Halfway House
A halfway house in golf is an on-course refreshment stop, usually placed between the 9th green and the 10th tee, where players pause for food, drinks, and a restroom break before starting the back nine.
What is a halfway house?
A halfway house is the small building, hut, or kiosk that many golf courses place near the midpoint of an 18-hole round. Most courses are routed as two loops of nine holes that both return toward the clubhouse, so the ninth green and tenth tee usually sit close together. That meeting point is where the halfway house lives.
Its job is simple. A full round takes roughly four hours on foot, and by the ninth hole, most golfers are ready for a drink, a snack, or a quick visit to the restroom. The halfway house gives them a place to do all three without leaving the course or breaking the flow of play.
The name points to the round rather than the exact hole. On some layouts, the stop comes after the eighth or even the sixth hole, depending on how the holes loop back toward the clubhouse. Golfers also call this point of the round “the turn,” which is why a snack grabbed here is often described as food “at the turn.”
What golfers find at a halfway house
Menus stay simple because speed matters. The classic order is a hot dog eaten on the way to the tenth tee. Most stops also keep a short list of grab-and-go options, from pre-made sandwiches to chips, candy bars, fruit, and packaged nuts, with granola bars for a lighter choice. Drinks run from bottled water and sports drinks to soda, coffee, beer, and the occasional cocktail. One golf-course staple is the Transfusion, made with vodka, ginger ale, and a splash of grape juice.
Beyond food and drink, a halfway house usually offers restrooms, some shelter from rain or sun, and a few tables where a group can settle the front-nine scorecard.
The setting varies widely. A municipal course might run a plain window that sells drinks and snacks, while a private club or resort can offer a full kitchen and bar. Golf Digest’s survey of more than 2,000 players crowned the Olympic Club’s “burger dog” the country’s favorite on-course food, a sign of how seriously some clubs take the turn.
Halfway house vs. beverage cart vs. the 19th hole
Several on-course and clubhouse features get mixed up with the halfway house because they all involve food and drink. The differences come down to location and timing.
| Feature | What it is | Where | When golfers use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halfway house | Fixed refreshment stop, also called a comfort station | Near the 9th green / 10th tee | Between the two nines |
| Beverage cart | Mobile drinks-and-snacks cart driven around the course | Roams the fairways | Any point during the round |
| Comfort station | Another name for a halfway house, common at US resorts | Near the turn, sometimes elsewhere on the course | Between nines or mid-loop |
| The 19th hole | The clubhouse bar or grill | In or beside the clubhouse | After the round ends |
“Comfort station” is simply the American resort term for the same idea, and larger courses may have more than one. A beverage cart is different because it moves; it brings refreshments to players instead of waiting for them. The 19th hole is not on the course at all. It is the bar or restaurant where golfers gather once the round is over.
The history of the halfway house
The idea traces back to how early Scottish courses were laid out. Links land ran in a narrow strip along the coast, so the oldest courses, including the Old Course at St Andrews, used an “out and back” routing: nine holes played away from the clubhouse, then nine played back. At the far turning point, often a fair walk from anywhere warm, a small hut offered shelter and a drink against the Scottish weather.
Those early shelters were practical rather than commercial. As golf spread and the two-loop layout became standard, the rough hut settled into a permanent fixture with a proper menu. A few of the originals are still in use. “The Bothy” at Nairn Golf Club dates to 1877, and the halfway hut at Sunningdale, known for its sausages, was built in 1903, according to Golf Digest.
Notable halfway houses today
Modern halfway houses cover a wide spread. At the simple end, a service window sells drinks and a hot dog in seconds. At the other, resorts treat the stop as a destination in its own right.
A few have become landmarks. The halfway house at Trump Turnberry in Scotland occupies a converted lighthouse overlooking the Ailsa course and the sea, a spot created when the ninth hole was changed to a par 3, according to LINKS Magazine. At Quivira Golf Club in Cabo San Lucas, one of the resort’s comfort stations sits on a cliff about 275 feet above the Pacific, and the course builds an extra half hour into its pace of play to allow for the stops.
In 2024, the halfway house at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol was named the World’s Best Halfway House at the World Golf Awards, roughly 15 months after it opened, per Golfshake.
Related Golf Terms
- Championship tees — The longest tees, set up for tournament play.
- Marshal — A course official who monitors and helps maintain pace of play.
- Forward tees — The shortest tee positions, offering an easier overall length.
- Back tees — The longest tee positions, often called the tips.
- Pin sheet — A sheet showing the day’s hole locations on each green.
Frequently Asked Questions
After which hole is the halfway house?
Usually between the 9th green and the 10th tee, the midpoint of an 18-hole round. Some courses place it after the 8th or even the 6th hole, depending on how the two nines loop back toward the clubhouse.
Why is it called a halfway house?
The name refers to the halfway point of the round, not a specific type of building. Golfers reach it at “the turn,” the switch from the front nine to the back nine, which is roughly halfway through 18 holes.
Is a comfort station the same as a halfway house?
Yes. “Comfort station” is the term used at many US resorts and private clubs for the same on-course refreshment stop. Larger courses sometimes have several.
How long do golfers spend at the halfway house?
Usually only a few minutes. Because the group behind is waiting to reach the 10th tee, a long stop slows play for everyone. Many players order ahead and eat on the way to the next tee.
Do you have to pay at the halfway house?
In most cases, yes. Food and drinks are usually bought separately, often charged to a member account or paid at the window. Some high-end resorts fold the stops into the overall experience.
Sources
- Golf Digest. “A Golfer’s Guide to the Best Halfway-House Grub in America.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/a-golfers-guide-to-the-best-halfway-house-grub-in-america - Golf Digest. “Golf’s Best Halfway Houses” (video series). Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/video/golf-s-best-halfway-houses - LINKS Magazine. “The 5 Best Halfway Houses in Golf.” Accessed July 2026.
https://linksmagazine.com/5-best-halfway-houses-in-golf/ - Golfshake. “Is This The Best Halfway House in The World.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/21010/Is_This_The_Best_Halfway_House_in_The_World.html - Club + Resort Business. “Halfway House and Snack Bar Design.” Accessed July 2026.
https://clubandresortbusiness.com/how-to-design-halfway-houses-and-snack-bars/
