Five par 3's

[Mike_Trenham]

I am interested in developing a list of courses with five par 3's.  My club St. Davids GC, Wayne PA working with Ron Prichard has developed a plan that would provide us a full length practice area in close proximity to the clubhouse.  The course is a Donald Ross 1927 design and the membership is concerned about the potential of having 5 par threes and par 70 as this would make it "an executive course".   My intent here is not to discuss the merits of this redesign but to develop a list of courses with five par three holes and put to rest the "executive course" rational.  As of now my list includes:

Stonewall Orginal, PA
Stonewall North, PA
Mcgregor Links, NY
Narin & Portnoo (6 par threes), IRL
Paxon Hollow, PA
Rock Manor Golf Club, DE
Reading CC, PA
Rolling Green, PA
Springhaven, PA
Three Little Bakers, DE
Trenton Country Club, NJ
Valley Country Club, PA
Woodcrest Country Club, NJ
Sakonnet Golf Club, RI
Rio Verde CC - White Wing, AZ
Sun Ridge Canyon, AZ
Atlantic City (pre Doak), NJ
Ballybunion, IRL
Carolina CC, NC
Coatesville CC, PA
Frog Hollow CC, DE
Kimberton GC, PA
Merion - West, PA ?

Thanks for any help you can provide

[Gerry B]

Mike:

here are some additions / confirmations:

atlantic city post doak  - par 70 -has 5 par 3's -
holes # 4,8,12,15,17

beacon hall in toronto has 5 great par 3's and 5 par 5's

scarboro in toronto - par 71(tillinghast) has 5 if you count the 19th hole where one settles bets - you could always add a 19th hole back to the clubhouse to keep it interesting

bel air in los angeles - par 70 - has 5 including 3 stunning one shotters on the back 9  - including the famous 215 yard swinging bridge 10th hole with a bridge and an elevator

hidden brook in vallejo california has 5 par 3's and 5 par 5's

[Jfaspen]

Just was on the website today.. Flint Golf Club, MI.. Hosted Mich Am in 2001.

Jeff

[David_Tepper]

Golspie GC, 7 miles north of Dornoch, is a par-68 course with five very good par-3's. Personally, I think the par-3's at Golspie are as good as those at Dornoch. Many courses in Scotland are par 68, 69 or 70, so five or six par-3's are not unusual at all.  

[SPDB]

Mike - Missed one in your backyard, and a modern one at that. Hartefeld in Avondale.

Also, Misquamicut in RI.

[peter_p]

Pacific Dunes
Reserve Vineyards North Course (Cupp)

[David_Graves]

Chechessee Creek Club

[Paul Richards]

My home course, Beverly CC, has five par 3's that stretch from about 160 to 245, with a nice variety of lengths, looks, and shots required.  

And, another important point, they all play in a different direction.

 

[Brad Klein]

Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, Bloomfield, Conn.
Pete Dye & Tim Liddy
opened 2003
5 -3s
6,620 yards, par-70

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike,

Spring Brook Country Club, just south of Morristown,
New Jersey has five (5) par 3's including three in a row at
holes 9,10, and 11, and four out of six when you include # 14.

It's a nice golf course that is hosting the New Jersey State Amateur in a week or so.

As someone mentioned, Pacific Dunes has five (5) par 3's, with four (4) of them on the back nine.

If Pacific Dunes, which is ranked # 2 in modern courses by Golfweek can do it and retain their lofty position in the golf world, I see no reason why your club can't do it.

I suspect, like a lot of things, that people resist change, and that members at your club may be resisting the concept because they don't like change.

You have to educate them with respect to the benefits of the club accomplishing what it needs without compromising the quality of the golf that the course provides.

Listen to Ron Prichard, he's got a pretty good grasp on golf course architecture and restorations.

[Brian_Gracely]

Tobacco Road in Sanford, NC has 5 Par 3s
http://www.tobaccoroadgolf.com

[Andy Silis]

Friars Head-------Enough said!!!!!!!

[rboyce]

There must be lots of 'em. Two I can think of right away locally...

