What course has the best set of one shotters?

[Ran Morrissett]

I ask only because the answer slapped me in the face last Friday and yet I'd never heard it before: Camargo. It has as good an Eden and Short hole as I've seen in the States. Throw in a Redan with a perfectly sloping green and top it off with the best of the bunch: a great Biarritz. I hit an 8 iron, 6 iron, 5 iron and 3 wood, so the balance is there. The ensuing recovery shots were both fun and taxing.What other courses contend?

[GeoffreyC]

I've always loved Tillinghast's one shot holes and as a group I think you can pick Winged Foot West or East and they're both great. Maybe they do not have as great variation as having a short, eden, barritz and redan on one course but each is a particularly strong hole.  As an individual Tillie one shot hole I think nothing beats the 17th at Bethpage Black.  Although I've played them only 2x in one day, I recall the one shot holes at Muirfield (NOT Village!) in Scotland as being a great holes. THere is good variation in length and direction to the wind and all the bunkering is outstanding at Muirfield.Though maybe not the best individual examples, as a set, the 3 pars at Yale are pretty darn good.  #5 (short), # 9 (the best barittz there is), #13 (redan) and #15 (eden) are a strong and varied set of holes.  I wouldn't put them up as the best set but I love playing them.

[T_MacWood]

RanI also love the par-3s at Camargo, but I'd have to rate these courses a notch above.1)Pine Valley-So strong are these holes individually, that if you were to take anyone of these holes and place them on just about any other course, they would become the strongest hole on that course.2)Cypress Point-The most famous hole in golf,another world class and two very good par-3s.3)Shinnecock Hills-Three classy one shotters and fourth(#2)that is very strong although somewhat awkward.I'm curious how Royal Melbourne's par-3s stack up and if there are other Ausie courses with a set of great one shotters.

[TEPaul]

Courses in Philly with excellent par 3s. Merion, Philly Country, Whitemarsh Valley, Manufacturers, Huntingdon Valley; Rolling Green has three real strong ones too.

[John Sessions]

I would second Pine Valley.  The 5th at Pine Valley is the least appealing so that tells you something about the quality of the other holes. In fact, PV also has the best par fours and fives, which is a pretty good barometer of exactly where that course stands against the others.

[John Morrissett]

I am particularly keen on the collection at Somerset Hills.  Each is very good and they are well varied as a group.

[Ran Morrissett]

to Tom MacWood:You make a very good call when you talk about Royal Melbourne's par threes. Both the East and West courses have an excellent set that rate with the very best.Other courses in Australia that do too are Kingston Heath (all three of them), and of course Yarra Yarra, which several people (especially Melbornianes) site as being the best in the world. If you are coming down, please let me know. It is worth the trip at least once, as the courses are so unique.

[Mark Thawley]

For those of you going to the Renaissance tournament, I think you will be pretty impressed with the one shotters at Apache Stronghold.  #3 is the first and for good players a very intimidating green that appears to be very small and isolated from the tee.  However, there is actually a good amount of fairway giving shorter players an option.  #14 is a great redan that also gives you a panarmaic view from the tee.  #17 is really good and requires a long shot over a large wash to one of the best greens on the course, I could putt there all day.  #11 is also good but I haven't figured it out yet, hopefully this weekend.

[DBE]

Piping Rock Club#3-a 185 yard redan, just as good as National's #4#9-a 225 yarder (unknown origin-help J Morrissett)#11-a 195 yarder (unknown origin-help J Morrissett)#17-a 150 yard eden

[DBE]

Pinehurst #2, provided the silly, new tee isn't used on #9--that green is designed for no more than a short iron

[Joel_Stewart]

I've played a number of courses recently with great par 3's including Bandon Trails and Friars Head.  

[tomgoutman]

Moselem Springs.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Pine Valley.  Next question....

[mark chalfant]

Brookside in Canton by Ross. great variety, topography, grreens
#4 and #12 are especially fine

[wsmorrison]

I agree that many of the ones suggested to date are very strong collections of par 3s on a single course.  It certainly seems clear that courses with 2 or 3 par 3s can't make the list of best set.  I would guess that courses with 4 are hard to beat for it is difficult to have 5 or 6 all solid par 3s.

Courses with 4 great par 3s include

Pine Valley
Merion
Oakmont
Newport
NGLA
Indian Creek
Philadelphia Country
Lehigh
Lancaster  

Rolling Green happens to have a real solid group of 5 par 3s.  Any others?


 

[Mike Nuzzo]

Jon,
Having only walked the course once, I would rate PV's 3s as follows...

3,10,5,..14
Are they repetitive - all island greens?
What say you or anyone else?  

I'd say Casa de Campo's were great.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Westhampton,
The Creek
Garden City with the old 12th.
Yale
Shinnecock

Are some courses with very good sets of par 3's.
 

[Bill Gayne]

ANGC has a great quartet of one shot holes.

[JLahrman]

Ran, I'll second your choice.

Mainly because I think Camargo is the only course mentioned in this thread that I've played.

But they are great holes.

[Geoffrey Childs]

5 1/2 years later and I still think Winged Foot could put either of their courses up and find few if any that could contend.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

St. Annes ---next time when playing Royal Lytham St. Annes, a quick loop will be in order.  There are some very mediocre holes, but the par 3's are unbelievable.  I think only Royal Portrush is nearly an equal.  Some say Rye has great ones, but everyone at European Q school said that they were the best set that they saw all year!

[Mike_Cocking]

What about Swinley Forest?

[Steve Lapper]

Many here are forgetting (or minimizing) one of the finest collections of par 3's in the country:

Somerset Hills!

I grew up on Winged Foot's and have played many, many of those listed here, both national and foreign, but few mentioned have the total diversity and range of these Tilly quartet's.

#2 is one of the finest Redans anywhere

#8 is a stiff, yet fair test of distance, carry, and precision

#12 has few, if any, peers for beauty, deception and     simplicity among any short holes to be found.

#16 is strategic, resistant to all but a well-placed shot and ruins many a golfer's momentum.

  These easily rival WF's, Merions, Oakmonts, etc...

Now Shinny, PVGC, ANGC, Camargo and NGLA all possess superb one-shotters, and the likes of Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Royal Portrush do the same internationally, little-ol Somerset Hills more than holds it's own for par-3s (not much else I'd quickly add, BTW...)

 

[Philip Gawith]

Hoylake has a strong and balanced set of par three's - 4,7,,11 and 13. A par is always a good score on any of these holes.

Played into a fresh prevailing wind the 4th is a long iron, if not a wind, to an elevated, bunkered green that is difficult to hold.

The 7th is not as long, but still requires a good six iron and the combination of the angle of the green and the direction of the wind make it a hard target to hit.

The 11th is the prettiest hole on a not very pretty course. With the wind coming off the sea, only a good medium-long iron will hit the putting surface.

The 13th is short, downhill, from an elevated tee, but the postion of the front bunker can make it devilishly difficult to hit and stay on.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I'd second Rye and also put in a word for Royal County Down.  The best collection of par 3s within 25 miles of my home is Cavendish (late Mackenzie) although it doesn't have a long one-shotter.

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