How Long Does 9 Holes of Golf Take

samayakigolf
Oct 29, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Dec 5, 2025

Whether you have a tight schedule but really want to play golf, fancy squeezing in a quick round before work or, are getting into the older stages of your life. Sometimes going for the 9-hole option is perfect for you. It's significantly quicker meaning it's much more time effective so you can enjoy your hobbies and have time for all of your other ventures. If you're new to golf and wondering where and when to squeeze it into your timetable, the following blog will be perfect for you. In the following we'll dive into; what time you should be aiming to play a 9 hole round of golf in, factors that influence your playing time, and a few tips to keep your 9 hole game quick and enjoyable. how long does 9 holes of golf take? Read on for the answer!

What's the Typical Time?

Depending on who you speak to and their experiences on the golf course, there are multiple opinions on how long a 9 hole game of golf should take. From personal experience, on multiple courses, when playing a 9 hole round of golf it typically takes a maximum of 2 hours.

What Influences How Long You Take?

There are multiple factors that will affect how long it will take you to play a half round. Understanding what they are can help you figure out how to speed up your rounds, allowing you to fit them into tighter slots in your timetable.

Skill/Experience
When you start out at golf, the rounds tend to take longer due to; more shots, more searching for balls, slower decision making and even significantly more practice swings, trying to get it right. These all lead to a slower round. Whereas an experienced golfer will; take less shots, find more fairways, and make quicker decisions. If you're an experienced golfer your rounds should naturally be quicker than a beginner golfer.
Group Size
The larger the group, the longer the round is the common theme when playing golf. The more players; the more shots, the more time waiting for your turn to swing, and bluntly the more distractions from the game.
Course Difficulty and Layout
When playing a harder course, it naturally takes longer to play. With more hazards, thinner fairways, and longer holes. There is a much higher potential of; added shots, time searching for the ball, and navigating the course.
Mode of Transport.
When navigating the golf course you can either decide to ride a golf cart or walk. While walking the course is definitely healthier, opting for the golf cart usually results in a much quicker round.
Course Traffic
Unfortunately being stuck behind a slow group is just one of those things that happens in golf, we've all been there. Sometimes they'll let you play through. However, if they don't it will result in a slower playing time.

What You Should Aim For?

When playing golf there are many variables that can affect the run-time of your round. When you're playing in typical settings we'd suggest aiming for the following;

Solo
When playing solo, if you have a clear course ahead of you, you should be able to comfortably get a 9 hole game done and dusted in at most 90 minutes. We'd suggest aiming for 75 minutes.
Two-ball
Playing a two ball will mean you'll be more likely to slow the game down and enjoy a nice chat with your playing partner throughout the round. This will add on a bit more time, we'd suggest aiming for 90 minutes.
Three/Four-ball
With the higher amount of shots taken and time waiting your turn, playing a three/four-ball will add quite a bit of time to your round. we'd suggest aiming for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Remember, this is an ideal time on a typical course if you're walking. All of the things we discussed earlier will have an affect on how long it takes to play your game.

Golfers walking the fairway during a 9-hole game, illustrating how long 9 holes of golf take

Best Tips to Increase Your Pace of Play in Golf.

If your rounds of golf are taking too long, here are some of the best tips to help you speed up your round of golf;

Play off-peak rounds to reduce the possibility of course traffic.
Always be ready. Keep an extra golf ball, or two, in your pocket to save time rummaging in your bag when you need a provisional ball. Same goes with tees and scorecards too.
Upgrade from walking to a cart.
You are there to play golf. Sometimes it's best to stop chatting and stay focussed on the game.
Limiting the time you search for a lost ball can help massively if you're a beginner golfer. Give yourself 3 minutes to search, before dropping a provisional.

Whether you’re short on time or just love a quick round, 9 holes can be the perfect balance between fun and flexibility. Got your own timing tips? Drop them in the comments, we’d love to hear how long your average round takes!

So, How Long Does 9 Holes of Golf Take

For most golfers, 9 holes take between 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours 15 minutes to play under normal conditions.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Solo golfer: Around 1 hour 30 minutes (if walking and playing quickly)
Two-ball: Around 1 hour 45 minutes
Three-ball: Around 2 hours
Four-ball: Around 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes

⛳ Factors That Affect the Time

Course difficulty & layout: If there are more hazards, rough, or hilly terrain then this can easily add 10 to 20 minutes.
Player ability: Beginners or high handicap golfers will generally take longer per shot.
Walking vs. golf buggy: Golf buggies can save around 10 to 20 minutes over an average 9 hole course.
Busy times of day: Waiting for the group ahead (especially if they are beginners) is one of the biggest causes of slow play.
Weather: Wind, rain, or fog can obviously slow things down.

💡 Pro Tip

If you’re short on time, aim for an early-morning or twilight tee slot, play “ready golf,” and limit practice swings. You can comfortably complete a casual 9-hole round in under 2 hours with steady pace.