Best Non-Private and Non-Resort Par-Three Courses?

[Philip Hensley]

Knight's Play is a 27-hole, lighted par 3 with a large driving range. During the warmer months the place is open until midnight and is always busy.


http://www.knightsplay.com/







I think one of the main problems with a public par 3 course, especially one attached to a "regular" course, is consumers conflating price and value. To play the Cradle at Pinehurst it is $50. Yes you can go around as many times as you want, but I suspect that most go around 1-2 times. That would take at most 2 hours. $50 will get you 18 holes (4+ hours) of golf at a "regular" public course anywhere in the area (excluding resorts like Pinehurst or Mid Pines/Pine Needles). Most golfers would want the "regular" golf experience for that price.


Maintaining 9 holes at a high-end par 3 isn't drastically cheaper than treating 9 holes at a typically public access course. So you would have to charge a cost that would make it financially feasible to maintain that and still make money.

[Tom_Doak]

Yes, the real question is whether these places can make money.


[Hint:  At $10 a pop, they aren't going to bank a lot of profit.  Hell, miniature golf courses in Traverse City charge that much.]


Bandon Preserve prints money, because they get away charging a premium price because the proceeds go to charity.  They also have something of a captive audience, the other options at the resort are expensive, too.  Likewise for The Cradle . . . the cost of everything is higher at a high end resort, just because.


And I honestly don't know what Ballyneal charges for The Mulligan, but it's either that or go around nine holes of the big course again, so I'm sure it's priced accordingly.


A stand-alone facility is an entirely different deal, and there is a lot more pressure on the price.

[Kyle Casella]

I don't think it will top any "best" lists but for an "authentic" par 3 experience, the Heroes Course at the VA in West LA is a pretty cool spot for a quick afternoon walk. $5 for veterans and $12 for the public. The greens are micro sized so it is excellent practice. I think it's 1100 yards. The longest hole might be ~170.