Short par threes

[Rick Lane]

The 10th at Brooklawn is 110 to 135 yards to a narrow (about 40 feet) oblong green with very deep bunkers on each side.  Missing the green generally equals bogey.  After the ‘87 Sr. Open, Arnold Palmer called it the shortest par four he had ever played. 

[JMEvensky]

Does #12 (?) at The Country Club deserve to be in the conversation?

[MCirba]

The 6th hole at the first course I ever played (today called Scott Greens GC) is all of 115 yards, downhill from a hillside tee, to a green probably somewhere around 1,800 sq. feet (I'm guessing).   The challenge, along with the tiny green, is that it sits perched up slightly in front and the ground sweeps away to the left.   The prevailing wind is right to left and apt to affect a lofted shot.   You will almost never bounce a ball onto this green due to those factors and the temptation then becomes to over club and make sure your carry is far enough but over is not a picnic as you're left with a downhill lie to a green with a lot of internal rolls, as well as an ugly white pine you might roll under.   You'll make more 4s than 2s here (and likely 3s), despite the yardage.

[Tim Martin]

In addition to the ninth at Whitemarsh and the fourth at Gulph Mills (and the obvious recognition of Merion), there are two more in the Philadelphia area that I enjoy.


1.  Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon) #3 - (122 Yards) - A wedge over a sea of fescue to a green surrounded by deep bunkers at the front and both sides.  The tenth tee box sits directly behind.  The front bunker is flared slightly above the green which hides the first ten yards of the putting surface.  While the green is approximately 30 yards deep, the bunker and green contours deceive the golfer's eye into thinking it is shallower and a smaller target than it really is.  What should be a fairly easy wedge to a deep green is impacted by the visual deception created by the front bunker.   


2. Manufacturer's #8 - (117 Yards) - The hole plays over a quarry to a green set into the adjacent hillside.  A bunker placed behind the green, which slopes severely back to front, spells trouble for anyone taking an extra club to ensure they don't end up in the quarry short of the green.  It's a very touchy shot, and from the members tees at 105 yards it can be a very uncomfortable swing.

Rob-LuLu 4, Merion West 6 and Philly Cricket St. Martins 5 are three more Philly shorties that are fun to play.

[Rob Nydick]

Rob-LuLu 4, Merion West 6 and Philly Cricket St. Martins 5 are three more Philly shorties that are fun to play.

I completely forgot about Merion West, which is a wonderful hole bordered by the creek in front.  I've only played Lu Lu once, but now that I know what lies up at the blind green I would love another crack at it. 


All of these holes mentioned have something (green contours, hazards, natural elements, elevation change, etc.) that tend to over-complicate a simple wedge shot. For me, the 5th at St. Martins lacks any of these so I can't put it in the same class as the others.  The green is quite large and generally flat, it's protected from the wind, and the bunkers are rarely in play due to the size of the green.  Even a ball that doesn't quite make the green can be chipped up to save par or make an easy bogey.  This hole was built in the early 1960's when a few original holes were taken for residential development, so it isn't part of the original Willie Tucker/Donald Ross routing and I believe it shows.

[Tommy Williamsen]

In addition to the ninth at Whitemarsh and the fourth at Gulph Mills (and the obvious recognition of Merion), there are two more in the Philadelphia area that I enjoy.
 
2. Manufacturer's #8 - (117 Yards) - The hole plays over a quarry to a green set into the adjacent hillside.  A bunker placed behind the green, which slopes severely back to front, spells trouble for anyone taking an extra club to ensure they don't end up in the quarry short of the green.  It's a very touchy shot, and from the members tees at 105 yards it can be a very uncomfortable swing.

I had forgotten about this hole. I was unprepared for it. It is lovely. I love the way it sits into the hill.I don't know another like it.

[Carl Rogers]

Caledonia no. 9.

[Garland Bayley]

How about one I hate. #12 at the course at Boring, OR. Artificial turf tee at the edge of a cliff with a 180 foot drop to the green. I suffer from poor balance and vertigo attacks. Could not make myself transfer weight and complete a swing. After yanking a couple of balls into the woods, I conceded the hole.

[Garland Bayley]

Then there is



Milton Freewater, OR. 120 yards, grass tee back from the cliff edge. Hit knock down sand wedge which I figure flies 70 yards on the level. Landed middle of green for two putt three.

Pete Pittock has a thread about the course that I stole the picture from.

[Garland Bayley]

... relax with a cocktail pitching woo. You betcha. It’s so scenic, very playable and worth the green fee for just this hole.

$345 for 1 hole? 18*345 would be a very expensive round of golf!

But, if you are pitching woo, #15 at Chambers Bay faces the setting sun on the most scenic golf course in the world!

When I first played it in the GCA preview event before the course opened, I hit pitching wedge onto the green. Since the course opened, they have added tees to make it longer for big events like The Open. Winter 2020 Golf Journal says it can now play from 100 to 250 yards. To me that is just bastardizing the hole for the pros. However, I must admit that I played one of their open preview events at 7670 yards where I hit five iron knowing my ball flight wouldn't hold, but anticipating it would come back off the slope behind the pin, which it did, and I held closest to the pin for some part of the day.

[David Ober]

Short 15 at Lakeside. 78 yards of sheer terror when the afternoon wind is up and the greens are Kelly Cup firm. Truly one of my favorite par 3's I've ever played.




Above photo taken by Evan Schiller and on Todd Eckenrode's Origin Golf site.


As a bonus, below is my derby partner in Lakeside's 2019 "Bob Hope Invitational," Alfonso "Carlton" Ribeiro narrowly missing a birdie putt after we knocked one in there pretty tidy. Al can play a bit. Down to a nice 0 index nowadays, I think.


https://youtu.be/uRm7KYDp-WY

[D_Malley]

Pocono Manor, Hole #7
75 yards extremely downhill with a creek fronting
Their most recent instagram post has a good picture

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYedHGTgdam/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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[MCirba]

Pocono Manor, Hole #7
75 yards extremely downhill with a creek fronting
Their most recent instagram post has a good picture

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYedHGTgdam/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Incredible to think Billy Flynn designed that one but on paper it was 115 yards so I imagine his envisioned tee was on the 6th green side of the road.

[Todd Eckenrode]

Glad you posted 15 short at Lakeside David, that was the first to come to mind for me.  This was my favorite restoration piece of the project at Lakeside.  Such a fun hole and a terror with a sand wedge in hand.  Also like Kevin's mention of the 8th at Orinda.  One of so many standout holes at Orinda, and equally terrifying!