Greatest Par 3 you have ever played

[Cory]

What is the greatest Par 3 you have ever played?  And why was the Par 3 so great for you?  It doesn't matter if you use the architecture aspect of if it is just plain fun.  I'll take number 17 at Sand Hills with a close second from number 11 at Wild Horse. For me, # 17 at Sand Hills is total eye candy, is not terribly long, and is still a demanding challenge especially with the wind blowing.  Other thoughts?

[Brian_Gracely]

Wrote this a while ago, but it still rings true:

Make the walk across 17 Mile Drive from the 13th green and you notice a green-site perched on the edge of the ocean.  The flagstick is leaning left and the flag is whipping in the wind from the breeze off the Pacific.  As you walk through the wooden gate, you notice a tee near the road and start to pull a short iron thinking this is going to be a short pitch.  And then you realize that your playing partners didn't put their bags down at the tee and have continued walking back towards the water and into an outcropping of rocks.  Maybe they are just taking in the scenery or watching the sunset?  No such luck.  The tee-box is situated amongst those rocks and just below the outlook where the tourists have been collecting to view the spectacular horizon.  

Now that short pitch has become a 180-190yd mid to long iron, with the wind blowing directly across the hole.  Draw a straight line from the tee to the green and you realize that rocks and water don't make for friendly layups.  This shot is going to be all or nothing, and with the wind across from the Pacific you're going to have to aim out over the rocky point about 10-15 yards to the right of the green...over the ocean.  A medium-large green will accept well struck shots, but the putting surface slopes from back left to front right, so two-putting is no gimmie, especially considering you'll struggle to keep your balance over that last two-footer.

Par 3 14th at Monterey Peninsula (Dunes).

[James Edwards]

Brian,

That brought a tear to my eye...  Nicely written..

J

[Tom_Doak]

I think the greatest par 3 in the world is still the 11th on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

I've played it a few times but I still have yet to hit the perfect shot into the green ... in fact I have never seen anyone pull off the running shot through the entrance and softly around the Strath bunker just right.

Most par-3's are eye candy.  The Eden is all about the golf.

[Jack_Marr]

I like the 15th in Pornmarnock, maybe because everyone says it's so great. Very difficult with in a cross wind. You have to bounce a ball in straight (difficult in a cross-wind) if the green is on the front. This means landing it in the area hidden from the tee.


I also like the 3rd (?) in Enniscrone, as there's a bit of drama involved if you land left of the green.

[ForkaB]

I think it's far too easy to plump for one of the usual  Monterrey suspects--its hard to compete with the crashing waves and the basking seals and the blowholes of the humpback whales and the fragrant scents of the idling Winnebagoes wafting over 17-Mile Drive........

I'll plump for 17 at Merion.  The ultimate penultimate golf hole.*

*Yes, even including The road hole at Ye olde course.

[JDoyle]

I will never forget the experience of walking past the trees that surround the 5th tee box at PVGC and clearly seeing the green for the first time.  I was speechless.  The green looked like Mount Everest.  It was uphill and appeared to be about 250 yards away, over a ravene with water below and pushed back in the trees.  Adding to the experience was the fact that I had never seen photos of the course before playing there and each hole was a surprise.  But no hole was more dramatic than the 5th.  It was heroic golf at it's best.  Clearly only Zeus himself could reach the flag with his iron.  IMHO, it was the greatest par three in the world.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

In keeping with the spirits of the olympics:

Gold - #5 at PVGC.
Silver - #17 at PB
Bronze - #9 at Yale

Honorable Mention:

#10 at WFW
#14 at PVGC
#7 at PB
#13 at HCEC
#11 at TOC
#5 at NGLA
#17 at WFE

Those Par 3's that I would like to play:

#16 at CPC
#12 at ANGC
#17 at SHGC
#10 at FH
#16 at ANGC
#17 at WS
#7 at SHGC
#4 at Fishers Island Club
#3 at Kittansett
#15 at CPC

Favorites that I have played but not on the list above:

#14 - Tobacco Road
#10 - Pacific Dunes
#12 - Bandon Dunes
#17 - Fairfield
#10 - PVGC
#17 - TPC at Sawgrass
#17 - Secession
#11 - Westhampton
#17 - Harbour Town GL
#4 - Colonial

Off of the beaten track:

#17 - Woods Hole
#8 - Mill Valley - (Would love to see an AOTD of this course)
#15 - Greenwich
#17 - Darien
#15 - Wee Burn
#16 - TPC River Highlands
#3 - Richter Park
#13 - Stanwich
#3 - Woodway
#16 - Plantation/Skidaway

JWK

[John_Conley]

I can't stand the 17th at Pebble, mainly because there's little green.

