Best collection of par 3 holes in the world

[Mark Bourgeois]

A routing that finished 10w...18w -- what finishing stretches anywhere in the world would you compare that to?

And obviously you can't have back-to-back par 3s (right?) and I am in complete agreement that 16e is "better" than 4e -- at least for this chop!

There's no conceivable routing that leaves out 3e and 4e, is there? I mean without ditching 2e.  No way 2e ever should be left out of any routing.

Amazingly, 3e is the only hole for me in the main property less than stunning.  Tough company I guess...

Mark

[Mike_Clayton]

3 east would be much better if they cut the silly tree of the right corner of the dogleg.
There is no way to leave them out because you cannot get from 4 west to 4 east

[Patrick_Mucci]

At least in the northeast it has to be Winged Foot GC.

Are you sure that Plainfield, Preakness Hills, Westhampton, NGLA, Piping Rock, and The Creek don't have more variety ?

How different is # 3 at WFW from # 10 ?
Is # 7 that special ?
# 13 ?

[Carl Nichols]

A course I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet is Bandon Trails.  I forgot about Bandon Trails and Pacific Dunes when I made my first post but they  certainly have some of the best par 3's around.  #'s 2, 5 and 17 at BT are tough to beat.  They are all stunning holes with some great greens.  I'm not that huge of a fan of #12 but it doesn't take away that much from the collection as a whole

I agree with Steve about Bandon Trails for the reasons he mentions.  In addition, each hole requires a very different kind of tee shot and has unique contouring and greenside problems (one reason to think #12 adds, rather than detracts, to the overall collection).

[John Blain]

Patrick Mucci,

Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to play the courses you listed with the exception of Plainfield. I likely overstated things when I wrote "In the northeast it has to be Winged Foot."  Turns out it doesn't have to be!!

I've played WFGC a half dozen times and thought the par threes on both course were very strong, that is what I was basing my comments on. If you tell me the aforementioned courses have better or more interesting threes then I'm not about to disagree. I just hope someday I have a chance to play them!

john

[Steve Lapper]

At least in the northeast it has to be Winged Foot GC.

Are you sure that Plainfield, Preakness Hills, Westhampton, NGLA, Piping Rock, and The Creek don't have more variety ?

How different is # 3 at WFW from # 10 ?
Is # 7 that special ?
# 13 ?

Mucci the Magnificant:

   Wheres the love for the "Shabby Chic" of Somerset Hills??? Easily tops Preakness & Plainfield for diversity and splendor!

[Gerry B]

if the criteria was not a minimum of 4 par 3's i would nominate Myopia Hunt Club - all very different in terms of length and look - and all great

using the criteria of a minimum of 4 holes it is  hard to argue with cypress point / merion / shinnecock / bel air / camargo  and i really like the one shotters at chicago golf club and forsgate

[Patrick_Mucci]

Steve Lapper,

I thought about including Somerset, but, didn't think it had the range or variety of the others.

Their set is a good set.

JPBlain,

WFW certainly has a difficult set of par 3's, but, I like the variety that comes with the others.

They contain tests for the short, medium and long iron, along with the 3-wood or driver.

When the title of the thread was the best collection, I interpreted "collection" to mean variety.

If it's difficulty, then WFW has to be considered

[mark chalfant]

both sets at  Monterey Peninsula  CC are very interesting  (thanks Bob ! )


Brookside (Ross)  140 yd  postage stamp., 220 drop near a brook, 210  over a valley to a  green with buried elephant.... great set in Ohio

CC of  Troy, Stonewall North  and Yeamans Hall  are also  neat

[Kalen Braley]

After playing Pasatiempo today I think you gotta throw this set of 5 in there....just an outstanding collection of well bunkered holes that will test short, mid, long iron and fairway metal play.

Holy hell 3 is a damn fortress straight up the hill where you can't miss right, left, short, or long.

[David Stamm]

I agree with the sentiments of MPCC Shore. Very solid set of par 3's. Riviera's are very good as well.

[Tom Huckaby]

You all think MPCC Shore par threes are good?  On the hole the Dunes' set is better, I think.

As for Pasa, those are pretty darn good too... but really up there with CPC, others mentioned in here?  Test yes... great?

Hmmmmm....

[tlavin]

Of the courses that I've played:

Cypress Point
Pacific Dunes
Riviera
Sand Hills

[Kyle Henderson]

After playing Pasatiempo today I think you gotta throw this set of 5 in there....just an outstanding collection of well bunkered holes that will test short, mid, long iron and fairway metal play.

Holy hell 3 is a damn fortress straight up the hill where you can't miss right, left, short, or long.

Agreed. What a set. All of them have ample putting surfaces, but playing away from the greenside hazards generally made the 2nd shot exponentially more challenging unless you played to a specific "safety zone( e.g. short on 3 and 8, long on 5, right on 15 and 18). Of course, given my newly developed snap hook with the driver/general lapse of golfing aptitude, I was happy to see any shorter hole where I had a chance at par this weekend.

18 is one of the best finishing holes anywhere. Why don't more course end with par 3s?!

