Out-and-Back
An out-and-back is a golf course layout where the front nine holes head away from the clubhouse in roughly one direction, and the back nine holes return toward it. The same routing is often called out-and-in, which is where the “out” and “in” columns on a scorecard come from.
What is an out-and-back in golf?
An out-and-back describes how a course is routed, not a rule or a type of shot. On this kind of layout, the first nine holes lead a golfer away from the clubhouse, usually along a fairly linear path, until the ninth green sits at the far end of the property. From there the holes turn and work their way home, so the eighteenth green finishes back where the round began.
The style comes from the earliest Scottish links, which were laid out on narrow strips of sandy coastal ground. There was only room to play out along the strip and then back again, and that shape stuck. Two other names cover the same idea: the first nine is the outward nine and the second is the inward nine, shortened to “out” and “in” on a scorecard. Most courses built in the last century use a different pattern called returning nines, so a true out-and-back now feels traditional rather than typical.
How an out-and-back routing works
Picture the property as a long corridor. Holes one through nine string together heading in one general direction, often toward a natural boundary like an estuary or the sea. At the far point the course makes its turn, and holes ten through eighteen come back along or near the same ground.
Two features tend to follow from this shape. Wind is the big one. Because the outward nine and the inward nine run in opposite directions, a breeze that helps on the way out will usually push against a golfer on the way home, and a crosswind switches sides at the turn. The second is practical. With the ninth green far from the clubhouse, there is often little chance for a food or drink stop until the round is nearly finished. On the Old Course at St Andrews, players are advised to carry snacks because almost nothing sits between the ninth and tenth holes. Early golfers called a full circuit a “round,” a word that traces back to these looping links layouts.
Out-and-back vs. returning nines
The layout most golfers grow up on is not an out-and-back at all. It is a returning-nines design, where the first and tenth tees both start near the clubhouse and the ninth and eighteenth greens both finish there. The design that most modern courses follow is usually traced to Muirfield, which opened in 1891 and is often cited as the first links to bring both nines home to the clubhouse (The Fried Egg).
Neither routing is better than the other; they solve different problems. Returning nines let a course sell early tee times off two starting holes and run a snack stop at the turn. They also give players short on time the option of a quick nine (Golf.com). An out-and-back gives up that convenience but can follow the best ground a piece of land offers, which is why architects still reach for it on special sites. A related idea is the loop or core routing, where each nine circles back on itself instead of running straight out and in, as at Muirfield.
| Feature | Out-and-back | Returning nines |
|---|---|---|
| Front nine | Heads away from the clubhouse | Starts and ends near the clubhouse |
| Back nine | Returns from the far turn | Starts and ends near the clubhouse |
| Clubhouse access mid-round | Rarely, if at all, before the finish | At the turn, between the 9th and 10th |
| Wind | Shifts direction at the turn, with long steady stretches | Varies more from hole to hole |
| Two-tee starts | Hard, since the 10th is far from the clubhouse | Easy, with the 1st and 10th side by side |
| Typical setting | Early links and traditional coastal courses | Most courses built from the 20th century on |
The Old Course at St Andrews: the original out-and-back
No course explains the out-and-back better than the Old Course at St Andrews. Every other out-and-back imitates it. For most of its early history, the Old Course had 22 holes, played 11 out and 11 back over the same narrow ribbon of ground. In 1764 the Society of St Andrews Golfers combined several of the short holes and dropped the round to 18 (PGA Tour). The number stuck. Because St Andrews carried so much weight in the early game, 18 holes went on to become the standard everywhere, from the links of Scotland to the newest resort courses.
The routing still reads as a line out toward the Eden Estuary and a line back to town. To handle the crowds playing the same corridor in both directions, the club eventually cut two holes on most greens, which is why 14 of its holes share seven enormous double greens (PGA Tour). The first and eighteenth holes share a single fairway that measures about 129 yards across, the widest in golf (PGA Tour). Anyone who has watched the Open Championship at St Andrews has seen an out-and-back in its purest form.
Related Golf Terms
- Pitch and putt — A compact course of very short par-3 holes.
- Routing — The sequence and arrangement of holes across a property.
- Regulation course — A standard full-length course, typically par 70 to 72.
- Nine-hole course — A shorter layout of nine holes, often played twice for eighteen.
- Reversible course — A layout designed to be played in two different directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is out-and-back the same as out-and-in?
Yes. Both describe nine holes heading away from the clubhouse and nine coming back. “Out-and-in” is the older phrasing tied to the scorecard, while “out-and-back” is the term course architects tend to use.
What do “out” and “in” mean on a scorecard?
“Out” holds a golfer’s front-nine total and “in” holds the back-nine total. The words survive from out-and-back routing, where players went out from the clubhouse and came back in (LiveAbout).
Do modern golf courses still use out-and-back routing?
Rarely as a default. Most courses built since the early 1900s use returning nines, though architects still choose an out-and-back on standout coastal or dune sites where the land plays better that way.
Are out-and-back courses always links courses?
No. The style began on Scottish links and is still most common there, but any course can be routed out and back if the terrain suits it.
Why do out-and-back courses feel tougher in the wind?
Because the two nines run in opposite directions, a headwind on the way out becomes a helping wind on the way home, and holes tend to play straight into or with the breeze for long stretches rather than changing hole to hole.
Sources
- PGA Tour. “Nine Things to Know: The Old Course at St. Andrews.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/needtoknow/2022/07/10/nine-things-to-know-the-old-course-at-st-andrews-the-open-championship-home-of-golf-tiger-woods-jack-nicklaus - The Fried Egg. “The Impact of Muirfield’s Trademark Routing.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.thefriedegg.com/articles/muirfield-routing-harry-colt-old-tom-morris - LiveAbout. “What Do Out and In Mean on the Golf Scorecard?” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.liveabout.com/what-do-out-and-in-mean-1562674 - Golf.com. “What is golf course routing and how does it affect your round?” Accessed August 2026.
https://golf.com/travel/what-is-course-routing-architecture/ - Keiser University College of Golf. “What Is a Links-Style Golf Course?” Accessed August 2026.
https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/what-is-a-links-style-golf-course-history-features-and-tips/
