EVERY course/club has a great par three option

[Mark_Fine]

And very few even recognize it

For years I have been a strong advocate at all the courses I work at to consider setting their course up for a day or certain time on certain days as a 9 or 18 hole par three course.  As such, EVERY course out there, regardless of its length, can play as a par three course for fun or for learning purposes,…. IF someone wants it to.

For example, during Masters week, we had nine holes of our 6900 yard course set up for a nine hole par three tournament.  It attracted huge interest and everyone had a lot of fun experiencing their course from a different perspective.  But why only do it once a year     The option is there. 

Time to start thinking more out of the same tee box (some pun intended) 

[Thomas Dai]

Splendid idea. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
I’d love to be proved wrong but I suspect that ego, vanity and the desire of some golfers not to embarrass themselves may preclude the holding of such events.
Rather sad.
Atb

[Jim Sherma]

Is this that uncommon? I know of at least a couple places off the top of my head that have Master's par-3 tournaments each spring. Outside of a Masters themed event I've not seen it done.

[Mark_Fine]

Jim,
I have no idea how common it is.  But why only do it once a year?  Again, every course out there can offer the option of a par three course IF and when they want to.  Maybe more should try the idea and see what response they get.  These days the course could be set up in literally no time including a printed score card (and rating/s). 

[Craig Sweet]

I play on a public course (Old Works) and they would never do this because of the revenue they would lose.

[Mark_Fine]

Craig,
Are there off peak hours when the course is not busy?  The course could still charge a cart fee if carts are allowed and/or a reduced green fee or whatever and see what response they get.  Maybe they start with just nine holes.  Some golfers who don’t want to or have time to spend 4+ hours playing golf might jump at getting in a quick nine holes in an hour or so.  It costs literally nothing to test the concept. 


“Come play Old Works Wednesday afternoons between 12-4 as a nine hole par three course for half price and a free beer!”  Get creative 😊

[Craig Sweet]

Old Works is, for lack of a better word, a destination golf course.  The tee sheet is full nearly everyday.  In Montana most courses punch greens in August...Old Works punches the greens after the course closes in late October...they do not want to lose a dime of revenue during peak tourist season. Last year it snowed 15 inches the night they punched the greens....They left the cores on the course until March when they had a few snow free days to blow them off. 


The locals would never go for your idea....our season is short enough as it is, and the tourist expect 18 holes on a Jack Nicklaus course...

[Craig Sweet]

One course where I worked had a set of junior tees 100-150 yards in front of the "ladies" tee.  A 360 yard par 4 would play 200 yards from the junior tees.  They would be perfect for beginners as well. They were a pain in the ass for the fairway mowers who had to get off and on their mowers 18 times to move the markers!

[Mark_Fine]

Craig,
Regarding the markers; we use and recommend flat ones that the mowers go right over.  Just like a sprinkler head or catch basin cover; no issue for the mowers.  Where there is a will there is a way.

[Tim_Weiman]

Mark,


I assume you are a fan of the Ernie Ransome course. It is unique but I think it fits for Pine Valley.


Tim

[Mark_Fine]

Tim,
That par three course at PV is great and I love playing it.  But as you know, not every club/golf facility has the land and/or money to build a separate course like that. 


We have land at my home club and I actually prepared a rendering for a Par Three course that would replicate on the property nine of Flynn’s greatest par three holes.  It has sat on the shelf for years but it did help put the skids on selling the land and made many members think about the possibilities.  Time will tell what they do.


But back to this thread, any course can play as a par three course on any given day.  There could be times/days when this option makes sense.  It might also attract new golfers.  Just an idea. 

[jeffwarne]

Old Works is, for lack of a better word, a destination golf course.  The tee sheet is full nearly everyday.  In Montana most courses punch greens in August...Old Works punches the greens after the course closes in late October...they do not want to lose a dime of revenue during peak tourist season. Last year it snowed 15 inches the night they punched the greens....They left the cores on the course until March when they had a few snow free days to blow them off. 


The locals would never go for your idea....our season is short enough as it is, and the tourist expect 18 holes on a Jack Nicklaus course...

Agreed Craig,
Creating such a course would create a different pace of play/flow which would impact other golfers not interested in playing 1/2 a course, and would impact a course charging 1/2 revenue.(Maybe there are time when it WOULD create twice as many players-a good thing)
Could it work on some courses some days?
Sure, and an event such as the one Mark describes sounds fun, but I would say only as an occasional one off.


Mark, I guess I'm becoming the resident "short course basher" but many people simply don't want to play a par 3 course manufactured out of parts of a regulation course with abnormal distances between holes. (other than a special Masters event as you describe)
Closing the course to regular play would upset many people and mixing such play in would create pace of play disparity issues.
We have an incredible par 3 course that sits empty, as does Friar's Head.


