Back To Back Par Threes

[Doug Wright]

Though I am sure I've played others off the top of my head I can recall playing only one set of back to back par threes--at Ballybunion. Cypress Point, which ain't a bad course or design, has back to back threes in 15 and 16. I assume there are many other examples around the US and across the pond but it seems they havent been in vogue lately (ie the last 60-70 years), have they? For this reason, Tom Doak deserves props in my opinion for having the guts to design back to back par threes at Pacific Dunes. Shouldn't there be more if the routing calls for it, or is this apocryphal? What are some other examples, and why aren't there more of these showing up at a golf course near you? Is this lack of back to back threes an accommodation to the mass production model of golf course design? Alleged "speed of play" considerations? Or what? Just curious.

Doug  

[John_Conley]

Haven't yet played it, but I think Fazio used back to backers at LONG POINT to get two holes on the water instead of just one.

Honorable Mention:  The Raven at Sandestin has an A and B hole because the previous course had a short par 4 that couldn't be kept becuase of houses on the course.  (See also - Haig Point.)

[Oat]

Machrihanish has back-to-back 3-pars at 15 and 16.

[CHrisB]

How about Cruden Bay's blind 15th and semi-blind 16th?...can't think of any others off hand.

[Mike_Cirba]

Chester River Yacht & CC in eastern Maryland has back to back par threes on 3&4.  Interestingly, they are by two different architects...Alex Findlay did the 3rd in 1928 and Ed Ault built the 4th in the 70s when he added nine.

Played there with Adam Messix this past weekend and would like to say that the Findlay nine is really a blast!  Some superb green complexes and well thought out holes.

[Bob_Huntley]

Pacific Grove G.C. Nos. 1 and 2.

[ForkaB]

There are quite a few in Scotland, including:

Burntisland (5&6)
Aberdour (1&2 and 14&15)
Golspie (16&17)

The latter pair is particularly impressive.

Also, prior to WWII, Dornoch used to end with two 3's (the current 18th on the Struie course and a 215 yard uphiller (NLE) to what is now the putting green).

[BillV]

The (CO) Sanctuary (You should know this Doug!) has consecutive par 3's that are bizarre-about 12 or 14 tee pads with two greens off at 90* angles (One to the south, one to the east).  Appx holes 5 and 6.

Really a strange sight, and not exactly back-to-back.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Persimmon Golf Club outside Portland, OR has back to back par 3's (#3 and #4) followed by back to back par 5's.

[Keith Williams]

Speaking of Tom Fazio,

I think that he included back-to-back par 3's at one of his courses at Pelican Hill.  One long par 3 followed by a real short one with two greens.

[Doug Wright]

BillV,

Haven't played Sanctuary yet. The sole owner opens the course only for charity tourneys (and, I suppose, for a few of his closest friends, of which I am unfortunately not one). I haven't had the immediate urge/opportunity to participate in one of the charity deals, though it's on my list of things to do sometime.

Doug  

[Jeff_Mingay]

I made a post under another thread eariler today about the back-to-back par 3s at Rogell muni in Detroit (D. Ross); they're the 14th and 15th holes.

Royal Ottawa, here in Canada, (T. Bendelow, with remodelling by W. Park, Jr. and others) also comes to mind. There, consecutive one-shotters can be found at the 11th and 12th.

[Jeff_Mingay]

The spectacular Victoria (BC) Golf club also sports consecutive par 3s -- the 8th and 9th -- high atop the rocky cliffs overlooking Oak Bay (a la Pebble Beach... sort of).

Victoria is a beautiful oceanside course, originally laid-out in 1893 and remodelled on two occasions (once in the 1930s, I believe, and again in the '50s) by Vernon Macan. The problem is it's very land restricted. Still, it's setting is one of the best in golfdom.

[Matt_Ward]

One of the most unique courses in New Jersey features three consecutive par-3's and each of them is clearly demanding.

Spring Brook CC in Morristown, NJ has the following holes:

#9 (200 yards) over water to a nicely protected green.

#10 (170 yards) back over the same pond to a green that is much smaller and better defended.

#11 (215 yards) goes uphill to a green that is elevated and extremely hard to hit.

Any player that goes even par through these three holes is playing well.

I completely concur that if the land permits back-to-back par-3's then so be it. Nothing wrong with it if it fits well.

Regards,

[Mark Studer]

the 16th and 17th at GreenOaks in VeronaPa just outside Pittsburgh are two fun back to back 3's  215 uphill followed by a fine downhill 178 yarder

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doug,

About a year ago I posed the back to back to back par three question, with Spring Brook being the only course I could think of.

I also asked if anyone knew of back to back to back par 5's.

[Ward_Peyronnin]

Patrick,

Been too long to remember hole #'s but on the backside of the Coore-Crenshaw loop at Barton Springs in Austin TX there are Back to back three shotters(14&15?)

[Bill_McBride]

I played a course in Bonita Springs FL, west coast just north of Naples, a few years ago. It featured two sets of back-to-back par 3's. I remember them well. Played 7 and 8 2-2; played 16 and 17 5-5 as I snatched defeat from the jaws of victory!  No idea who the architect was but the layout featured a whole lot of forced carries over swamps, and one snoozing alligator too close to a tee box.  Perhaps John Conley has played this gem.

[George_Bahto]

Back to back 3's at North Shore CC (Long Island):  9th - Redan (suckie)  -  10th Eden (good)

[BillV]

If #9 and 10 count, Quaker Ridge.  Somehow returning nines don't make it seem the same.

[ted janeczek]

i believe there are two back to back 3's on the back nine of desert highlands, as well as two back to back 5's. any confirmation? it's been quite a while since i've played there.

[Anthony_Pioppi]

Cohasse Country Club in Southbridge, Mass., a 1918 Donald Ross 9-holer has a 195-yard, slightly uphill third and 120-yard downhill fourth that resembles a version of short with a two tiered green and the angle running from 2 to 8 on a clock face.

[Gib Papazian]

If #9 and #10 count how about Pacific Grove? The remodeled #9 is so hideously out of place it looks to either be a parody of Ted Robinson or airlifted from Almaden CC.

#10, by contrast, is elegant in its stark simplicity.

One more comes to mind: #6 & #7 at Bodega Harbour. #6 is a decent 160 yard pitch to a green at the edge of a precipice, but #7 is a fairly daring modified Redan that works very well with the swirling winds up in the canyon.

[THuckaby2]

Does Pacific Grove get double-double bonus points for 1-2 and 9-10 or am I just thinking of In-'N-Out Burger?

Of course fellows, all talk of consecutive par 3's begins and ends with MY HOME COURSE, the beautiful and challenging Rancho del Pueblo.  We have 1-2-3, 5-6-7-8-9.  Top that!

TH

[Neil_Crafter]

My home club here in Adelaide, Australia, the Kooyonga Golf Club, has back to back par 3's on the 14th and 15th. The 14th is a 155 yard all carry par 3 played west, while the 15th is a 210 yard toughie played north, with an open front to the green. Two very distinct par 3's. Tom Doak, reviewed the course in his Confidential Guide and said that the back to back par 3's were a weakness and could be avoided by hole renumbering.
At his Archipalooza at Pac Dunes earlier this year I reminded him of this criticism, and he took my barb stoically. Fifteen years and the right site conditions can change your mind on certain things.
Cheers
Neil