Back Nine
The back nine is the second set of nine holes on a standard 18-hole golf course, made up of holes 10 through 18.
What is a back nine in golf?
The back nine refers to holes 10 through 18 on an 18-hole golf course. Merriam-Webster defines it simply as “holes 10 through 18.” Together with the front nine (holes 1 through 9), these two halves form a complete round of regulation golf.
Most courses are designed so that the back nine eventually loops back toward the clubhouse, which is why the ninth green is often near the tenth tee, and why many courses place a snack bar or restroom in between. The break between the two nines is known as “the turn,” and it gives players a natural pause before starting the second half of the round.
A few synonyms appear in conversation and on scorecards. The back nine is also called the “back side,” the “second nine,” the “inward nine,” or simply “the back.” All four refer to the same nine holes. The term only applies to standard 18-hole layouts. A 9-hole course doesn’t have a back nine, and neither do par-3 or executive courses with fewer than 18 holes.
Back nine vs. front nine
The two nines split a round in half, but they often play differently. Holes 1 through 9 make up the front nine, the warm-up half. The back nine, holes 10 through 18, is where the round actually gets decided for most golfers, and where most courses route their hardest tests.
| Front nine | Back nine | |
|---|---|---|
| Holes | 1 through 9 | 10 through 18 |
| Other names | Outward nine, front side, “out” | Inward nine, back side, “in” |
| Scorecard column | OUT | IN |
| Typical par | 35 or 36 | 35 or 36 |
| Position on course | Plays away from the clubhouse | Loops back toward the clubhouse |
Scoring patterns between the two halves vary by player. Data compiled by Shot Scope and reported by Golf Insider shows that, on average, amateur golfers actually score marginally better on the back nine than the front nine across handicap brackets, which the site attributes largely to a lack of warm-up before the round begins. Many recreational players report the opposite experience, however, and remember the back-nine collapses more vividly than the back-nine recoveries.
There’s also one quirk worth knowing. The “back nine of a round” and the “back nine of a course” can mean slightly different things. In tournaments using a shotgun start or split tees, a player might begin on hole 10 and finish on hole 9, in which case their personal back nine (holes 1 through 9) doesn’t match the course’s official back nine (holes 10 through 18). When golfers talk about a famous back nine, like the back nine at Augusta National, they always mean holes 10 through 18 of that course.
Why scorecards say “in” instead of “back”
If a golfer looks at almost any scorecard, the column for the back-nine total is labelled “IN,” not “BACK.” The reason is historical. Early Scottish links courses were laid out in a straight line. The first nine holes ran “out” from the clubhouse along the coast, and the second nine looped “in” along a parallel line back toward the clubhouse.
The Old Course at St Andrews is the most famous example. From this routing came the terms “outward nine” for the front nine and “inward nine” for the back nine, shortened on scorecards to “out” and “in.” Few modern courses use that strict out-and-back routing anymore, but the scorecard convention has stuck.
This is also where the phrasing “going out” and “coming in” comes from. A commentator who says a player “went out in 36 and came home in 33” means the player shot 36 on the front nine and 33 on the back nine, finishing with a total of 69.
Why the back nine matters in tournament play
In professional golf, the back nine is where most major championships are decided. Sunday afternoon at a major usually comes down to how the leaders play holes 10 through 18, and television coverage reflects that with extended back-nine broadcasts. The phrase “the back nine on Sunday” has become shorthand for the pressure of the closing stretch of a tournament.
The most famous example is Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters Tournament. Its back nine includes Amen Corner, the trio of holes from the approach to the 11th green through the 12th, and the tee shot at the par-5 13th. Water comes into play on five of the back nine’s holes at Augusta, and the stretch has produced some of the sport’s most memorable moments, including Jordan Spieth’s quadruple bogey on the 12th in 2016 and Jack Nicklaus’s birdie on 17 during his 1986 Masters victory.
The same dynamic plays out at the other majors. Whether at Pinehurst, St Andrews, or Royal Liverpool, championships tend to swing on the closing nine, which is why golf fans pay particular attention to back-nine leaderboards.
Related Golf Terms
- Stroke play — The standard scoring format that uses combined front and back nine totals.
- Front nine — The first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course (holes 1–9).
- Away — The player whose ball is farthest from the hole, who typically plays next.
- Apron — The closely mown area surrounding the putting green.
- Attack angle — The vertical direction of the clubhead’s movement at impact (up or down).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the back nine always holes 10 to 18?
On the course itself, yes. The back nine of a golf course is always holes 10 through 18. In a personal round, a golfer who started on a different hole (such as in a shotgun-start tournament) will refer to whichever nine they played second as their back nine.
What’s another name for the back nine?
Common alternatives include the “back side,” the “inward nine,” the “second nine,” and “the back.” On scorecards, it appears as “IN.”
Is the back nine harder than the front nine?
It depends on the course. Many designers route their toughest holes on the back nine to create a dramatic finish, but average scoring data from Shot Scope suggests amateurs often perform slightly better on the back nine because they’re warmed up by then.
Why does the scorecard say “IN” instead of “back”?
The label dates back to early Scottish links courses, where the first nine holes played “out” from the clubhouse and the second nine played “in” toward it. The terminology stuck even though most modern courses no longer use that routing.
What is “the turn” in golf?
The turn is the break between the front nine and back nine, usually taken between holes 9 and 10. Many courses have a snack bar near the 10th tee for this brief pause.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster. “Back Nine.” Accessed April 2026.
- Golf Compendium. “The ‘Back Nine’ of a Golf Course.” Accessed April 2026.
- Hole19. “Back Nine, Golf Glossary.” Accessed April 2026.
- Golf Insider UK. “Front 9 vs Back 9 Scoring Performance” (Shot Scope handicap data). Accessed April 2026.
- LiveAbout. “What Do Out and In Mean on the Golf Scorecard?” Accessed April 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Augusta National Golf Club.” Accessed April 2026.
- Golf Channel. “Masters 2026: Hole-by-hole description, history and ranking at Augusta National.” Accessed April 2026.
