San Juan Golf & Tennis Club

Nine-hole golf courses built the game in this country. Before the 18-hole standard took hold in the early 20th century, most American courses had nine holes or fewer, and the format worked. A round takes about two hours. The courses are typically more affordable. And some of the most historically significant layouts in the United States never added a back nine. The best 9-hole courses are not lesser versions of their 18-hole counterparts. They are complete experiences with their own character, and many of them are among the most memorable rounds you can play. Historic layouts of New England The Northeast has an outsized concentration of 9-hole courses that date to the 1800s. Highland Links in North Truro, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest courses on Cape Cod, founded around 1892. The nine holes sit on windswept bluffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, right next to the Highland Lighthouse within the Cape Cod National Seashore. The course plays 2,644 yards at par 35, and the exposed terrain means wind is always a factor. Francis Ouimet, the 1913 U.S. Open champion, played an exhibition round here after the original sand greens were converted to grass. Across the water on Martha’s Vineyard, Mink...