Benched Par 3’s

[Niall C]

I think the definition of a benched green is one that is built in to the side of a slope, as simple as that. You get them on Victorian and early 1900's courses that are still around and haven't had a makeover and I personally think they are great. Yes, nothing natural about them but when you have an open inland landscape and the only earth moving are tees and benched style greens I think that's really cool.

Examples; Bridge of Allan, Skelmorlie, Greenock Whinhill

Niall

[Charlie Goerges]

Ok, fair enough, I guess I was only really thinking about those greens benched into a fairly steep slope. If we're going to count greens on a gradual slope with a bit of cut and fill, that really opens up a lot of possibilities.

[Sean_A]

Sean -

Thanks for the pics.


Any chance third one is #3 at Pasatiempo?

The two before the last pic are #6 at Royal Dornoch.

DT

No, Prestbury.

The 2nd and 3rd from last are 5 & 6 Dornoch.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

Thanks Sean.
What hole is featured in the first picture?
To me, that's beautiful.
Peter.

3 Leckford Old. The club has done an exceptional job of maintaining the original Colt concepts except for the bunkering. I strongly encourage anyone interested in Colt to see Leckford Old. Many of the greens are variations of the bench style. Superb stuff.


Ciao

[Ira Fishman]

The existence of bad examples does not and should not mean that good examples aren't worthy of comment.


I'll throw a par 4 example into the mix, the 13th at Elie, many people's favourite hole on the course, and one of the best green sites in Scotland, for me anyway.

13 at Elie is an absolutely brilliant hole.


I am curious about the definition and examples of benched Par 3s. I didn’t think of RD6 as one. Do any of the Par 3s at Ballyneal count? Number 8 at Castle Stuart?


Thanks.

[Matt Schoolfield]

I'm a bit confused by this post, and where it's gone... I've always assumed this type of green is fantastic for strategic design.

While playing directly into a benched green isn't my favorite (see: #18 at Pacific Grove), I really think the simplicity of an angle kicking toward the green, and an opposite angle kicking away is a very useful paradigm for creating strategy.

I can think of #2 at Pasatiempo is an icon of this type of design. With the kicker short-right, it allows a ton of strategy to access the green without taking on the hire risk opposite side (photo here).

With a built in default "safe" side, and a built in "dangerous" side, I assume the architect has a lot more freedom to play with dispersion patterns and expectations on where one ought to hit it.

[Sean_A]

The existence of bad examples does not and should not mean that good examples aren't worthy of comment.


I'll throw a par 4 example into the mix, the 13th at Elie, many people's favourite hole on the course, and one of the best green sites in Scotland, for me anyway.

13 at Elie is an absolutely brilliant hole.


I am curious about the definition and examples of benched Par 3s. I didn’t think of RD6 as one. Do any of the Par 3s at Ballyneal count? Number 8 at Castle Stuart?


Thanks.

Why don’t you think 6 Dornoch is a bench green? Seems like a classic example to me. Same idea as 3 Leckford Old. High side left, low side right.

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

"While playing directly into a benched green isn't my favorite"

Matt S. -

I agree. I think this type of green works best when the slopes are on the sides of the green rather than front & back. In fact, I would not consider a green like #18 at Pacific Grove to be "benched." 

DT   

[Ira Fishman]

The existence of bad examples does not and should not mean that good examples aren't worthy of comment.


I'll throw a par 4 example into the mix, the 13th at Elie, many people's favourite hole on the course, and one of the best green sites in Scotland, for me anyway.

13 at Elie is an absolutely brilliant hole.


I am curious about the definition and examples of benched Par 3s. I didn’t think of RD6 as one. Do any of the Par 3s at Ballyneal count? Number 8 at Castle Stuart?


Thanks.

Why don’t you think 6 Dornoch is a bench green? Seems like a classic example to me. Same idea as 3 Leckford Old. High side left, low side right.

Ciao

Well, yes, I guess that is a Sideways Bench. I was thinking more like the photo that Jeff W posted.

[Kalen Braley]

DT,
It’s actually a bit more like this:

Generally, the cut material taken is used to fill below the new green.
Cheers,
F.

I think there is confusion on the terms "benched".  This drawing by Marty is how I would define it, where the slope is basically unusable otherwise.

If we're including all holes with low areas in front of the green, and high areas behind it, then that is a vastly different scope as there are basically countless greens complexes like that.

[Ben Sims]

Kalen,


Yeah there’s alot of examples here that don’t fit what I was getting at. The three holes in the OP are most analogous to what I was thinking. Feast or famine small targets situated sideways on an unusable slope.


I wasn’t really asking about a hole like Cruden Bay #4

[Michael Felton]

https://brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk/brancepeth-the-course/hole-9/

For an example of a par 3 with a benched green (at least I think). It's a cracker and a brute - from Brancepeth Castle near Durham in the NE of England.

[Sean_A]

DT,
It’s actually a bit more like this:

Generally, the cut material taken is used to fill below the new green.
Cheers,
F.