1. Dominion Valley, Haymarket, VA - Palmer Design
2. Cannon Ridge, Fredericksburg, VA - Dean Beman

[bill_k]

Doak's Lost Dunes in Michigan has five par 3's. What is it with Doak and par 3's on his courses?

[corey miller]

A course that is talked of a lot on this site:Rustic Canyon

Is having a range worth changing a 1927 Donald Ross design?  Was this Ron Prichards idea or was this on orders from the club?

[ChasLawler]

CC of Virginia - Westhampton Course has 5 par 3's.

[A_Clay_Man]

Riverview Gc
Kirtland Nm.

Pacific Grove GL.

Mike- Unless your membership is completely comprised of Great golfers, they have little to worry about. And knowing Ron's work on previous Ross', if any really good players, don't enjoy the course at Par 70, your membership is better off without them. Just My O

[Tyler Kearns]

Sutton Bay GC (Agar, SD)
Pasatiempo GC (Santa Cruz, CA)
Capilano G & CC (West Vancouver, BC)
Glendale G & CC (Winnipeg, MB)
Pine Ridge G & CC (Winnipeg, MB)
Rossmere G & CC (Winnipeg, MB)
Town & CC (St. Paul, MN)

Tyler Kearns

[RDecker]

Our very own Steve Curry's Berkshire Hills C.C. in Pittsfield MA a lovely 1925 A.W. Tillinghast design has both 5 par 3's  and 5 par 5's.  One of the 3's is a nice rendering of the much disputed Reef Hole.

[mike_malone]

Mike
  Another local course that would not be mistaken for "executive" is Glen Mills.5 wonderful par fives.

[Jerry Kluger]

My recollection is that Galloway has 5 par 3s.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tyler mentions Stanley Thompson's Capilano above. In fact, ALL of Thompson's best courses feature five par 3s. Capilano, Jasper, Banff, Highlands Links, and St. George's.

None of which can be considered an "executive course"  

[Greg Holland]

Greensboro Country Club's Maples Course has 5 par 3's:
2 - 185 yds
8 - 196 yds
12 - 215 yds
15 - 173 yds
17 - 198 yds

Par 71, 6914 yds, 73.8/134 designed by Ellis Maples in the 60s.

[Jimmy Muratt]

The Kingsley Club, and it has 5 very good ones.....

#2    162 yards
#5    220 yards
#9    157 yards
#11   175 yards
#16   205 yards

[Dave_Miller]

I am interested in developing a list of courses with five par 3's.  My club St. Davids GC, Wayne PA working with Ron Prichard has developed a plan that would provide us a full length practice area in close proximity to the clubhouse.  The course is a Donald Ross 1927 design and the membership is concerned about the potential of having 5 par threes and par 70 as this would make it "an executive course".   My intent here is not to discuss the merits of this redesign but to develop a list of courses with five par three holes and put to rest the "executive course" rational.  As of now my list includes:

Stonewall Orginal, PA
Stonewall North, PA
Mcgregor Links, NY
Narin & Portnoo (6 par threes), IRL
Paxon Hollow, PA
Rock Manor Golf Club, DE
Reading CC, PA
Rolling Green, PA
Springhaven, PA
Three Little Bakers, DE
Trenton Country Club, NJ
Valley Country Club, PA
Woodcrest Country Club, NJ
Sakonnet Golf Club, RI
Rio Verde CC - White Wing, AZ
Sun Ridge Canyon, AZ
Atlantic City (pre Doak), NJ
Ballybunion, IRL
Carolina CC, NC
Coatesville CC, PA
Frog Hollow CC, DE
Kimberton GC, PA
Merion - West, PA ?

Thanks for any help you can provide

Mike:
Add Charles River Country Club, Newton Centre, Mass. to the list.  Designed in 1921 by Donald Ross who lived down the street at the time, was a charter member of the Club and oversaw the construction.
He designed the five Par three's.  For Championships the course is played as a Par 70 and is anything but an executive course.  
Case in point- last September we hosted the USGA Men's State Team Championship.  Three of the top amateurs for every state in the Union plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
Average score on the course as a Par 70 - 74.47 for three days.
Don't get intimidated by people calling St. David's an executive course.  I have played there it is anything but.
Fairways and Greens,
Dave