Par 3's

[Patrick_Mucci]

That hit all 4 compass points



In an earlier thread about "wind" the subject of par 3's arose.


What courses have four par 3's that hit all 4 compass points ?

[David_Tepper]

Brora

[Thomas Dai]

Golspie (5)
Perranporth (3)


Both Mr Braid


atb

[David_Tepper]

"Golspie (5)"

Thomas D. -

How could I have forgotten about Golspie? I have only played the course 60-70 times or more! (and been a member since 2002)

DT

[Tyler Kearns]

Patrick,


I believe having the one-shotters play to all points on the compass was an ideal design tenet held by Donald Ross.


TK

[Ally Mcintosh]

Brora

Considering Brora is a straight out and back aside from the two par 3's that play perpendicular in the middle of each nine, this is maybe the perfect example.

Although in my book it's more important to have different lengths in terms of club chosen.

[Tim_Weiman]

Both courses at Ballybunion come pretty close.

[David Whitmer]

Pinehurst #2.

Skokie has five par 3s...four go in different directions, but #12 joins #2 in heading west.

Pacific Dunes also has five that hit roughly all compass points...#11 and #17 both head north.

As nice as that type of par 3 variety is, it takes a back seat for me to variations in length. I played Butler National a few years back, and if memory serves I hit a 4-iron into all four par 3s. Were the distances roughly the same, or did the wind create the need for a 4-iron each hole? I don't remember. Perhaps the two are intertwined.

[Cliff Hamm]

Baltusrol Lower

[David_Tepper]

"As nice as that type of par 3 variety is, it takes a back seat for me to variations in length."

David W. -

I agree totally. Having 4 par-3's on a course that only needs one or two clubs to play them does not make much sense to me.

DT

P.S. I should add that one of the reasons I like the five par-3's at Golspie so much is that you usually have to use at least 4 different clubs to play them.

[Doug Siebert]

"As nice as that type of par 3 variety is, it takes a back seat for me to variations in length."

David W. -

I agree totally. Having 4 par-3's on a course that only needs one or two clubs to play them does not make much sense to me.

DT

Totally agree.  That's my biggest knock on my home course (OK second biggest after the ridiculous number of trees that have been added in the past 30 years) which has four par 3s that from the back tees play 199, 204, 199 and 195.  While they are partially redeemed by the fact that they play in three different directions, they could cut down a couple trees and extend the back tees on one to 230-240. Combine that with moving the tees up on one of the other three randomly (they already do occasionally for the double island green hole when it is on the alternate tees) and they'd avoid the possibility of hitting a mid iron on all four of them when the wind is down.

[mike_beene]

On the flip side, several long par 3s seem to be necessary to test the longer irons which the par 4s don't do so much anymore

[Jeff Bergeron]

In my limited experience:


Orchard Lake (Allison)
Bloomfield Hills (Colt)
Oakland Hills South (Ross)
Oakland Hills North (Ross)
Franklin Hills (Ross)


Is this that unusual?

[Jeff Bergeron]

How about courses that all the par 3s are on even or odd holes? A strategic element for foursomes.


Bloomfield Hills
Oakland Hills South

[Jon Cavalier]

Friar's Head has four excellent par 3s playing to all four points of the compass.

[Sean_A]

"As nice as that type of par 3 variety is, it takes a back seat for me to variations in length."

David W. -

I agree totally. Having 4 par-3's on a course that only needs one or two clubs to play them does not make much sense to me.

DT

P.S. I should add that one of the reasons I like the five par-3's at Golspie so much is that you usually have to use at least 4 different clubs to play them.

Yes, factoring in the normal wind, yardage differences are more important to me than wind direction.  In a perfect world yes, wind different direction is good, but I would be more concerned with making sure the 3s help create (linking holes) good sets of 4s and 5s (if necessary) because any archie on practically any piece of land should be able to come up with a good or at least interesting short hole. 


Ciao 

[Steve Lapper]

Somerset Hills, the site of AWT's finest collection of sporty (and probably most beautiful)  threes.

[paul cowley]

Diamante Dunes couse

[PCCraig]

Town & Country in St. Paul


#2 goes west
#3 goes east
#11 goes north
#14 goes north
#18 goes south

[Ken Moum]

"As nice as that type of par 3 variety is, it takes a back seat for me to variations in length."

David W. -

I agree totally. Having 4 par-3's on a course that only needs one or two clubs to play them does not make much sense to me.

DT

P.S. I should add that one of the reasons I like the five par-3's at Golspie so much is that you usually have to use at least 4 different clubs to play them.

Variation in length is one of the things I talk about enough to piss off almost anyone who'll listen.  It applies to par fours and fices as well. 


My home course (a Ross) has threes of 130, 160, 170, 205 and the middle two are in opposite directions. They only cover four compass points, missing due south.


Elie's par fours vary by 212 yards. 
[/size]
[/size]David, FWIW, the first time I played Golspie this summer, I hit driver on both 6 and 16

[Ben Attwood]

Littlestone. A fine set they are too.

[mike_malone]

Rolling Green has 5 that go in 6 directions

[Patrick_Mucci]

Rolling Green has 5 that go in 6 directions

 
Mike, I was decent at math, but, you'll have to explain the 5 holes that go in 6 directions for me.
 
Thanks

[Don Jordan]

Wanneroo golf club in Western Australia fits the bill and has a good blend of club selection requirements. It does not have a designer listed, pretty sure it was built by the members in the early 70's. I was a member there for a while.

[Kevin Lynch]

Ballyhack hits all four, and also provides the variety of clubs, elevation changes, green shapes, etc that I'm looking for.