I think there is confusion on the terms "benched".  This drawing by Marty is how I would define it, where the slope is basically unusable otherwise.

If we're including all holes with low areas in front of the green, and high areas behind it, then that is a vastly different scope as there are basically countless greens complexes like that.

Exactly my point. You draw a different line as to what qualifies as a benched green. I don’t believe the starkness is required to be benched.  It I can accept Ben is talking about a small subset of the genre.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

https://brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk/brancepeth-the-course/hole-9/

For an example of a par 3 with a benched green (at least I think). It's a cracker and a brute - from Brancepeth Castle near Durham in the NE of England.

I'm due there next month.  That's such a hard hole.  I didn't think of it as benched but on reflection, it must be.  The 8th there is a great short par 4, too.

[Stewart Abramson]

Isn't Royal Dornoch #6 a bit unusual in that there is both left to right slope and back to front slope?  Is it more common to have a bench that is either a  back to front  or  side to side rather than both?



Royal Dornoch #6 par 3





Airway Meadows #11 par 3 back to front hill





Pasatiempo #2  green right to left slope

[Michael Felton]

https://brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk/brancepeth-the-course/hole-9/

For an example of a par 3 with a benched green (at least I think). It's a cracker and a brute - from Brancepeth Castle near Durham in the NE of England.

I'm due there next month.  That's such a hard hole.  I didn't think of it as benched but on reflection, it must be.  The 8th there is a great short par 4, too.

To be honest I wasn't 100% sure since the beginning of the green kind of flows on from the apron, but the website says it was dug out of the hillside by hand, so that was good enough for me. Have fun! I played it a lot when I was at university. Always enjoyed myself. The par 3s are ridiculously difficult, between 5, 9 and 10 where 10 is the shortest at about 202 I think.

[Sean_A]

DT,
It’s actually a bit more like this:

Generally, the cut material taken is used to fill below the new green.
Cheers,
F.

I think there is confusion on the terms "benched".  This drawing by Marty is how I would define it, where the slope is basically unusable otherwise.

If we're including all holes with low areas in front of the green, and high areas behind it, then that is a vastly different scope as there are basically countless greens complexes like that.

Exactly my point. You draw a different line as to what qualifies as a benched green. I don’t believe the starkness is required to be benched.  I can accept Ben is talking about a small subset of the genre.

Ciao

[Matthew Lloyd]

Is Sand Hills #4 a benched green?
Trying to better understand this concept

[Thomas Dai]

Dealing with run-off or rain running down from above onto the putting surface is an issue with benched or simple cut-n-fill type greens.
Not only are washouts possible but even water gradually seeping down a slope onto a putting surface will impact playing conditions.
Careful shaping or drainage above the 'cut' can help as can a wee channel around the base of the 'cut' that diverts any run-off away from the putting surface. There are likely other options too.
With steep sides walk-on and walk-off points to the next tee can also be restricted.
And then there's the severity of slope mowing, bunker maintenance including repairing washout damage and probably a myriad of other issues too.
atb

[Steve Lapper]

An absolute example of a brilliant "benched" Par 3 would be #17 at Friars Head.

[Ally Mcintosh]

205 uphill yards.
3 is a welcome score
9 at The Goat

Looks fake and good 💁.

Ciao

Personally, the above is what I consider a benched green: rudimentary / functional cut and fill (as per Marty’s diagram) on a consistent slope both below and above, not just a raised green at the bottom of a slope, as per many of the examples given after.


Yes it looks fake. Does it look good? Not to my eyes but there is a certain attractive simplicity… more importantly, does it play well? Generally no it doesn’t. A steep rise at the front giving no ability to land short. And a steep rise at the back meaning the play is often just to bang it in there and hope it comes back down.


There are plentiful examples in Ireland on good courses, always built by locals, sometimes to Hackett designs. Specifically there are two on courses I am working on: 4 at Strandhill and (old) 7 on the Hackett 18 at Carne. Neither of these are good green sites / complexes.

[Eric Smith]

When I dream about Pennard I'm reminded of my affinity for the par 3 11th particularly its benched green. Apart from the view, the cows, etc., the very real anxiety of having to play from the back of the green to a front pin location is what I remember most! These feels are what I think grab hold of us.

[Sam Morrow]

Bluejack National has a really solid par 3 benched into the hill up the old 16th fairway from the Blaketree National days.

[Peter Sayegh]

Thanks Sean.
What hole is featured in the first picture?
To me, that's beautiful.
Peter.

3 Leckford Old. The club has done an exceptional job of maintaining the original Colt concepts except for the bunkering. I strongly encourage anyone interested in Colt to see Leckford Old. Many of the greens are variations of the bench style. Superb stuff.


Ciao

Thanks. I'll look into it.

[Frank M]

Does Aberdovey's 12th count?

Video Here


Apart from being a lovely hole, I think people praise benched par-3s as they provide for the hero opportunity.