The Best Par-3 Courses / Anatomy of a Short Course

[PCCraig]

We have a par 3 in South Bend, Studebaker Golf Course, and it is definitely right in an urban setting.  Not the best of neighborhoods surrounding it, but lots of great golf at 1898 yards, 7 par 3's and 2 par 4's. 

Nice and tree lined, very well kept for a par 3 muni which sees lots of abuse by uninformed or younger golfers who simply don't care what they do to abuse the course and greens.    They hold a summer long junior golf clinic there, and almost everyone I know in town swung their first club there (self included), and spent long 'all you can play for $3' days there as youngsters (sadly that deal is gone).    My kids enjoy(ed) going there, the length is manageable for say a 10 or 11 year old and even for the accomplished golfer there is the chance to work on the short / medium irons.

Sounds like a neat place. As a kid we could play a nearby 9-hole par-3 company golf course for $3. It was a food machine manufacturer company's course that they built so employees could go play during their lunch hour. Up until about 10 years ago it still had an honesty box.

Since I have last been there the park district purchased it and Rick Jacobson gutted it but kept the routing. Here is the link;

http://www.sportsmansgolf.com/content/view/43/136/

It caters to the younger crowd, and currently each hole has a name:

1) Friendship -The first hole is where your journey will begin and where you will meet your friends for a fun game of golf.
   
2) Honor - On the second hole, you will need to determine in what order you should play.  The lowest score goes first when playing by honor in a formal tournament.  In a casual game of golf, the person who is ready first should play to help everyone stay on pace.
   
3) Respect - Golfers need to have respect for the game, the course, and their partners' differences.  Take care of the golf course by fixing your ball marks, replacing your divots and raking your footprints in the sand.  The golf course will respect you and will reward you.
 
4) Patience - This hole will test your patience from the tee to the peanut-shaped, undulating narrow green.  If you lose your patience here, your scores will rise steadily.
   
5) Courtesy - Treat people the way you want to be treated. Be a friend in order to make friends. 
   
6) Integrity - Do what's right on this hole, and remember to add up all your shots.  Even if you think no one is looking, you are cheating yourself by making up a score.
     
7) Honesty - Being honest in life will help you earn respect from everyone around you and ultimately yourself.  You have to be honest with yourself first, before you can be honest with someone else.
     
Determination - Never give up!  No matter how high the mountain is or how big the obstacles in front of you, try, try and try again.  Remember, your next shot may be the best one of your life.
   
9) Sportsmanship - At the end of the round, take off your cap and sunglasses and shake hands firmly with your playing partners.  Look directly into their eyes, thank them for joining you and compliment them on a game well played.
 

What?! No Redan? 

[Cliff Hamm]

A few pix of  the Hickory Course at Hamilton Farm.  I can't imagine a better par 3 course.

[PCCraig]

Cliff-

Those pictures are really neat. I'm assuming Hamilton Farm is private?

[Cliff Hamm]

Cliff-

Those pictures are really neat. I'm assuming Hamilton Farm is private?

Yes...Here's a link to their website if you'd like to view more pictures of the par 3 course and the regular course:

http://www.hamiltonfarmgolfclub.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=235772&ssid=89025&vnf=1

[PCCraig]

Cliff-

Those pictures are really neat. I'm assuming Hamilton Farm is private?

Yes...Here's a link to their website if you'd like to view more pictures of the par 3 course and the regular course:

http://www.hamiltonfarmgolfclub.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=235772&ssid=89025&vnf=1

Why is Hamilton Farm's Par-3 course the only USGA rated par 3 course? Is it because it is a full 18 holes?

Cliff-

Are you familiar with the Clubs motive in designing a top level 18-hole par 3 course?

[Cliff Hamm]

Craig...No but maybe Steve Lapper will respond.

[Tom Huckaby]

Why is Hamilton Farm's Par-3 course the only USGA rated par 3 course? Is it because it is a full 18 holes?

It's not because it's a full 18 holes - there are plenty of 18 hole par three courses in the country.

