Which par 3s would you gladly take a 4 on?

[Pete_Pittock]

surprised to see how long it took to mention TPC Sawgrass #17 (and its spawn).
I'd add 16th at Carnoustie and 17th Pebble Beach.
Dithering on Pasatiempo 18.



Edited because I listed the wrong hole number at Carnoustie.

[Brian Finn]

• 13th at Sand Hills (gladly)
• 3rd at Carolina GC (lifetime scoring average on this hole is slightly better than bogey, but it often comes with a lot of stress!)

[Dan_Callahan]

The 4th hole at Newport CC. At 240 yards, with a road and ocean down the left, often playing into a strong breeze off the water, I find it to be really, really difficult.

[Ira Fishman]

Yale 9.

[Mark Pearce]

I saw the 5th at Anstruther for the first time last week. 245 yards blind over a cliff edge to a small green perched next to the water. Anything short hits a sloping ‘fairway’ which would take the ball towards the water too. 4 looked a good score.

This is the obvious winner here.  Anyone trying to hit that green in competition is certifiable, the North Sea left, deep rough right.  I suspect everyone in medal play lays up and tries to hit the (quite small) green with a wedge.  I have stood on that tee watching my eldest son dispatching balls into the water, desperate to prove the green could be hit.

[Adam Lawrence]

11 at St Andrews
13 at Sand Hills
17 at TPC Sawgrass
4 at Sweetens Cove

Eric — Sawgrass is kind of a good one in that if you lose your head you could dump a bunch of balls in the water. Similarly if you go in one of the bunkers at the High hole all bets are off. But equally if you were trying to play safe on either hole you’d have to hit a pretty stinking shot to find a hazard. And absent a Godawful tee shot or seventeen  putts I’m not sure how you rack up a big score on the fourth at SC

[Eric Smith]

11 at St Andrews
13 at Sand Hills
17 at TPC Sawgrass
4 at Sweetens Cove

Eric — Sawgrass is kind of a good one in that if you lose your head you could dump a bunch of balls in the water. Similarly if you go in one of the bunkers at the High hole all bets are off. But equally if you were trying to play safe on either hole you’d have to hit a pretty stinking shot to find a hazard. And absent a Godawful tee shot or seventeen  putts I’m not sure how you rack up a big score on the fourth at SC

Adam,


These are my nominees for holes I would take a strategic bogey at the tee in a match against my opponent. I would argue the 4th at Sweetens makes a good candidate as many a golfer will find their ball in a position to either three-putt that enormous green or be forced to play away from a pin on their chip back onto the green.

[mark chalfant]

17.  French Creek (Hanse)
17.  Merion's Quarry
3.    St. Louis  Eden



11.  Oklahoma City (Maxwell)
11.  Shinnecock Hills
13.  Addington
12.  Skokie

[David Kelly]

11 at St Andrews
13 at Sand Hills
17 at TPC Sawgrass
4 at Sweetens Cove

On my only play at the Old Course I came to the 11th at -1 and hit it into the Hill bunker.  I walked off the green at +1.

[Buck Wolter]

Two holes in St Louis about a mile apart come to mind Glen Echo #11 (244 Yards) and Normandie #18 (250 yards) --both Foulis courses from early 1900's, makes me wonder why long 3's are so rare today as they had to be drive and chip for most when they opened, let alone today. GE has a Par 4 on the front that is ~10 yards longer and I think an easier 3.


Concur with #2 at Kingsley but not #9 --I think the difference is # 2 requires a straight shot where #9 requires distance control and you can't go long or anything is possible. My guess is I have more birdies on 9 than any other hole there and more others on #2.


Paiute Wolf has an Island green in a blustery Desert setting -- what could go wrong? The day I played it was a 30 mph cross wind.


Midland Hills Eden hole is a nemesis of mine

[John Kavanaugh]

11 at St Andrews
13 at Sand Hills
17 at TPC Sawgrass
4 at Sweetens Cove

On my only play at the Old Course I came to the 11th at -1 and hit it into the Hill bunker.  I walked off the green at +1.

Starting this thread was a long way to go for a classic subtle brag. I admire your skills.

[Pete_Pittock]

14th at Pacific Dunes.
15th at Bandon Dunes.
Lots of times my card will show an X, but that's just Roman numerals.


 Maybe Ed Oden can chime in on others at the complex.

[John Kirk]

Pasatiempo #3 is a very difficult par.  Your chances may be better if you lay up intentionally, but trying to hit the green is such an enjoyable challenge.

[Mark Hissey]

Shinnecock 11. Kills me every time.