I'll nominate #8 at Rolling Oaks as the best in Florida.  And yes, Tom Doak, it's got a lot of eye-candy.

[Brian_Gracely]

I think it's far too easy to plump for one of the usual  Monterrey suspects--its hard to compete with the crashing waves and the basking seals and the blowholes of the humpback whales and the fragrant scents of the idling Winnebagoes wafting over 17-Mile Drive........

OK, I don't want to be accused of taking the easy way out...

And I'll assume that Rich won't allow me to choose some anything from a links course or amongst the dunes, because that's too easy also.

So I'll go with #9 at Pinehurst #2, especially when the pin is on the left.  Although Shinnecock #11 is still the best I've seen but not played.

[Jason Tetterton]

One of the best sets:  the Golden Horseshoe (Gold) in Williamsburg, Va.  

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Here's my long and short answer -

#4 at Riviera - 230+ yds from the tips with the bunker guarding front left portion of the green.  Awesome shot.

#4 at Gulph Mills - 115 yds over the quarry, yet I have seen everything from a 1 to a 6 made on the hole.

[Alex Chehansky]

I nominate two holes in a tie, first, #4 at Cruden Bay.  The shot over the water, up the hill, with the inlet and small little village to the left that seems to have the entire city watching every player hit their shot.  It requires not only skill, but something clearly underrated, composure.

The second is at Banff, very dramatic, cant remember the hole number, but the "cauldren" is dramatic and the scenery glorified.

Does anyone think composure is a quality that will help rank certain shots on a hole.  For example, there are shots you wait the entire day before you play to make and when you get there, you must execute with nothing but the mere pressure of playinig it over and over in your head until you play again...

[John_Lovito]

Some of my favoritres:

#11 Shinnecock
#17 Merion
#10 WFW
#2 Somerset Hills
#11 Plainfield
#10 Friar's Head

[A_Clay_Man]

It really is a big world. The significance of the Par 3 has really grown in my own estimations. Perhaps that's a reflection how many great one shotters there are?

SO many have been mentioned it's hard to add but i'll try

The island 17s;

Stadium Course Pga West

Oyster Bay Myrtle Beach

Redanesque;

17 @ SH (I know it's been mentioned. Does that make me a Coore & Cren Buttboy?)

#4 Lawsonia

#13 (?) Skokie

#3 Waveland

Canyon;

Pinon Hills #15 (current #6)

Black Mesa #3, and #11

Redlands Mesa #8

Water, or full frontal hazard;

The Cauldron

#15 Orig. River-Valley BWR current Meadow-Valley

#10 The Rawls Course

Final 3 at CPC

[ForkaB]

I think it's far too easy to plump for one of the usual  Monterrey suspects--its hard to compete with the crashing waves and the basking seals and the blowholes of the humpback whales and the fragrant scents of the idling Winnebagoes wafting over 17-Mile Drive........

Brain

Do you really think that P No. 2 #9 is better than those surf holes near Carmel, or are you just trying to be polite?

OK, I don't want to be accused of taking the easy way out...

And I'll assume that Rich won't allow me to choose some anything from a links course or amongst the dunes, because that's too easy also.

So I'll go with #9 at Pinehurst #2, especially when the pin is on the left.  Although Shinnecock #11 is still the best I've seen but not played.

[Bob_Huntley]

I think it's far too easy to plump for one of the usual  Monterrey suspects--its hard to compete with the crashing waves and the basking seals and the blowholes of the humpback whales and the fragrant scents of the idling Winnebagoes wafting over 17-Mile Drive........


