[David Kelly]

If given the opportunity in stroke play or an important match, which par 3s would you accept a score of 4 on rather than have to play?


3 holes in northern Michigan come to mind:


#9 at Kingsley Club which has basically terrorized me each time I have played it.  I may have parred it in my limited plays there but all I can remember is hitting shot after shot AWAY from the hole.


#2 at Kingsley Club. In a crosswind, this is probably the shortest hole in the world on which I would lay up.


#11 at Crystal Downs. I haven't played it since the green was rebuilt but prior to that God help you if you were ever above the hole on that green.


On the other hand, prudence would dictate that I take a 4 on #16 at Cypress Point if given the opportunity, however I would never skip a chance to play it no matter what the stakes.  I've thanked the gods of golf each time I've found myself on that tee box.

[Rick Emerson]

I would say the original Redan at North Berwick. The day I played 36 there it played into a stiff headwind both times and I couldn't hit it either time to save my life. I can't think of any others and my opinion of that hole would probably change on a calm day or downwind.

[Jeff Schley]

Great question. I'll keep it to courses I have played.

Oakmont Blue Tees, yes it deserves two mentions (16 with wind is tough)

• 8 - 225 yds. long, long, long. You have to clear the bunker if you go straight or need a draw to get at the green.
• 16 - 215 yds. usually into the wind and you need enough lead in the pencil to get it there, but if you go over it is impossible to stop chipping back.

Ganton in UK member tees

• 17 - 235 yds. have to hit over a road into a wind (at least when I played that day) with 2 Ganton style sod faced bunkers short left and right. The saving grace is you can run it up with a well struck shot, but it is a long one.

Barnbougle Dunes

• 7 - 110 yds. damn near impossible in average wind, let alone gale force. Don't know the green size, but the effective size is somewhere between minuscule and tiny.

[Ally Mcintosh]

As much as I think Redan and Ganton 17 are tough holes, the chances of a 5 are much less than a 3.


The holes that suit this best are the ones where you could be dead if you go straight at the pin and miss (like 16 Cypress Point). Calamity at Portrush is a good example. 7 at Carne Kilmore is another (if you haven’t yet learned to aim way right and let the ground do the rest). 16 at Tralee may be another in to the prevailing wind. These are the best Irish examples off the top of my head.

[Adam Lawrence]

As much as I think Redan and Ganton 17 are tough holes, the chances of a 5 are much less than a 3.

I rather agree with Ally here. Redan is a very hard hole on which to make a two, but a safe three can be made by hitting a solid iron to the back of the green and either two putting or hitting a decent chip back up to the hole. It's not a hole ever to go flag hunting on. You'll almost always end up at the back, so just play safe and make sure.

[Richard Fisher]

If I had a day's golf at The Sacred Nine and scored less than 20, cumulatively, for the fifth hole I would be a very happy man indeed...ditto for the second.

[Tim Martin]

4 Shennecossett
5 Pine Valley
11 Fishers Island
11 Shinnecock
14 Engineers
11 Kittansett
11 Essex County Club
11 CC of Charleston


Lots of 11th hole candidates

[Drew Harvie]

I would gladly take a 4 on Shinnecock's 2nd and Jasper Park's 4th all day

[JohnVDB]

2, 6, and 10 at Royal Dornoch.
14 at Rolling Green

[Philippe Binette]

Although I've seen it for real,


5th at Pine Valley


and 10th at Pine Valley once the ball is in the air and you feel you're half a club short !!!

[David_Tepper]

Not so much gladly, but more realistically:

#6 & #18 at Brora,  #16 & #17 at Golspie,  #17 at Tain

#16 & #17 at Lincoln Park, San Francisco

[jeffwarne]

4 Shennecossett
5 Pine Valley
11 Fishers Island
11 Shinnecock
14 Engineers
11 Kittansett
11 Essex County Club
11 CC of Charleston


Lots of 11th hole candidates

4 at Shennecossett is a great choice-although I recently made two threes in an event there(my first 3's ever on that hole)

[mike_malone]

2, 6, and 10 at Royal Dornoch.
14 at Rolling Green

 I want my ashes strewn on RG14 since that’s the only way I get on that green. In major competitions it often is the hardest hole on the course.
I do have a 1 though.