[Brock Lynch]

Not so much gladly, but more realistically:

#6 & #18 at Brora,  #16 & #17 at Golspie,  #17 at Tain

#16 & #17 at Lincoln Park, San Francisco

Good call on Lincoln Park's closing par 3's. I might try for a 3 on #16, but definitely take a 4 on #17 and move on. Top 5 view on the 17th tee though.


Others I've played...


PGA West #13. Green looks so small running away from you and against the water. I think making a 3 on #6 is less difficult.
Ganton #17. Made 4 there and was very happy.
La Purisima #17. Those that have played there know. Yes, I've seen plenty of 2's and 3's. But, I've also seen many good rounds lost there. Always at least a club and a half up to a three club wind in your face, played over a diagonal hazard, and maybe half a club room over the green before OB kicks in.
Tobacco Road #8. I don't know what club to hit. I might take a 4 on #14 as well.






 

[JESII]

Seeing Shinnecock 11 so many times begs the question...would you really take it from the tee and go to 12? Really?


Sawgrass 17, sure.


Charleston #11, in a blink...


But 11 at Shinnecock looks at you like it’s just waiting to catch the ball...

[Peter Pallotta]

Threes do seem the best of the pars for a question like this. I remember reading how many strokes Corey Pavin 'gained on the field' on Par 3s during his prime years -- and he gained them over the course of a season not be shooting lights out but 'merely' by playing the Threes close to par (IIRC, just a shade over par for the year). There is something strangely 'unforgiving' about Par 3s, even the ones of average length and even for the best golfers in the world. I'd probably take a 4 on every Par 3 I play for the rest of my life and feel that, in the end, I will have done pretty well.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

#3 at The Golf Club

[John Handley]

#6 at Cal Club
#16 at Cypress Point
Calamity at Royal Portrush

[Bill Seitz]

If given the opportunity in stroke play or an important match, which par 3s would you accept a score of 4 on rather than have to play?


3 holes in northern Michigan come to mind:


#9 at Kingsley Club which has basically terrorized me each time I have played it.  I may have parred it in my limited plays there but all I can remember is hitting shot after shot AWAY from the hole.


#2 at Kingsley Club. In a crosswind, this is probably the shortest hole in the world on which I would lay up.

IMO, part of the genius of these holes is that I can take four every time I play them if that's what I'm trying to do.  I think both are pretty easy fours, but the big numbers come when you're trying to make three.  On #2, dump it into the gully on the right, pitch to the back of the green, and two putt.  On #9, miss inside the boomerang, pitch up, and two putt.  Admittedly on #9, the middle shelf is challenging even on a pitch.  I've seen someone hit a pretty good shot to that pin out the middle bunker, grab a rake, clean up, walk to his bag, grab his putter, and walk to the green, only to realize his ball was back in the bunker.  Then again, I've also seen that the hole halved with birdies with that pin.  But there's definitely a fairly simple strategy for making four every time on each hole.

[Pete_Pittock]

#6 at Cal Club
#16 at Cypress Point
Calamity at Royal Portrush

If your second example means a deliberated lay up to the left, no thank you.

[Marty Bonnar]

surprised to see how long it took to mention TPC Sawgrass #17 (and its spawn).
I'd add 17ths at Carnoustie and Pebble Beach.
Dithering on Pasatiempo 18.

You mean 16th at Carnoustie, P.
Cheers,
F.

[Jeff Schley]

surprised to see how long it took to mention TPC Sawgrass #17 (and its spawn).
I'd add 17ths at Carnoustie and Pebble Beach.
Dithering on Pasatiempo 18.

You mean 16th at Carnoustie, P.
Cheers,
F.

I was thinking the same.... I'm sure it is the "Barry Burn".

[Tim Martin]

Seeing Shinnecock 11 so many times begs the question...would you really take it from the tee and go to 12? Really?

Jim-If I was trying to post a score and had the option I absolutely would.

[Buck Wolter]

If given the opportunity in stroke play or an important match, which par 3s would you accept a score of 4 on rather than have to play?


3 holes in northern Michigan come to mind:


#9 at Kingsley Club which has basically terrorized me each time I have played it.  I may have parred it in my limited plays there but all I can remember is hitting shot after shot AWAY from the hole.


#2 at Kingsley Club. In a crosswind, this is probably the shortest hole in the world on which I would lay up.

On #2, dump it into the gully on the right, pitch to the back of the green, and two putt.  On #9, miss inside the boomerang, pitch up, and two putt.

Bill- I owe you a beer