The best set of short holes

[Jeff_Lewis]

Just played Winged Foot. The 10th deservedly gets a lot of attention, but in the context of this set of par 3s, it barely stands out. What a remarkably strong set of short holes. Is this the best set of par 3s in golf?

[BCrosby]

I haven't played WF, but it's hard to beat the par 3's at ANGC. Each requires a very different kind of shot. Wonderful variety. Each a very different kind of test.

Seminole has a remarkable set of par 3's.  Arguably, they are the heart of the course.  I could spend a day doing nothing but playing no. 8 again and again and again.

The MacD/Raynor par 3 templates are a wonderful collection of holes.  The par 3's at Yeaman's Hall, for example, are hard to beat.  The Eden on the back nine is extraordinary.

But don't all great courses have a set of great par 3's?  The odd mediocre hole on a top 30 course is rarely one of its par 3's.

Bob

[THuckaby2]

Great question, JL.  Obviously Cypress belongs in this conversation, because you could put 15 and 16 there with two 50 yard flat oil green holes and that's a great set of par 3's!  As it is, the other two at Cypress ain't exactly chopped liver, with #7 being a darn good hole in its own right...

Can't think of any others right now, there must be a lot of good candidates.

TH

[brad_miller]

Jeff, No, but only a handful are better.

[Jeff Fortson]

I can think of better sets of par 3's in my opinion....

Shinnecock
NGLA


Jeff F.

[GeoffreyC]

Brad - we were just talking about WF and the par 3's during the LONG drive home the other day.  

Jeff- good call.  The 3's at WFW have great variety, difficulty and shot values.

Better set of par 3's?  - Pine Valley!

[Jamie_Duffner]

Does it get much better than Shinnecock for variety and length?  I think Shinnecock's par 3's are unheralded, particularly in light of the collection of par 4's and the par 5 16th.  

2 - an uphill brute, with great contours
7 - how about the tilt on this green and the exacting requirement to shape your shot accordingly.
11 - find me a better short par 3
17 - underrated - some great variety on hole locations

I'd also mention Harbour Town - when they were introduced they were certainly ground breaking in terms of innovation.

[CHrisB]

Prairie Dunes!
Merion

[Mike Hendren]

In my limited travels, the best set of short holes I've seen are on the Hill Course at French Lick Springs.  The 4th, 6th and 13th required a 5-wood, 3-wood and driver (the latter two into a late winter breeze) to greens with tremendous coutours.  Each plays slightly uphill over deep ravines.  The narrow and deep 13th green with its three tiers and rear bowl is a work of art.  The short 16th is a breather in comparison, but with its renovated bunkers and new aurrounds looks more like Raynor's work that Ross' except for the rounded bunkers to the right of the green.  It also appears that this green might have included a pinnable thumbprint front-middle that has been reduced by shrinkage.  The front bunker would refute the theory that the depression is for drainage.  

This course won't make any lists. but is a must see for all treehouse types.  The staff is accomodating - I was given access on a day the course was closed and had the place to myself for $21!

[Allan Long]

Having not played WF, NGLA or PV, I can't comment. But Cypress, Harbour Town and Golden Horseshoe (Gold) would make my list. The first two have been discussed, but GH does not have a weak par 3, each one is a challenge.

[RT (Guest)]

For the UK, Swinley Forest. And no, no. 4 is not sliding down the hill....it is part of the hill.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Great call on Swinley. How about Oz? The sand belt has some of the best 150-ish yard par 3s on the planet.

[GeoffreyC]

Colt's par 3's at Royal Portrush are the best I've played in the UK.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jeff,

Preakness Hills, with great diversity

# 6  200-235 woods left and right, creek right
# 8  140-160 creek 30 yds short, well bunkered, contoured
       green
#16 160-180 slightly uphill, creek 60 yds short, well bunkered,
      sloped green
#18 100-140 downhill, over pond fronting green, horseshoe
      bunker/s, surround double tiered green

[THuckaby2]

A thought just hit me with a thunderbolt, and with a little assist from a friend... but...

