How Long to Play 9 Holes of Golf- Plus Tips to Play Faster

If you are strapped for time and wondering if you can sneak in a quick 9 holes before or after work, you might be wondering how long it is going to take you.

On average it takes a foursome 2 hours and 15 minutes to play 9 holes with a cart. This time frame can be adjusted if the golfer decides to walk or play as a single or twosome. It is recommended that each golf group takes a maximum of 15 minutes per hole to keep a good pace of play. 

Boom, question answered! However, if you are curious about different methods to play faster, check out some tips down below.

Make a Tee Time

If you are looking to have a quick round of golf, you might think that you can show up at a course and sneak out there. The problem with this is that the course doesn’t know you are coming! To accept walk-ons, golf courses usually have to pair groups up to make room on the tee sheet for other golfers.Golf Course Yardages

So to avoid having to play with strangers and perhaps having to wait for a later time, give the course a call in advance or use websites like GolfNow to book your own tee time. This way, the course knows you are coming and can try to accommodate your playing requirements.

Play During the Afternoon

Booking a tee time alone might not help increase your playthrough time. To make sure you can play golf at your own speed it helps to play golf when courses do not have leagues or outings.

In my experience, it is best to play during the afternoon between 1:00-3:00 p.m. This is the sweet spot between a course’s morning leagues and evening leagues. Again, make sure that you call the course or book online to reserve a time during the afternoon and most likely you will have a nice relaxing time on the course!

Purchase a Pull Cart if You’re a Walker

Golf can be great exercise. It is said that walking 9-holes on the course is the equivalent of walking over 3 miles! But if you do walk, you still want to be able to play at a decent pace to keep up with the 15- minute a hole standard.

The solution: Look into investing in a nice pull cart that allows you to save energy from carrying your bag around the course. A nice pull cart is going to cost anywhere between $200- $400. If you do it right, your pull cart will have:

  • A holder for water or drinks
  • A place to hold your scorecard
  • Large wheels for easy travel
  • Umbrella mount for wet conditions

To take a look at a few options, you can use this link here to Amazon to see an example

Play Ready Golf

Ready golf means that you don’t spend a considerable amount of time on each hole.

This means:

  • Search for your golf ball for a maximum of five minutes
  • Help others try and find their golf ball
  • Play your shot when you come up to your ball
  • Not spending an absorbent amount of time around the green
  • Letting faster golfers pass your group or passing slower golf groups to avoid wait time

For everyone on the course to enjoy their round, it is essential that everyone is moving at the proper pace. By playing ready golf, not only will you be able to get in a quick 9- holes, you will make other golfers around you happier!

Related Questions

How long does it take to play 18- Holes?- It usually takes a foursome 4 hours and 30 minutes to play 18- holes of golf.

Why do courses pair golfers up in foursomes?  Golf courses like to pair up golfers in foursomes because it makes more room on the tee sheet for more customers.

What do you say when you make a tee time? When a golfer calls a golf course, to book a tee time the pro-shop is going to want the day, time, and the number of golfers in the group to make a tee time. Sometimes the course may ask an email address to send you a confirmation of your time.

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