I have to guess that it's because they ASKED for an exception to the rules... normally courses have to be over a certain yardage to get a rating (forget what it is - something like 3000 yards for 18 holes).  Or... can this course be stretched out that long?  If so there's your answer.

Note most executive courses who care to get it have a rating....

TH

[Tim Leahy]

Tim,

Has Sinola been worked on in the last 20 years?  I spent many summer afternoons there as a kid.  From what I remember I don't think there was any GCA influence back then?  Then again I doubt I had a clue what a Redan was at the time.

I don't know exactly when the Shackelford's took over the course, but I think the work on it was done in the last 20 years. Maybe Lynn can comment on that.

[PCCraig]

Why is Hamilton Farm's Par-3 course the only USGA rated par 3 course? Is it because it is a full 18 holes?

It's not because it's a full 18 holes - there are plenty of 18 hole par three courses in the country.

I have to guess that it's because they ASKED for an exception to the rules... normally courses have to be over a certain yardage to get a rating (forget what it is - something like 3000 yards for 18 holes).  Or... can this course be stretched out that long?  If so there's your answer.

Note most executive courses who care to get it have a rating....

TH

When you look at the Par-3 course's rating in relation to par is almost plays harder than the Par-72 course!

[John Keenan]

A great Short Course is Gleneagles in San Francisco. It has been covered here many times but needs to part of this discussion. It plays as a 9 or 18 with choice of tee area for the "front" nine and another for the "back" nine

I am a big fan of this class of courses. It answers the high cost issue that plagues many 18's, allows for beginners to enter the game (Gleneagles not a good example), and can be played in a very reasonable amount of time. Sadly they have a bad reputation.   Many "Players" cringe at the mere mention.

The Cliffs at the O Club is a great example of what can be done on a short course with creativity. 

Last does anyone have any experience with the Peter Hay course on the Peninsula?   

[Tom Huckaby]

There's no doubt that a course of all par threes would play more difficult in general than a regular course.. you are forcing typically longer approach shots on most players.

As for Gleneagles... great 9 holer for sure.. but we're talking par three courses here.  That's a par 35 (36?).

Peter Hay is there... and they have improved it.. but looking on from afar (never played the current version) it looks more like a time-waster than time-filler, let's just say.

TH

[PCCraig]

There's no doubt that a course of all par threes would play more difficult in general than a regular course.. you are forcing typically longer approach shots on most players.

Is that right? Wouldn't you think that many par-3's would set you up in an "ideal" spot to attack the green?

[Tom Huckaby]

There's no doubt that a course of all par threes would play more difficult in general than a regular course.. you are forcing typically longer approach shots on most players.

Is that right? Wouldn't you think that many par-3's would set you up in an "ideal" spot to attack the green?

Not if the architect wants to make it a challenge... but to me this doesn't matter much anyway - the much larger point is that your forcing way more 150+ shots on the golfer than he'd get at the average regulation sized-course... so many being wedgefests these days for so many golfers....

[PCCraig]

There's no doubt that a course of all par threes would play more difficult in general than a regular course.. you are forcing typically longer approach shots on most players.

Is that right? Wouldn't you think that many par-3's would set you up in an "ideal" spot to attack the green?

Not if the architect wants to make it a challenge... but to me this doesn't matter much anyway - the much larger point is that your forcing way more 150+ shots on the golfer than he'd get at the average regulation sized-course... so many being wedgefests these days for so many golfers....

I see your point about the wedgefests.

[Cory Brown]

My three favorites are:  Shorty's at Bandon, The Mason Course at Columbia Edgewater, and Cordova bay outside of Victoria, B.C.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Cory,

I only walked around the short course at Cordova a few years ago, but it looks kinda fun. It was packed with golfers, too, which I thought was great.

Of course, my initial thought was, with a little tweaking, this could be really cool 

[archie_struthers]

 


never played it , but watched and loved the par three "toonamint" at Augusta. For my money I want a par three that is fun and short , and can be played with just a few clubs and a putter. This fits the bill  for me.