In reality, those that want this can walk up and play from whatever yardage they want, just not sure it's something a majority would want besides the occasional one off.


People consume golf in many ways, which is great, and sure this could work at certain places, at certain times.
But to alter the routing/pace for others may create more ill will problems than it solves.
We do this at our course for junior events, and our members are extremely supportive, but no doubt their routines have to be adjusted-not sure they'd be as supportive for normal play, and at a public or busy private facility I just can't see opting for less revenue and potential disruption of green fees/dues paying golf consumers preferred routine.


Perhaps I'm just not a fan of par 3 courses   in general.
I'm all for creating new golfers, not sure (potentially) negatively altering the behavior of current golfers is the answer to "growing the game"
BUT, it's a big world and it works at your club go for it.

[Peter Sayegh]

Tobacco Road used to have a par three routing within its "mother course," but I don't know if that still exists.
I know it was called El Camino. I recall seeing some "weird" stakes through the years but never heard that anyone played it, it being mentioned/offered in the pro shop or the reason it existed.
Still curious.

[Craig Sweet]

Things that I have seen at clubs where I have worked:   Glow ball night...disruption of irrigation schedule and spent Glow sticks everywhere.....Nine hole food tasting event...over flowing trash bins on every tee box.....Putting green obstacle course with straw bales and water hazards (hole dug in green and water basin placed in hole)....the previous mentioned junior tees.


All add time and costs to maintenance of the course....


Mike, your membership is okay with the added costs of setting up and taking down the "par 3 course"?

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Tobacco Road used to have a par three routing within its "mother course," but I don't know if that still exists.
I know it was called El Camino. I recall seeing some "weird" stakes through the years but never heard that anyone played it, it being mentioned/offered in the pro shop or the reason it existed.
Still curious.

It's still there.

https://tobaccoroadgolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/el-camino_scorecard.pdf
https://tobaccoroadgolf.com/course/

[A.G._Crockett]

As I wrote in the thread about starting kids close to the green, my club has put range mats on all the par 4’s and 5’s to create a full 18 hole par 3 course.  It cost us nothing except the labor, and there’s virtually no maintenance cost.  And a short course can now be rated and the scores posted as well.  It was our superintendent’s idea when we got new range mats, and the pro shop guys jumped on it immediately.

[Rob Marshall]

"We have an incredible par 3 course that sits empty, as does Friar's Head."

I would think a par 3 course would be a great place to work on your wedge game. Jeff, your members are losing out on a great opportunity most don't get.

[jeffwarne]

"We have an incredible par 3 course that sits empty, as does Friar's Head."

I would think a par 3 course would be a great place to work on your wedge game. Jeff, your members are losing out on a great opportunity most don't get.

Very true.And of course some do.
But our range has multiple target greens at wedge distances,and you don't have to find or pick up the balls, fix the ballmarks or replace the divots.

[Mark_Fine]

As A.G. said, the cost to set up your course as a par three cost is essentially nothing.  It might take an hour to put the markers out and print some scorecards. 


Years ago, I used to travel to Japan a lot.  I was fortunate to get to play some good golf courses over there. But what I remember the most and frankly it almost brought me to tears and realized how lucky I was is when I was staying in Tokyo and had a free evening open.  I got an offer from a local business colleague go to one of those triple decker ranges to hit balls.  I thought this would be pretty cool, hitting golf balls outside in a high story building in downtown Tokyo.  The place was packed but what I didn’t understand at the time was that the far majority of those “practicing” there would never, unless they were very lucky, ever get to play on a real golf course.  It was far too expensive to play on the few courses that there were in Japan and unless they were fortunate to travel, this would be the only golf they would ever play. 


Ranges and practice areas are great and a wonderful way to learn the game but there is no substitute for playing on the actual golf course. 


While we might not have the challenges they had and probably still have in Japan, many “beginners” here are intimidated to play on the real golf course.  Whether it be concerns about holding up other golfers, or knowing course etiquette or just worried about how to score (to actually get the ball in the hole) which doesn’t often happen on a driving range or even on a practice chipping area, many shy away from the game and don’t play. 


Again, this thread was just to put an idea out there.  Some might embrace it and find it great, others not so much.  Just give it a little thought next time you  are playing your home course.  You might see some cool spots that would fun to play shots into your various greens.  You might be inspired.  I know Mike Keiser was at Bandon.  He even set up “private” tees that some of the caddies knew about and showed me when I was first out there years ago that he would occasionally use when he went around.