[Thomas Dai]

When half-par holes come up in discussion it’s usually in terms of 3.5 or 4.5 par holes.
What about 2.5 par holes?
I’ve often wondered what a very short “par-3” would be like if the green were extremely long, say 40-75 yds, either with or maybe without swales or contours, but where the tee was only a few yards or even feet away from the edge of the putting surface (ie not all putting surface).
Has this been done and if so where?
It might be a great leveller in terms of scoring. On the one hand giving lessor players a decent chance of making a 2 (1?!) while on the other hand it would be rather amusing to see a big-headed, big-ego low hcp player, someone who may be expecting to make a 2 on the hole, take a 4 instead!
What about maintenance considerations?
Thoughts?
Atb

[Tal Oz]

Thomas, does the short 15th at LACC North fit your criteria? It can play as short as 75y but with that boomerang green, even the best players may wish to walk away with a 4 

[John Kavanaugh]

The eighth at Trinity Forest fits the bill perfectly. At no more than a 110 yd carry from the back tees to a double punch bowl green anything over a 2 is a miss. Just this weekend I produced 2, 4, 2, 2....feels like 2.5.

[Brad Tufts]

I was recently at Sand Valley and the Sandbox has a few of these.


Most of the holes are 80-110, but there are three or four holes that are under 65 yards with large greens.  One could play every hole with a putter (we played all with wedges), but on these three holes a putter was probably the preferred play.  Definitely par 2.5s!

[Thomas Dai]

Thanks for the examples guys.
I’m thinking of a hole that is circa 90% putting surface, say 5-10 yards of fairway between the tee and the front edge of the putting surface and then 45-90 yards of purely putting surface.
So a pin could be right at the back of the green and you’d be playing a 40-80 yd hole but you could also place the pin only a few feet onto the very front of the green and thus be playing only a very short chip/pitch. And of course the pin could be placed anywhere in between.
Atb

[Tom_Doak]

The closest I have come to that is the 5th at Streamsong Blue, which is one of my favorite holes.  When they put the pin in the very front of the green, putter from the tee is really an option - especially when the wind is blowing.  But, it's a real golf hole, not a gimmick:  most days it's a pretty difficult par-3.

[Mark Pearce]

The 3rd at Rickmansworth (originally the Moor Park Ladies course) is, from recollection, about 70 yards and steeply downhill.  Many members used to hit putter down the slope (maintained as fairway) to the small green.  Anything over 3, for anyone, was very poor.  Good players expected a 2.

[Tim Gavrich]

3 at Bellerive played to a stroke average of around 2.5 in one of the rounds, didn't it? No one made bogey - half the field made 2, the other half made 3. Not a lot of variety, but it was a pretty true half-par hole.

[Garland Bayley]

Forrest has written here that he has proposed such as Dai has asked about, but unable to get client approval.

[Pete_Pittock]

p u n c h b o w l   g r e e n     Add in green speed.


Other than that the Short at Old Macdonald is the closest I have played to a 2.5

[Carl Rogers]

12th hole at Dormie .... the putter is not an option

[Matthew Essig]

I would count 13 on Bandon Preserve as one!

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