing.

Golf courses need not have to be designed to be a 9-hole course where some would divide their 18-hole courses into two, 9-hole layouts. Players can play the entire 18-hole or go for 2 different sets, depending on time and day.

27-hole golf courses

27-hole golf courses are usually designed through triple 9-hole courses. This is not a common setup in most golf courses but it can be nice to play in a more challenging environment. Basically, you play in sets of three 9-hole games (instead of 18s). 27-holes will mean easier management where they usually organize 3 sets of tee-off times (to play in each of the 9s). In Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club, the course is a combination of 3 nines namely Pines, Island and Mango, each of which has its own set of characteristics and challenges.

36-hole golf courses

At the top level is the 36-hole golf course. Typically, this is a double 18-hole golf course. Since the 18-hole is the international championship standard adopted in tournaments, some luxurious golf courses design two 18-hole golf courses which have their own personalities. This allows members to enjoy 2 full games with specific challenges and hazards. It is usually not possible to complete 36-holes within a day and is usually spanned across 2 or 3 days.

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