Golf courses and clubs come in many shapes, sizes, difficulty levels, architectural styles, accessibility, and lengths.
There are courses designed by the "Golden age" designers: Tillinghast, Ross, MacKenzie, Banks, Raynor, Travis. Contrasting are courses built by modern architects: Dye, Fazio, Trent Jones (and his sons), Hanse, Doak, Coore and Crenshaw.
There are Championship courses; the kind that hold US Opens, PGA Championships and Open Championships. The kind of courses that might stretch to an absurd 7,600 yards. The kind of courses that have fairways narrower than airport runways. The kind of courses that have menacingly deep bunkers, extraordinarily fast greens, and four-inch deep rough.
There are courses built for the masses - more often than not municipally-owned - that may stretch to a more manageable 6,500 yards, with wide fairways, shallow bunkers, short and playable rough, and slower greens.
And then there are "executive courses." The courses that don't have a par five. The courses that don't have par fours over 350 yards. The courses that are nine holes with five, six, or seven par threes.
And it's these types of courses that we need more of in golf.
These short courses can meet the needs of nearly every golfer.
For a beginner golfer ready to finally get off of the range and putting green, but not ready for a "regulation length" course, a short course is perfect.
For a polished, high-level golfer, who wants to work on their short game in a more realistic setting, the short course is there.
For a quick after work nine holes before the sunsets (or nine holes during the lunch break - don't tell the boss), head over to a short course.
For buddies looking to get together; for non golfers looking to try the sport; for place to crack open a few beers, enjoy outside, and chase a white ball around a field; the short course is welcoming.
For settling bets after a tied match or groups looking to play another, quicker, easier loop on a bucket list trip (see: Pinehurst, Bandon, Pebble Beach), a quick nine hole track is there.
Granted, the short courses at the big golf destination resorts are highly priced; probably too highly priced if you ask many resort goers or local players.
When the Cradle at Pinehurst opened in 2017, it was a $50 greens fee to play all day. Now, it is $50 and one replay is free. For junior golfers, though, they can play free with a paying adult (and their brother or sister or friend can, too: up to two juniors can play for free accompanied by a paying adult.) And public access is getting more and more restricted as resort guests book the prime tee times. It’s hard to fault Pinehurst for charging what is perceived as a fair price to meet supply and demand and create policies that meet their business and financial needs and goals; after all, it is a business.
But municipalities and counties and other public entities who manage golf courses (or want to build one) should look to adding or creating a short course. A short course is cheaper to build and maintain, requiring less resources than a full regulation course (much to the delight of both taxpayers and greens fee payers). Short courses provide a place where all can gather and play and enjoy nature - all things likely included in the mission statement of probably every parks and recreation agency (who are usually tasked with the operation of golf courses in the public sector).
The short course is a place that serves the needs of nearly every golfer. Their popularity is booming at golf destinations across the country. Short courses require less land and fewer resources to maintain, are cheaper to play, are less time consuming, and can be a lot of fun to play. Plus, isn't it nice turning in a nine-hole score of 32?
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