[Tim Gavrich]

#2, Country Club of Farmington (CT)
#3, Salish Cliffs (291 from the tips)

[JohnVDB]

2, 6, and 10 at Royal Dornoch.
14 at Rolling Green

 I want my ashes strewn on RG14 since that’s the only way I get on that green. In major competitions it often is the hardest hole on the course.
I do have a 1 though.

Even then you weren’t on the green 😉 I’ve been on the driving range as much as I’ve been on the green.

[David Jones]

I saw the 5th at Anstruther for the first time last week. 245 yards blind over a cliff edge to a small green perched next to the water. Anything short hits a sloping ‘fairway’ which would take the ball towards the water too. 4 looked a good score.

[Ira Fishman]

Not so much gladly, but more realistically:

#6 & #18 at Brora,  #16 & #17 at Golspie,  #17 at Tain

#16 & #17 at Lincoln Park, San Francisco

Agree on the Brora and Golspie selections. I would add #13 at The Island Club and #2 at Bedford Springs. And probably #6, 9, and 17 on PH2.


Ira

[John Kavanaugh]

2, 6, and 10 at Royal Dornoch.
14 at Rolling Green

 I want my ashes strewn on RG14 since that’s the only way I get on that green. In major competitions it often is the hardest hole on the course.
I do have a 1 though.

I've never met Mike but why is he the only living guy in the history of the this site who gets a pass for loving his home course? I wish we had more guys like him. It actually makes me want to travel and play again.

[JESII]

Bring it John...we'll take good care of you here in the city of brotherly love.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Surprised no one has said, "The way I'm playing, all of them!"

[Jon Wiggett]

I don't believe there is a par 3 where 4 shots or less isn't reasonable to expect. 2nd or 6th at Dornoch, lay up chip on one or two putt. Redan, knock it through the back, chip and putt. Why would I accept the score that I can reasonably expect to be the worst possible outcome

[mike_malone]

2, 6, and 10 at Royal Dornoch.
14 at Rolling Green

 I want my ashes strewn on RG14 since that’s the only way I get on that green. In major competitions it often is the hardest hole on the course.
I do have a 1 though.

I've never met Mike but why is he the only living guy in the history of the this site who gets a pass for loving his home course? I wish we had more guys like him. It actually makes me want to travel and play again.

I love Jim’s course as well and Mark Fine’s and Rory Connaughton’s and Chet Walsh’s. I don’t think we have a Mannies gca guy.

[Thomas Dai]

I don't think there is a par 3 where I don't think 4 shots or less is reasonable to expect. 2nd or 6th at Dornoch, lay up chip on one or two putt. Redan, knock it through the back, chip and putt. Why would I accept the score that I can reasonably expect to be the worst possible outcome

+1 Jon.
The only instance I can immediately think of is a long forced carry par-3 where the drop area is from an equally or near equally forced carry position. Guess a bit like the situation many ladies, older folks and some others probably regularly face if there aren’t appropriate tee-boxes or poorly positioned drop locations.
Atb

[Eric Smith]

11 at St Andrews
13 at Sand Hills
17 at TPC Sawgrass
4 at Sweetens Cove

[David Kelly]

4 Shennecossett
5 Pine Valley
11 Fishers Island
11 Shinnecock
14 Engineers
11 Kittansett
11 Essex County Club
11 CC of Charleston

Lots of 11th hole candidates

Once played Fishers Island #11 in a gale with a foresome where a 4 would not only have won the hole, it would have been the only one to finish.  Other than that day, though, I think I'd take my chances with it.


It's a perfect Eden hole.

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