Drop shot par 3s

[RSLivingston_III]

Gullane should be mentioned. I believe that it is #15 on the #3 course and that it is about 150 yards. Sometimes a putter was the best club for the shot, depending on the maintenence practices that particular year..  Wish I had a picture.

[Greg Clark]

Northern Michigan must be the home of the drop shot par 3.  One that hasn't been mentioned yet is the 4th at Homestead - Cascades.  An excellent hole.

[Doug Siebert]

People are posting a lot of nice pictures of good drop shot par 3s.  I don't hate all drop shot par 3s, I hate what I call the "formula drop shot par 3s".  That is, they have nothing special to distinguish them, and are almost always found on cartball courses - usually the previous green is on a level near that of the par 3's green, and you take a nice long drive uphill.  Such courses often have more than one.  The designer thinks that offering a nice view is good enough for the hole, so it has little of architectural interest.  The green is round and flat, there are probably bunkers but only come into play if you miss to one side or the other.  Water may be provided if a front hazard is desired.

A steeply uphill par 3 can be a really interesting hole, but I only see them on older courses, they are very very rare in new designs.  Is there some liability concern with being unable to see people on the green if they are at the back of it or something?  Surely not, as I still see par 4s and par 5s that finish with an uphill shot...

[Cristian]

In drop shot par 3's the ball has more airtime and therefore more vertical speed upon landing. This is why, even if the green slopes and is firm and fast, there is little movement of the ball after landing, taking away a big part of the strategy and fun IMHO.

With uphill par 3's it is exactly the opposite. A downhill hole of course is more photogenic usually, which is the primary consideration for many golfers to consider the merits of a hole. I guess architects should consider the public likely to play the course when deciding on choosing to build drop shot par 3's.

To have the best of both worlds one could design drop shot par 3's which are longer (as mentioned before) or which slope down gently all the way up to the green; so the ball can be landed well in front of the green and bounced onto the surface or flown directly onto the green with more club. A great example is the 12th at RAF. The first time I played it, I hit fairwaywood onto the green which held due to the vertical speed of the ball. The second time I hit a low mid-iron shot which landed 40 yards in front of the green but ran on to almost the same spot! Depending on wind and conditions (firmness) the hole gives numerous options.

http://www.life.com/image/83450859

[Ronald Montesano]

One of the first I encountered was #13 at Park Country Club (Colt/Alison) in Williamsville, NY.  About 130 yards of measured distance, it plays into a wrinkle of the creek that dances through the course.  Unfortunately, the club website shows it from every angle save the one that best displays the hole and its features:  the tee box--
https://www.memberstatements.com/Clubs/ParkCC/Uploaded/FacilityPics/Course/Hole13.pdf

Another that I hit upon early in my golfing daze is the 9th at Taconic (Stiles/Van Kleek with an assist from Hanse).  The green is pretty thin and somehow appears much wider from the tee than it is in reality--
http://taconicgolf.net/course-information/course-photos/attachment/9th-hole/

 

[Jud_T]

Sure they're generally scenic and kind of fun, but I can't think of any I'd classify as a great hole.

[Ronald Montesano]

Jud,

What do they lack that a great hole doesn't?  Have you played Leatherstocking?  That little par three by the road is one I'd play over again and again.  So many ways to come in...the low punch, the medium drive, the high skyscraper...amazing opportunities.

[Jud_T]

Tricks,

Haven't played Leatherstockings, but its on my short list.  I have played quite a few however.

[Bryan Icenhower]

Count me in for liking a drop shot par 3 - something about making all the necessary calculations to get the right club in your hand and then executing the shot.  Here is 17 at Rivermont, dramatic drop to a 10,000 sq ft green.  With the variety of pin placements, wind that can be from non existent to stiff, it really is a cool shot to pull off.

[Dean DiBerardino]

I remember the 11th at Palmetto Golf Club being pretty good with a really interesting green.

[Jon Heise]

Northern Michigan must be the home of the drop shot par 3.  One that hasn't been mentioned yet is the 4th at Homestead - Cascades.  An excellent hole.

YUP.

