Reversible Course
A reversible course is a golf course designed with two routings that share the same greens and fairways, so it can be played clockwise one day and counter-clockwise the next. The result is two distinct layouts on one piece of land.
What is a reversible course?
A reversible course occupies one piece of land and, in most cases, one set of greens, but it is built around two complete routings that run in opposite directions. On an ordinary course, every hole is played the same way each round. On a reversible course, the tees, fairways, and greens are shaped so the same ground holds up from two directions, which gives golfers what feels like two separate courses for the price of one property.
The clearest modern example is The Loop at Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Michigan. Its two directions are named the Black course, which plays clockwise, and the Red course, which plays counter-clockwise, and the resort alternates which one is open each day. Sports Illustrated reported that the Black plays a little over 6,700 yards and the Red a little over 6,800, both at par 70.
The tricky part is the greens. A green on a reversible course has to accept approach shots arriving from two different angles, which is a far harder design problem than shaping a green for one direction. Most reversible courses share their greens and fairway corridors between the two routings while using entirely separate tees, sometimes as many as 36 sets of tees across an 18-hole loop, according to golf coaching site Caddie AI.
How a reversible course works
Fairway corridors do double duty. A wide landing area for a par-4 in one direction can become the second-shot zone of a par-5 in the other, so architects place bunkers and mounds where they stay relevant from both sides. A bunker that guards the front of a green one day can sit behind that same green the next.
Greens sit at the center of the design challenge. When Tom Doak built The Loop, he made the greens average roughly 9,800 square feet, about twice the size of a typical green, and gave the course around 85 acres of fairway so shots could land and run in from either direction. Golf architecture writer Bradley S. Klein, writing for GolfPass, noted that the hardest part of the project was not laying out the fairways but making the greens receptive to two angles of approach.
Wind adds another layer. A hole that plays downwind in one routing plays into the wind the next day, so the same yardage can demand a completely different shot depending on the direction of travel.
Reversible course vs. playing a course in reverse
Two similar-sounding ideas get mixed up here. A reversible course is purpose-built, with two routings designed into the land from the start. Playing a course “in reverse” means taking a course that was built for one direction and playing its holes backward, which most courses were never designed to handle.
The Old Course at St. Andrews sits between the two. It was originally laid out to work in both directions, and the St. Andrews Links Trust still opens its reverse routing, known as The Reverse, for a short window most years, with tee times handed out by ballot, as reported by Golf.com. The table below sorts out the differences.
| Reversible course | Course played in reverse | Standard course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | Two routings built into the land | One routing, occasionally played backward | One routing |
| Greens & fairways | Shared, built for two directions | Shared, not designed for reverse play | Used in one direction |
| How often | Directions alternate regularly | Rare, special events only | Same every round |
| Example | The Loop at Forest Dunes | St. Andrews “The Reverse” | Most courses |
The history of reversible golf
The Old Course at St. Andrews is where the idea began. The links was shortened to 18 holes in the 1700s and ran clockwise for years. Only when Old Tom Morris built the current first green around 1870 did the counter-clockwise routing that golfers know today take over, according to Golf.com.
For decades after that, golfers still played a “left-hand” version of the Old Course. Bradley S. Klein, writing for GolfPass, records that the reversed layout was in regular rotation from roughly 1872 to 1904 and appeared intermittently for years afterward, partly to rest the turf. In its reversed form, the course runs from the 1st tee to the 17th green, then to the 16th, and onward, finishing from the 2nd tee to the 18th green.
The design idea was written up in 1929 by H.N. Wethered and Tom Simpson in their book The Architectural Side of Golf. Their chapter titled “The Reversible Course” praised the way a reversed routing spreads wear across two landing areas rather than one and keeps the golf more varied. They summed up the appeal as getting “two courses for the same money,” or close to it.
Notable reversible courses
The modern revival is small but real. The Loop opened at Forest Dunes in 2016 and remains the best-known purpose-built reversible 18. A year later, Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, Oregon opened Dan Hixson’s Craddock and Hankins routings across dramatic high-desert terrain. A handful of other designs followed, along with older private experiments that pointed the way.
| Course | Location | Architect | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Loop at Forest Dunes | Roscommon, Michigan | Tom Doak | Opened 2016; Black (clockwise) and Red (counter-clockwise), par 70 |
| Silvies Valley Ranch | Seneca, Oregon | Dan Hixson | Opened 2017; Craddock and Hankins routings over steep terrain |
| Bobby Jones Golf Course | Atlanta, Georgia | Bob Cupp | Reversible redesign with nine double greens; 3,164 to 7,349 yards |
| Asherwood | Carmel, Indiana | Steve Smyers | Private estate course (2000) with a fully reversible 9-hole par-3 |
Why courses are built to be reversible
Variety is the headline benefit. A reversible design gives golfers two different rounds on a single property, which keeps a repeat visit fresh in a way a standard course cannot.
Land and maintenance economy matters just as much to the people who build these courses. Two layouts fit into close to the footprint and upkeep budget of one, which carries real weight when land and irrigation are expensive. Turf health improves too, since divots and foot traffic spread across two sets of landing areas instead of wearing out one. Wethered and Simpson made that same point back in 1929, and it remains the quiet practical case for reversing a golf course rather than the marketing hook.
Related Golf Terms
- Mountain course — A course routed through mountainous, elevation-rich terrain.
- Pitch and putt — A compact course of very short par-3 holes.
- Nine-hole course — A shorter layout of nine holes, often played twice for eighteen.
- Coastal course — A seaside layout shaped by ocean wind and terrain.
- Regulation course — A standard full-length course, typically par 70 to 72.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are both directions of a reversible course played on the same day?
No. The two routings alternate. Typically one direction is set up for play on a given day, and the tee markers and signage switch to the other direction the next day.
Where can you play a reversible course?
The Loop at Forest Dunes in Michigan and Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon are the two best-known public reversible courses in the United States.
Is St. Andrews a reversible course?
In a sense. The Old Course was built to work both ways, and its reverse routing opens for a short window most years. For nearly all of the year, though, it plays in the single counter-clockwise direction seen at The Open.
Who designed the first modern reversible 18-hole course?
Tom Doak’s The Loop, which opened in 2016, is widely credited as the first purpose-built, fully reversible 18-hole course of the current era.
Sources
- Bradley S. Klein. “Play it backwards: A brief history of reversible golf course design.” GolfPass. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.golfpass.com/travel-advisor/articles/play-it-backwards-a-brief-history-of-reversible-golf-course-design - Erik Matuszewski. “Golf Outside The Box: A Reversible 18-Hole Course.” Forbes. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikmatuszewski/2016/04/15/golf-outside-the-box-a-reversible-18-hole-course-is-set-to-make-waves-in-michigan/ - “Reversible golf courses gain in U.S. popularity.” Sports Illustrated. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.si.com/golf/travel/feature-2020-04-27-reversible-golf-courses-in-the-united-states - “Reversible Courses: A Returning Golf Fad?” LINKS Magazine. Accessed August 2026.
https://linksmagazine.com/reversible-courses-a-returning-golf-fad/ - “How you can play the Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse.” Golf.com. Accessed August 2026.
https://golf.com/travel/courses/play-old-course-st-andrews-reverse/ - “The Old Course at St Andrews in Reverse.” Golfshake. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/14472/The_Old_Course_at_St_Andrews_in_Reverse.html - “What Is a Reversible Golf Course?” Caddie AI. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.caddiehq.com/resources/what-is-a-reversible-golf-course