[John Keenan]

Tom H and Kalen and any other Chabot 9 hole fans. I received this in an e-mail from Chabot:


9 Hole Golf Course Special
Play 9 holes of golf on our recently renovated Par 3 Golf Course with our 4 for $24 special.  We have rebuilt, added drainage and resodded six tee boxes on the course.  Bring 4 golfers and play for $24 total.  A saving of $12.   Click here for the 4 for $24 coupon.  Coupon Required to receive rate.


Pricing is not too bad i would say

John

[Kalen Braley]

Tom H and Kalen and any other Chabot 9 hole fans. I received this in an e-mail from Chabot:


9 Hole Golf Course Special
Play 9 holes of golf on our recently renovated Par 3 Golf Course with our 4 for $24 special.  We have rebuilt, added drainage and resodded six tee boxes on the course.  Bring 4 golfers and play for $24 total.  A saving of $12.   Click here for the 4 for $24 coupon.  Coupon Required to receive rate.


Pricing is not too bad i would say

John

John,

Thanks for that....been years since I played it.  I hope they just improved some conditioning and didn't change the holes or routing.  And for $6/round the price is always right too. 

[Doug Sobieski]

Any nomination for best urban par-3 course??

How about Palm Beach Golf Course. www.golfontheocean.com

I've recommended it to people that were in the Palm Beach area but did not have the time/desire to try to squeeze in a traditional 5 hour round. They used to have a professional event there with many of the South Florida PGA/LPGA Tour players participating.

[Mark Pritchett]

The Charlie Yates Course, in Atlanta across the street from East Lake, is an enjoyable Par 58 Rees Jones course that plays over 3,000 yards.  Good mix of 3 pars with a few so-so super short 4 pars.  Usually in good condition and reasonably priced.

[Mike_Cirba]

Wood's Golf Center just outside Norristown PA has a really decent 18 hole par three course which requires the proverbial every club in the bag with holes ranging from 90 to 250 yards.

[PCCraig]

Any nomination for best urban par-3 course??

How about Palm Beach Golf Course. www.golfontheocean.com

I've recommended it to people that were in the Palm Beach area but did not have the time/desire to try to squeeze in a traditional 5 hour round. They used to have a professional event there with many of the South Florida PGA/LPGA Tour players participating.

Doug-

How THAT is a cool par-3 course.

[PCCraig]

I think I was on to something 

This is from Geoff Shackelford's website:

"In the American golf imagination, the nine-holer is maligned as a Velcro-patched pitch 'n' putt, the lesser-dressed cousin of miniature golf."
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 08:24 AM
Geoff in Golf Literature
I loved Tom Coyne's SI Golf Plus My Shot piece on Irish golf and the beauty of the 9-hole round. He nails it. If there was some way we could de-stigmatize the 9-hole round, I'd sure love to hear it. (I still say a match play event with 9-hole matches in pool play would help.)

As for Coyne's book, I just received it and haven't had a chance to look at it yet. But freelancer and avid book reader Tom Mackin says this about it and John Garrity's latest:

If you're not going to Ireland soon -- despite one Euro being worth $1.30 American, the best rate in a long while -- two new books will get you there in spirit. Tom Coyne's "A Course Called Ireland" (Gotham Books) chronicles his walk -- yes, walk -- around the entire island while playing almost 60 links courses. John Garrity investigates his own Irish heritage, at a more leisurely pace, in "Ancestral Links" (New American Library). Two different perspectives on the game and the country with a shared favorite: Carne Golf Links in County Mayo.





Here is the link to the article;

http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1884019,00.html

[Charlie Goerges]

Pat I think you are on to something.

I think the 9-hole round is neglected in terms of getting the attention it deserves. I've wanted to start a topic on how to make better use of the 9-hole round. Not just for 9-hole courses, but for 18-hole courses and courses with more than 2 nines.

At any rate, I have a few ideas, but I feel like there is a lot of information I'm missing. When I get a chance I'll try to post a couple to this thread.