When you are first learning to play golf you will find that there are quite a few different types of courses that you can play. These courses are designed to meet the different needs of different players. Knowing what these differences are will help to make sure that you are able to play on the course that is most appropriate for your needs.
The obvious difference between a nine and an eighteen hole course is obviously the number of holes. The standard course is and eighteen hole course and this is the one that people will usually play if they are serious golfers. However for a lot of people playing a full eighteen holes is takes a little bit longer than they are prepared to play. It takes good golfers several hours to play eighteen holes, for inexperienced golfers it would take the better part of a day. As a beginner you will probably want to stick to a nine hole course.
These days a lot of courses are laid out to allow you to play either nine or eighteen holes on the same course. For example one of the more common approaches is to put three nine hole courses right next to each other. This way if you want to play eighteen holes you can just choose to play two of the nine hole courses. This will allow you to change the course so that you are not playing the same course every time. Another option is that you can just play the first nine holes on an eighteen hole course if you don't want to play the whole thing.
Another option that can really come in useful when you are learning to play golf is a pitch and putt course. These are courses that are usually located in cities where space is at a premium. In this case you will simply use a pitching wedge to get on to the green and then use your putter. This offers you a chance to play a quick round since you can usually play the whole thing in a fairly short period of time. It is also a great way for beginners to improve their pitching and putting.
Another option that you have if you are looking to play golf is to go to the driving range. In this case you will just be given a bucket of balls and allowed to hit them into a field. All of your shots will be taken from the same place. This is a great way to practice your swing since you will be able to hit a lot of balls in a short period of time. You will get a lot more practice with your swing than you would playing a round of golf.