Monterey Peninsula CC - Dunes Course has one HELL of a great set, that belongs in this conversation for sure!

#4:  230 yards, biarritz green, surrounding trees make wind swirl and this combined withe downhill makes club selection dicey... great hole...

#7 - app. 160 - surrounding bunkering is brilliant... tough subtle green... again, surrounding trees plus uphill make winds very difficult to decipher...

#10 - app. 140, downhill... MacKenzie influence all over with bunkering and exposed knob of a green... Spanish Bay to your right, ocean straight ahead makes for striking beauty... another darn tough shot with the hole being exposed to the wind...

#14 - just one of the most spectacular par3's on the planet, that's all, since the renovation.  From back tees, 190 yards of terror and beauty over the crashing surf and rock-strewn beach... tourist haven, beauty to the max, GREAT golf hole.

That is one strong diverse set... wow!

TH

[Bob_Huntley]

Tom:

re No. 10, add another twenty seven yards to the back tee and the test becomes greater.

[THuckaby2]

Oh heck yeah, Bob!  My yardages were from the tees I "rated' recently and we did the app. 140 one on 10... hitting that one from 167, into the inevitable against/crossing wind, is a shot that I just plain very very rarely have!

What a great golf hole that is.  No question.

TH

[Sebonac]

Myopia Hunt Club....

[Matt Kardash]

whistling straits may lack the variety but yet somehow they seem quite original...people will say that 4 par three's on the lake lacks variety, yet there are not many courses, if any that have all par 3's on or practically in the water...so i think it can somehow fit onto this list, but surely not at the top of it.
i can sense the bashing like cattle sense the rain..hehe

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Most of Stanley Thompson's courses, great par threes.

Cataraqui
Jasper
Banff

to name a few.

[Chris Kane]

Jeff,

Great call on the sandbelt.

Royal Melbourne West - 5 and 7 are two great threes, 13 and 16 are close behind.

Yarra Yarra - for some reason the three's here are referred to as the best set in the world.  I wouldn't go that far, but they are very good.

Kingston Heath - slightly suspect fifth hole, but 10 and 15 couldn't be any better.

5 and 7 West at Royal Melbourne
10 and 15 at Kingston Heath
9 and 15 at Commonwealth
etc etc
Commonwealth - two of the three short holes are world-class

[Guest]

Chechessee Creek Club
#2--194 yds
#7--178 yds
#11--208 yds
#13--164 yds
#16--235 yds

[texsport]

Though probably not "the best" set of short holes, nearly all you'd want if you're trying to score well are at the Palmer designed The Bluffs On Thompson's Creek in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

#4-214 yds uphill to a severely sloped green.

#7-180 yds over water but green so severe that you can
                 putt it into the water when the pin is on rt.

#13-185 yds to a green protruding out into a pond.

#17-239 yds with 50 ft drop down to a green surrounded on 3
                  sides by water.

  http://www.thebluffs.com/layout03.htm

While you're at it, check out #1, #9,#10, #12 and #18 for other good holes

Texsport

[Rick]

Of the courses I've played, the first courses that came to mind were Banff Springs (five par 3's), the four at Harbour Town and the four at Casa de Campo.

Come to think of it, the set at Cabo del Sol were pretty awesome. I'm not particularly a fan of Ballybunion but I did like the par 3's there. I agree with the earlier observation regarding Royal Portrush but also thought it's neighbour, Portstewart, had an interesting set and the trio at Portmarnock are dandies.

Of the courses down under, I'll give the honours to Victoria. I thought the three's there were the strength of the course.

In all honesty, I couldn't definitively claim one set to be better than the others and the reason for that is that each of these holes seems to fit quite naturally in the routing scheme of these courses. All too often, I think par threes become the designer's afterthoughts... lets plunk 'em in here and there where we got some room!

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Rick,
Funny you should say that, after I alluded to Stanley Thompson.  Thompson routed many of his courses after selecting the spots for the par threes.