Timberstone 17


Elk Ridge 10


Treetops Premier.  Twice.




A-Ga Ming Sundance 17


Black Forest has one, but no good pic.


And that's just the ones I had ready to go in my uploader...

[Steve Lang]

 

Northern Mich - Black Forest 15th


Northern Mich - Dunmaglas 8th


Favorite at Banff Springs, AB


favorite at Blaketree, Magnolia, TX


Fun in Land of Enchantment - PaKoo Ridge

[RSLivingston_III]

Next time your up to Kingsley, check out nine from the forward tees. Yes, I know... But stuff your ego for a minute and give it a shot. It's intimidating and usually gets hit less than 50% of the time.

[Jud_T]

Ralph,

I love that hole, but I don't think it qualifies as a drop shot par 3....

[JESII]

Many of these look like long downhill par 3's...is that a drop-shot?

I was imagining the 6th at Merion West...about 110 yards and 60 feet downhill...

[Jud_T]

Jim,

Yes, I'd say you need sufficient elevation change where it on the cusp of being more than 1 club less....i.e. 30+ feet....

[Cliff Hamm]

To be  a drop shot should be at least a 2 club difference.  One should fear falling off the front of the tee and it doesn't give you vertigo it's not a drop shot 

[Mark Arata]

'Next time your up to Kingsley, check out nine from the forward tees. Yes, I know... But stuff your ego for a minute and give it a shot. It's intimidating and usually gets hit less than 50% of the time.'

it doesnt qualify because it is actually a par 5, they just wont admit it......

[Steve Lang]

To be  a drop shot should be at least a 2 club difference.  One should fear falling off the front of the tee and it doesn't give you vertigo it's not a drop shot 

that's too much to ask..

if you can look horizontally and see tops of trees, its a drop shot

[Cliff Hamm]

that's too much to ask..

if you can look horizontally and see tops of trees, its a drop shot


What if it's a links style, no tree course?  

[RSLivingston_III]

Ralph,

I love that hole, but I don't think it qualifies as a drop shot par 3....

Jud,

Did you notice I said from the forward tees? That would be the red tees, but is also quite frequently the white. That big hill the cartballers have to drive up and over on the way to the green? That's a lot of elevation change down to the green.

[Sean_A]

To be  a drop shot should be at least a 2 club difference.  One should fear falling off the front of the tee and it doesn't give you vertigo it's not a drop shot 

that's too much to ask..

if you can look horizontally and see tops of trees, its a drop shot

Steve

Huh?  What if the trees are short, tall, in a valley, a half mile away...To me a drop shot indicates a severe drop in a relatively short distance. 

Do archies look to build these holes or merely accept them as easy (and ofet preferable) transitions on severe land? 

Ciao

[Steve Lang]

  ok ok ok ..  i've still got mich on my mind after a month there.. plenty of trees close and far in view

..how about one must see something on the horizontal sight line from the tees that defines the field of view and or establish the vanishing point and lines which creates "the drop shot" perspective to the intrepid golfer

or back to 1 or more club difference is all that's needed..

severe,.. define that and not have someone argue.

[Tim Leahy]

Sure they're generally scenic and kind of fun, but I can't think of any I'd classify as a great hole.

What about no. 3 at Olympic, I beileve that one has made a few greatest 18 hole lists.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Sure they're generally scenic and kind of fun, but I can't think of any I'd classify as a great hole.

What about no. 3 at Olympic, I beileve that one has made a few greatest 18 hole lists.

As it's been mentioned earlier in this thread, this hole's length of 200+ might make it more than a drop-shot.  Olympic's Ocean course has a hole (#5) that probably fits this mold a little better... it's typically a PW-8I (depending on wind primarily) that goes straight downhill.  When I first started playing this course, I HATED this hole, but that's probably because it just seemed to simple... a way to get from the high part of the property to the lower portion.  Over time, I've come to like this hole a bit because once you've got the basic information down (i.e. plays like a 130-135 yd. shot to the middle), then it comes down how much do you want to flirt with trouble to get closer to try and get closer to the hole with your teeshot.