Golf Course w/o Par?

[Kenny Baer]

John K. Moore's thread about the 552 yd par 4 got me thinking about whether there are any golf courses that leave off the par of each hole. If you want to know what you shot you just add the numbers up and call par whatever you want; heck you can shoot 80 and call yourself a scratch.  I think this would be an interesting concept and I would love to see the tour, in particular the US Open use a strategy like this; par is just a number, if people would quit worrying about it and play it could make the game more fun.

[Andy Troeger]

Notre Dame tried this when they opened the Warren Course. There are a couple "half-par" holes at the 2nd, 10th, and 17th, but everybody basically knew that "par" was 71 (EDITED from 72--typo). Ken Fry can probably tell you better than I, but it seemed like when I worked there that there was more negative than positive commentary about the lack of par so it was added eventually.

[JC Jones]

They Does!

[Joe Hancock]

So, another way to word the question would be..."does something that doesn't exist...exist? Deep, man....

In all practicality, par disappears when match play is present. I think it was Sir Isaac Newton who once said "Match play abhors par."

Joe

[JC Jones]

So, another way to word the question would be..."does something that doesn't exist...exist? Deep, man....

In all practicality, par disappears when match play is present. I think it was Sir Isaac Newton who once said "Match play abhors par."

Joe

Par doesnt exist on any course you play either.  Mainly because your score is so far away from it you couldnt see it if it did exist.

[Mark Pritchett]

It seems par is a helpful way to keep score during medal play tournament golf.  As in a player is 1-under after three holes rather than at 11. 

[John_Conley]

Willie Nelson's course does not have a set par.  I'm told it changes daily.

[JC Jones]

Willie Nelson's course does not have a set par.  I'm told it changes daily.

Good grass out there too, I hear.

[Mark Pritchett]

Did Willie say "One hole is a Par 23 and the other day I almost birdied it".

[Ken Fry]

The Warren Course at Notre Dame did start off with no par on the card or tee markers.  It began as a light hearted joke which turned to serious consideration when discussing golf history.  We had an old Member card from Muirfield that also showed no par.

It was comical that some players really embraced the concept but others were so against the idea they began to complain very loudly.  The complaining became more of an annoyance than it was worth for all involved so par quietly showed up.  Turns out par is more deeply ingrained in golfer's psyche even more than I would have thought.

Ken

[CJ Carder]

With its lack of tee markers, Ballyneal could technically play without a set par if a group were so inclined.  Our last round there, we played a 2-man best ball match play, with the winner of the previous hole selecting the tee box for the next hole.  I only wish we would have been a bit more daring or dramatic in our selections. 

[John_Conley]

Did Willie say "One hole is a Par 23 and the other day I almost birdied it".

Probably.  And I think another one was that par is whatever he shot that day.

[Doug Wright]

Sheep Ranch? Or is that even a golf course?

[Tommy Williamsen]

Until recently Swinley Forest didn't even have scorecards.