Have You Ever Played a 12 Hole Golf Course

A golf course should consist of 18 holes, or maybe even a loop of nine that you can go around twice, right? That's generally the established norm - but there are some notable exceptions to that rule.

Having originally been 22 holes (eleven out, eleven back), The Old Course at St Andrews transitioned into an 18-hole layout by late 1764, and in a testament to its growing influence as the game spread, that became the template that others would ideally follow. 

That said, it was not universal from the off, as that other celebrated cradle of the game, Musselburgh Links was a seven-holer before two further holes were added to complete the nine-hole design that has remained timeless.

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And if you look at the history of championship golf, Prestwick, the birthplace of The Open, was a 12-hole course for the first three decades of its existence, meaning that the likes of Old and Young Tom Morris played three loops of those 12 holes in one day to become the Champion Golfer of the Year.

There are even some who believe that 12 holes is the ideal length for a golf course, including arguably the greatest player of them all.

Jack Nicklaus once opined that due to time pressures and to make the game flexible, shorter and more adaptable courses should be the future. "Everybody's got 18 holes, why does it have to be two nines, it could be three sixes."

Have you played a 12-hole golf course? There are a surprising number of them around.

The spiritual Home of Golf, Scotland, has around 170 nine-holers, but also several with a more varied complement of golf holes.

(Shiskine)

Located on the spectacular Isle of Arran, Shiskine is undeniably the best known and revered of 12-hole golf courses. It's one of the real jewels of Scottish golf and is among the most unique and memorable layouts that you could hope to play.

Gogarburn Golf Club, located to the west of Edinburgh, is another popular 12-holer, while there are plans to revive Eastwood, south of Glasgow, which will have the same number of holes.

(Gogarburn)

Port Bannatyne Golf Club on the Isle of Bute - a place that I played quite often when growing up - has a standard 12-hole layout, but in a striking piece of creativity has a standalone 13th hole that can complete 18 by first playing the opening five holes for a second time.

But it's not just in Scotland where you find these 12-hole golf courses.

Found on the edge of the Peak District National Park, Brailsford Golf Club is a 12-holer that can be played as 18 from its white tees. Shrewsbury is home to Meole Brace, which hosts a 12-hole municipal course that can be played rapidly.

South Petersfield is another 12-hole pay-and-play facility that uses land that was left behind by Petersfield Golf Club when it relocated further north of the Hampshire town.

More recently, Chiddingfold Golf Club in Surrey underwent a redevelopment that saw its main course reduced to 12 holes, with the existing 18th hole being converted into a five-hole academy course, and the 17th hole becoming an all-weather practice range.

360 Maple, the new owners of Farrington Park Golf Club in Somerset, last year revealed controversial plans that will see the venue redesigned into a 12-hole course to introduce new facilities

If you desire greater flexibility, here are some other venues that can accommodate that.

Northamptonshire County has a renowned 18-hole layout that was designed by Harry Colt (with later adjustments by James Braid) which is supplemented by three additional holes created by Cameron Sinclair that come in play after the sixth hole (they are marked as 7a, 8a and 9a) and can make an alternative nine-holer that returns to the clubhouse, leaving space for those who instead want to continue for the whole 18.

Returning to Scotland, New Galloway Golf Club is a nine-hole course that on quiet days can be played in a configuration that adds up to 15.

Ultimately, while the 18 (or two loops of nine) will always be the standard template, there are other venues where adaptability is key and facilitating more of that where possible could be a shrewd move to ensure that the game remains accessible for those who can't afford the time required for a full round.

So, if you haven't before played a 12-holer (or any other unique layout like we've described), then this season might be a good opportunity to change that!

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