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9 holes, 18 holes, front or back nine

Play golf creates 18-hole rounds; switch to 9 in Manage, where a 9-hole round on an 18-hole course plays the front nine

For Player, CommissionerUpdated September 20, 2026
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  3. 9 holes, 18 holes, front or back nine

Short answer. The Play golf flow creates an 18-hole round. To play nine, change the holes in Manage after creating the round, or use the Holes 18 / 9 switch on the older Start a round form. A 9-hole round on an 18-hole course plays the front nine.

Steps

  1. Create the round as usual.
  2. Open the Round Hub → Manage.
  3. Change the hole count to 9 or 18.

If you create a round from the older Start a round form or the New outing wizard, choose Holes 18 / 9 on that screen instead.

How it works

  • A 9-hole round on an 18-hole course uses holes 1 to 9. Stroke indexes are re-ranked so the nine holes carry a valid 1 to 9 set, which keeps handicap strokes falling in the right places.
  • There is no back-nine switch for a regular round.
  • A course with only 9 holes of data can only be played as 9.
  • Sixes needs an 18-hole course because partners rotate after holes 6 and 12.

Who can do this

Only an organizer can change the hole count, and only before the round is finalized.

Good to know

  • On a live round, Ringer asks "Change the holes for this live round? Ringer will recalculate the frozen stroke map for the new hole count. Scores stay intact." Confirm and the strokes are recomputed for the new count.
  • If the course card was entered by hand, its hole count sets the limit. The card editor will tell you when the round's hole count and the card don't match.

If it doesn't work

  • "This course only has N holes of data — it can't be played at N." The course card doesn't cover the count you chose. Play the count the card supports or add the missing holes to the scorecard.
  • "Can't switch to 9 holes — scores are already entered on the back nine." Someone has scored holes 10 to 18. Clear those scores first or stay at 18.
  • "This round is finalized. Reopen it before changing the holes." Reopen the round from Manage, then change the holes. See Reopen a round.
  • "This course's real card has N holes — switch this round to N holes to edit its card here." Match the round's hole count to the card before editing pars and stroke indexes.
  • "Sixes requires an 18-hole course because partners rotate after holes 6 and 12." Choose an 18-hole course or a different game.

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