Pebble- The worst set of Par 3's on an Open course?

[Jeff Dawson]

Taking off on Ran Morrissett's post regarding 17 at Pebble.  Could the par threes at Pebble be the worst collection of par 3's on a championship course?  BTW I won my match with Ran yesterday 8 up......and I didn't play well

[Mike Benham]

  BTW I won my match with Ran yesterday 8 up......and I didn't play well

Good job in starting a reasonably current topic so that you could drop the above "result" ... well played ...

[Jeff Dawson]

It is a rare day to see Ran humbled......

[TEPaul]

"Could the par threes at Pebble be the worst collection of par 3's on a championship course?"

In my opinion, absolutely not; they're all good holes. I was very impressed with the new number 5 too after sitting in the stands behind it and looking at it behind the ropes in the back. From the right tees the green is a pretty good double diagonal and those hazard lines are uncomfortably close. With the green's gently curving double diagonal orientation it actually pretty well replicates a number of the gentle boomerang shapes of many of those small PB greens In the wind though, particularly in the players' face, I don't think I would recommend playing it from its 195 yard tips. I think it plays better from the right and shorter tees as they had it set up on Thursday.

I was also sort of shocked to see the actual sizes of all eighteen greens. I have a sheet of the SFootage of each of them and taken all together their average size is 3300SF. That is really small.

Anyone want to guess which green out there is the smallest in size?

[Eric Franzen]

Anyone want to guess which green out there is the smallest in size?

Sure. The 11th?

[Sean Leary]

I still don't get all the criticism of the 12th....I think its a fine hole...

[Wayne_Kozun]

I still don't get all the criticism of the 12th....I think its a fine hole...

Even without considering the architecture it is very different from the other three one-shotters at Pebble.  The other three all overlook the ocean whereas twelve feels like you are playing in someone's backyard given the proximity of some of the nearby homes.

[Wade Whitehead]

It's beyond me how #7 could be included on any worst list.

WW

[JC Jones]

I like the question because it is asking people to name a US Open course with worse par 3's than Pebble.  So far, nobody has been able to do it.

[Michael Huber]

I like the question because it is asking people to name a US Open course with worse par 3's than Pebble.  So far, nobody has been able to do it.

By the same token, I'm not so sure I've seen compelling arguement as to why the 12th is a bad hole. 

Of course, it's all relative to pick a "worst" set of anything when we are talking US Open courses.

[Jordan Wall]

I like the question because it is asking people to name a US Open course with worse par 3's than Pebble.  So far, nobody has been able to do it.

Torrey Pines
The Olympic Club
Chambers Bay
Bethpage!?
Olympia Fields!?
Southern Hills!!?

The list could go on, not many courses have par-3's that compare to Pebble's...

[Tim_Cronin]

Spring Mill.

[Matthew Rose]

I like the par-3s at Pebble, at least without having actually played them.

Everyone certainly seems to be talking about them

[Matthew Rose]

I like the question because it is asking people to name a US Open course with worse par 3's than Pebble.  So far, nobody has been able to do it.

Torrey Pines
The Olympic Club
Chambers Bay
Bethpage!?
Olympia Fields!?
Southern Hills!!?

The list could go on, not many courses have par-3's that compare to Pebble's...

How about Baltusrol - does anyone remember any of them other than #4?

[JC Jones]

Now we are talking!

[Jordan Wall]

Now we are talking!

I know Shinnecock is hollowed ground on here and that they have two all world par-3's in #'s 7 and 11, but how do Pebble's Par-3's compare?

The diversity, challenge, and setting for unparalleled beauty puts Pebble in the class for an all world set of par-3's, in my opinion.

For the record, I'm not saying Pebble's set is superior to Shinneock but with such diversity being wonderful, especially in a US Open, I would love to hear a comparison from someone who has played both.

I would reckon Pebble has the second or third best Par-3's of any US Open course, at least.

[John Moore II]

I think in general they are good holes. Short iron hole, long iron/hybrid hole, and 2 different mid-iron holes. Great variety. However, two of them become nearly unplayable in these conditions. I mean, the two guys that just played #7 couldn't get the ball within 25 feet with wedges and rarely was a shot hit closer than that yesterday either. And of course we've beat on 17 and the fact that you can't hold that green with any club apparently. They're either one of the best sets or one of the worst. Because two of them are very difficult to play, and depending what you think of that will probably determine what you think of the holes.

[Bill Brightly]

I like the question because it is asking people to name a US Open course with worse par 3's than Pebble.  So far, nobody has been able to do it.

Baltustrol's are nothing special. I'll take PB #7 over Baltustrol #4 (Ocean beats a pond...) and call the rest a push

[Adam Clayman]

#4 green is smallest?

[TEPaul]

Eric's right; #11 is the smallest at 2460sf. #4 is 2520sf.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I can see where one might be a little light headed after dusting Ran. But to even think the par 3's at Pebble are anything but a great collection is well wrong. 5 is a very good midlength hole. 7 is one of the 2 or 3 best shorts in golf. The postage stamp and 15 at Cypress. 12 is incredible. 17 sits in the rare air at the top of championship golf for memorable moments. The hole as it is for this Open see a bit over the top. The holes cover all lengths, are all challenging I do wish 7 had been into the wind a few days. Down wind on a short is tough and takes a little bit away from it when greens are USGA Open firm.

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

You'll be shocked to learn that I agree with you.

I think the par 3's at Pebble are a very good collection.

Jeff, what's bad about them in terms of their play for the U.S. Open and for day to day play by amateurs ?\

What handicaps did you and Ran present ?

[Kevin Pallier]

Jeff

I believe you are refering to the "US" Open and not the "British" Open

As a collection I think they are very good and I'm sure they are a lot better than many on here...

Atlanta Athletic Club
Baltimore 
Baltusrol 
Bellerive Country Club
Bethpage Black
Brae Burn 
Canterbury 
Champions
Cherry Hills 
Chicago 
Colonial 
Columbia 
Congressional 
Country Club of Buffalo
Englewood 
Fresh Meadow 
Garden City GC
Glen View
Hazeltine National 
Interlachen 
Inverness Club
Inwood 
Medinah 
Merion 
Midlothian 
Minikahda Club
Myopia Hunt Club
Newport Country Club
North Shore 
Northwood Club
Oak Hill 
Oakland Hills 
Oakmont 
Olympia Fields
Onwentsia Club
Pebble Beach 
Philadelphia Cricket Club
Pinehurst No. 2
Riviera 
Scioto 
Shinnecock Hills 
Skokie 
Southern Hills 
St. Louis 
The Country Club
The Olympic Club
Torrey Pines
Winged Foot 
Worcester