[Kalen Braley]

You all think MPCC Shore par threes are good?  On the hole the Dunes' set is better, I think.

As for Pasa, those are pretty darn good too... but really up there with CPC, others mentioned in here?  Test yes... great?

Hmmmmm....

Tom,

Pasa does have a great set of 3's...I don't know if its a top 10 kind of set, but maybe a top 25 set??

Still thinking about MPCC shore.

[Greg Tallman]

Greg I do like 17 at Cabo del Sol alot.

And #6? #13?

I suppose 7 gets by on setting alone... but dramatic changes are in store there.

[archie_struthers]

 

I think the par threes at Rolling Green are fantastic, interesting ....some long ...some short ....some just right... et tu Goldilocks

Pretty hard not to give the obligatory kudos to  Pine Valleys'  shorties, as they are obviously intricately designed and all very different ... the quality of the greens themselves is hard to beat , and you can play some different trajectories effectively because of the size and ridges inherent in same

not to metion the sensory, aesthetic appeal, the surrounds offer a fabulous chance to experience some kind of great recovery if you miss the surface

even chipping ....an art not required here in general is in play at # 5 for most mortals ....so there isn't even that argument against them
 

[Kevin Pallier]

If I can include the spare 19th at Kingston Heath - the quartet as a collection would be "right up there" in Australia.  Agree with the RM notions though.

As for GB&I Swinley forest followed by say Sunningdale (Old) and Burnham & Berrow held some quality P3 holes that I really enjoyed.

[Andrew Mitchell]

I played Woodhall Spa yesterday, three superb and differing par 3s

The 5th plays 143 yards from the daily tees, 148 from the back, from a slighlty elevated tee.  However from the tee you cannot see the kicker ridge at the front of the long but narrow green, which gives rise to difficulty in selecting the correct club.


The 8th is 187 yards from the daily tees, 209 from the back, and yesterday played all carry to a slightly elevated green.


The 12th is 144 yards from the daily tees, 172 from the back.  Again a slightly elevated green surrounded by the fearsome bunkers Woodhall Spa is reknowned for.

Pictures from the Woodhall Spa website.

[Paul_Turner]

Meyrick Park

Paul
That came out of left field but is an extremely good call!

Andrew

They are a hell of a set and if some fear was restored back into the traps...phew.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

has anybody cobsidered Fishers Island?

[Evan_Smith]

  Granted I haven't played many of the "top" courses, but I have played a few of them.  My personal favourite set of Par 3's start with Cataraqui in Kingston, Ontario.  I think Stanley Thompson really put a lot of effort into his par 3 holes.  All of the Thompson courses I have played have outstanding one short holes and he varied the length quite a bit. 
  At Cataraqui the 2nd is 214 yards at the blue marker (but will be anywhere from 200-220 depending on where the blocks are) and plays slightly uphill to a large, well bunkered green.  He gave the player plenty of room to run the ball on and there is even room to miss left or right. 
  The 8th plays at 156 from the blue marker, usually into a 1-3 club wind to a small, upside down saucer green.  I have hit anywhere from a 9 iron to 5 iron.  It looks so easy, but the wind really makes up for it.
  The 12th is a drop shot 179 yard hole with a small pond fronting the left side of the green (the only water hazard on the course) that can play anywhere from a 9 iron to a 4 iron depending on the wind.  The green slopes right to left and a bit back to front, so there is the safe option available if you don't want to tempt going over the water.  The bunkers behind the green make getting up and down from a long miss very daunting as you're staring at a green running away from you to a pond.
  The 15th may be one of Thompson's greatest par 3's.  No, it doesn't have the beauty of Banff, but it is in such a great location that it makes up for the lack of the mountains.  It plays to a yardage of 206 from the blue marker, but the shot is uphill across a depression with the green set into the hillside that falls from left to right.  A miss left leaves a really difficult recovery downhill to a green running away from you.  Short right is a deep bunker, and an even harder recovery if you miss the bunker and end up down the hill on the right side of the green.  I've hit anything from Driver to 5 iron as the wind gets quite strong at this location on the course.  The placement of the hole in the round also makes it special.  It's such a great game breaker for matches and stroke play.

My other faves are:  Portstewart Strand, Castlerock and Highlands Links is a lot of fun too.

[Brad Tufts]

I would disqualify Myopia as it only has three, and all have an element of luck.
#3 is 250 to a TINY green, #9 is great, but a very exacting shot (not unfairly so), and #16 is pure luck (and depending on when it was last watered) whether the ball will stop on the green or not.

I would put forth Essex County Club.

#4 is 235, accepting runned shots, usually with a fairway metal.
#7 is 140, downhill, and very exacting (8i-9i)
#11 is 175 but very uphill to a tough green (long iron...4i-6i)
#14 is 160 to a tabletop green (7i) with a great story.

All have good contours, and there is great variety of lengths and elevation changes.  3w/5w, 8i/9i, 4i/5i, 6i/7i.  Slightly downhill, downhill, very uphill, slightly uphill.