Hole #3 is a par 5
499 from the back tee
476 from the green
This is the second consecutive hole that's going to look really short on the card if you haven't played the hole in the summer. For me, there is no way I'm reaching it in two even though I'd normally be drooling over 476. The fairway is WIDE. There are several bunkers scattered throughout the fairway. Looking at the pictures, there is a ton of room to the right over the closest fairway bunker from the tee. Oddly enough, I can't remember ever playing the hole from the right side. The wind certainly contributes to this as it is not only hurting but also blowing a bit to the left in the normal summer conditions. I can only remember one ball I hit off the tee to the right side, and I didn't play it because it was lost in some gorse. It was WAY right. It's possible that I've journeyed down the right side, but I don't recall it. I'm always left of the center fairway bunkers, sometimes as wide left as #12 fairway.
The second shot (if you aren't going for the green) is one of those shots where you can lose your focus because there is plenty of room to play, but you sometimes find yourself accepting any result rather than committing to a target. Play it too close to the green and right and you have a tough pitch over the greenside bunker. Put it too far left and the last fairway bunker on the left or the gorse (or both - photo included!) will put the hurt on you.
The greenside bunker on the front right is another nasty one, depending upon where your ball comes to rest. The 3rd green is one of the few spots where I'm lacking photos. If anyone has a nice image of the green, I'd appreciate the support. I've got a few approach shots to the skyline green, but I don't have any that will give you a sense of the contours or movement on the putting surface. Any views from the right side of this hole are also appreciated!
Critics of this course like to point to the par 5s as one of the weaker links. I think #3 is a really good par 5, and while the par 4s and par 3s are the real strengths of the course (in my opinion, anyway) I think the par 5s do their job in contributing to this all-world golf course. As a set, the par 5s have grown on me with time (especially #12 and #15 but more on that later.)
For those of you that have never seen this course in person and have been following this thread, it can be hard to believe the course is going to continue to get better. While #1-#3 is a fine stretch of golf and one of the best openings around, #4 through #7 (and some would include 8 in this stretch) will outshine just about any 4-hole stretch of golf that exists. In other words, the best is yet to come!
The tee shot
Fairway bunkers
Some views of the approach (all on the left side
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And a little closer to the green (still on the left)
The bunker /gorse that is waiting for your thoughtless 2nd shot (you can see the result of mine)