*.

Rich,

With the cross wind, there ain't much wafting scents of Winnebagos and it's amazing how the $8.50 Gate Fee eliminates a lot of them.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

Brian,

I am going to get this in our Newsletter. A wonderful piece.

Bob

[Jfaspen]

13th at Arcadia Bluffs.

This 160 yrd hole stretches over a gorge with lake michigan below.  The day I played it, we were playing into about a 25-30 mph wind.  I hit one of the best 3irons I could to get it on the green, I normally dont tell people about the 3-putt that followed ):

http://www.arcadiabluffs.com/course_hole_13.php

[Brian_Gracely]

Brian

Do you really think that P No. 2 #9 is better than those surf holes near Carmel, or are you just trying to be polite?

Granted there is definitely something to said for the external elements that hit you when you play the 3s around Monterey.  

And I've only played Pinehurst #2 twice, and the pin has been on the left both sides.  So it's a different sort of greatness experience.  Sure, there's an element of target golf involved....ie. the target is basically the hood of a WV Bug, but the accuracy is a great and solitary challenge.  But if you miss the green, the challenge becomes even greater trying to get up & down for a 3, 4 or 5...and sometimes 5 is a good score there.  

I have limited experience in great holes, but #9 is way up on my list.

[John Foley]

Brian trying to get to the back left pin on #9 is one of the great tee shots in golf. Trying to get there after missing the green to the right is downright impossible.

Great choice.

How about #11 @ Manele?

[EAF]

I'll nominate the 17th at Bethpage Black for the gold. For silver, #12 at Montauk Downs, NY. And the bronze goes to #6 at Riviera CC.

[Dan_Callahan]

With the caveat that I haven't played much golf outside of New England, here are my favorites (leaving out the already mentioned #9 at Yale).

Among the old courses, I really like the 7th at the Orchards and the 13th at Ekwanok.


Not a good picture, but #7 at the Orchards is about 215 yards and the green is barely visible from the tee because of the uphill nature of the hole. The bunkers on the left and right are well short of the green, which always throws off my depth perception.


I don't know what it is about the 13th at Ekwanok, but i really like it. A very natural, unforced design. It is 200+ yards and slightly downhill. From the tee, you can't see that there is room short left to run the ball onto the green. Anything right leaves a difficult bunker shot.

Of the newer courses I have played, I am partial to the 11th at Blackstone National and the 5th at Belgrade Lakes.


Blackstone has four really good, diverse par 3s, and the best (in my opinion) is #11. It is only about 160 yards if I remember correctly. You have to hit a really bad shot to bring the water into play unless the hole is cut back left. To me, it looks like quintessential New England (especially in fall).


The 5th at Belgrade I like for just the opposite reason. It looks like nothing I've seen in the region. Those scallop-looking things behind the green are actually grass bunkers, which is odd. I think I would prefer sand, because it would make the shot back to the water easier to stop. The water short is definitely in play (I think the hole played slightly uphill, and when the ball got above the trees, it got knocked down pretty quickly by a wind we couldn't feel).

[Brian_Gracely]

Wow, #7 at Orchards and #3 at Raleigh CC cold be kissing cousins of each other...especially if Raleigh decides to restore the bunker on the right side swale.

[ForkaB]

I think it's far too easy to plump for one of the usual  Monterrey suspects--its hard to compete with the crashing waves and the basking seals and the blowholes of the humpback whales and the fragrant scents of the idling Winnebagoes wafting over 17-Mile Drive........


*.

Rich,

With the cross wind, there ain't much wafting scents of Winnebagos and it's amazing how the $8.50 Gate Fee eliminates a lot of them.

Bob
[/quote

Bob

I actually think that the proximity to the real people of 17 mile drive (with or without Winnebagos, Winnebagoes?--is Dan Quayle lurking here, or at least Dan Kelly......) is one of the things that makes 14 MPCC-Dunes great. You step out of the privilege of a wonderful private course across the road to the world of Mr. and Mrs. America.  And then, you have to hit the 3-iron of your life.

Nevertheless, I still think that 17 Merion (and a few others) are "greater."