Golf Glossary
Front Nine and Back Nine
In short
Front nine and back nine are the two halves of an 18-hole round. The front nine are holes 1 to 9, the back nine holes 10 to 18. On the scorecard the columns are labelled Out and In. Golfers compare both halves to see where they played better or worse.
Front nine and back nine: the meaning explained
A normal round of golf has 18 holes. It is divided into two halves of nine holes each. The first half, holes 1 to 9, is called the front nine. The second half, holes 10 to 18, is called the back nine. In German golfers also say the first nine and the second nine.
The split is practical. A course has two manageable rounds, which often tell a story of their own. On a par 72 course both halves often have par 36. Splits such as 35 and 37 also occur, because par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes are not always distributed evenly.
The front nine and back nine are not official zones and have no rules of their own. They are simply names for the two halves of the round. What matters is the numbering of the holes on the course.
Out and In: the terms on the scorecard
On every scorecard you find two total boxes. One is labelled Out, the other In. In Out you enter the sum of your strokes on holes 1 to 9. In In goes the sum for holes 10 to 18. Total is the overall sum of the round.
The names date from the early days of golf. Old courses were often laid out so that nine holes led away from the clubhouse and nine came back, as at the Old Course in St Andrews. The way away was out, the way back was in. Golfers still say I went out in 41 for the front nine.
In a competition with handicap you subtract your course handicap from the total. The gross score becomes the net score. The gross score is the pure number of strokes, the net score takes your handicap into account.
Why the round is split into two nines
The split into two nines has several practical reasons. Many courses have a small station with drinks and snacks after the ninth hole, known as the halfway house. The break serves for recovery and refuelling before play continues.
Operations also use the split. Many clubs let players start on hole 1 and on hole 10. That spreads the groups across the course and speeds up play. In a shotgun start all groups begin at the same time on different holes. The order of the holes still applies: whoever starts on hole 10 plays the back nine first and the front nine afterwards.
Some venues have several 9-hole loops that can be combined freely into an 18-hole round. There the loops often have names or colours. The terms front nine and back nine then no longer fit, because each combination of two loops gives a different order.
Example from practice: front nine against back nine
Take a player with a course handicap of 18 on a par 72 course. The scorecard shows 44 for the front nine and 47 for the back nine. The total is 91. The gross score is therefore 19 strokes over par. Subtract the course handicap of 18 and the net score is 73, one over par.
Comparing the two halves shows something: the back nine added three strokes. That often happens to recreational players. Possible reasons are fading concentration, tiredness or a thought about a bad hole that lingers. Some players also play faster and more carelessly as the round enters its final phase.
A look at individual holes helps. Where did you lose the most strokes? Did they come from penalty strokes, three-putts or mistakes off the tee? Anyone who records their rounds over several weeks spots a pattern and can train in a targeted way.
Front nine, back nine and the handicap
Players with a handicap can also submit single nines. Under the World Handicap System, WHS for short, 9-hole scores count. The 9-hole score is supplemented with an expected score for the missing nine holes, which follows from your Handicap Index. The result is a value that enters your record like an 18-hole score.
The condition is that the course is rated. It needs a Course Rating and a Slope Rating. Only then can a score be converted into a comparable value. In Germany the WHS is implemented by the German Golf Association, DGV for short. They can tell you how your club or membership records rounds.
It is also important that the round is played for handicap. That means it follows the rules and is registered in advance as a handicap round, for example as a competition or a private round with a marker. A purely informal practice round does not usually count.
Tips: how to play the second half well
The back nine often decide the total score. These tips help you stay focused until the last hole.
- Drink and eat early enough: drink water in between and eat a little, for example at the halfway house after hole 9.
- Walk to hole 10 calmly: use the walk to clear your head. A bad hole from earlier must not come along.
- Keep your routine: play holes 17 and 18 as you play hole 1.
- Record both halves: note out and in after each round and compare over several rounds.
- Warm up before the round: those who have warmed up on the range often play the front nine more securely and rely less on luck.
For beginners: if you play the first nine holes calmly, you still have enough energy for the second nine.
Comparison: front nine, 9-hole course and halfway point
The front nine are the first nine holes of an 18-hole course. A 9-hole course, by contrast, is a venue of its own with only nine holes. Some golfers play it twice in a row to reach 18 holes. The length and par of a 9-hole course differ from the front nine of a large course, so the two cannot be compared directly.
A round on a 9-hole course is simply called a 9-hole round. It is a score over nine holes, neither front nine nor back nine.
Golfers call the change from hole 9 to hole 10 the turn. There is normally no separate result there. In match play the status counts after every hole, so after nine holes there is only an interim score. In stroke play and Stableford the scores are added up over all 18 holes. The back nine often matter in a tie, though: in many competitions the better score over the last nine holes decides. Which method applies is stated in the terms of the competition.
Try it at Golf Lounge
If you want to practise playing nine holes, Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg has the 9-hole Black course with par 33. It can be played with the Platzreife (DGV) and is open from April to December, and up to four players can book per tee time. From May to October there is a 9-hole handicap competition on Saturdays at 9 am. There you can see how a nine feels as a counting round.
Frequently asked questions
What are the front nine and back nine in golf?
The front nine are the first nine holes of an 18-hole round, holes 1 to 9. The back nine are the second nine holes, holes 10 to 18. On the scorecard the totals of these halves appear under the terms Out and In.
What do Out and In mean on the scorecard?
Out is the sum of your strokes on the first nine holes, In the sum on the second nine. The names come from old courses where nine holes led away from the clubhouse and nine came back. Total is the sum of both halves.
How many holes do the front nine and back nine have together?
Together they have 18 holes, a full round. Each half has nine holes. The par of each half depends on the course. On a par 72 course both halves often have par 36, but 35 and 37 occur too. At venues with several loops the halves often have names of their own.
Do 9-hole rounds count for the handicap?
Yes, under the World Handicap System 9-hole scores count too. The course must be rated and the round must be played for handicap. The 9-hole score is supplemented with an expected score for the missing nine holes to give an 18-hole value. Whether your club records the round is best clarified before you start.
As of: October 2026