The best set of short holes

[Rick]

Ben, I did not know that!

It sure makes sense that if you have a great piece of property, the single shotters should be easiest to sort out in the routing rather than the other way around. Which begs the question... why do so many courses have mediocre par threes?

One course near me in the Canadian Rockies, SilverTip, is a case in point. All four, from the tips, are between 206 and 220, two over a pond, two not. Almost every other hole on the course has spectacular elevated tee views. Not the par 3's. So what's with that? Four humdrum, vanilla par 3's! Whatta waste!

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Rick,
Even more offensive about Silvertip's par threes is the lack of variety in distance.
6 - 208
8 - 220
12 - 211
15 - 205

You are quite right with your assessment as well, given the great lengths they went to at Silvertip to use the elevation (including that long cart ride.... ) it is amazing that there were not more interesting par threes.  I had to look back at the pictures to remember the course, whereas I remember all of Banff's threes (one of the best sets anywhere.)