Best short par 3's

[Phil Lipper]

The thread on the best inland par 3's in the world had mentions of the typical suspects for greatness, Pine Valley #5 and Yale #9 etc. Great holes but all monsters. What's the best short par 3 in the world? To me the obvious one is the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon and #13 at Merion. The other question, a more delicate one is has technology destroyed the charm of some of these great holes? and would one build these holes today?

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Two come to mind:

Pebble Beach #7 - not sure there are any better... more scenic.
Olympic - Lake #8 (NLE) - Converted prior to 2012 US Open into a long par 3; was 130+ yds. (member play) uphill, blind shot over a gaping bunker.  coupled w/ the short par-4 7th, it added a nice change of pace to the very probable bludgeoing one received on the remainder of the holes (excluding #1 and #15).

[Jon Wiggett]

Phil,

I think this thread was done just recently but you are right it is a good topic. You might want to put a distance limit on this because otherwise you have the odd person post 200 yarders into the mix.

I will throw in a local hole to me and say the 15th at Kingussie. 96 yards drop shot over a river.

Jon

[Tim Martin]

Shinnecock 11
Maidstone 14
Wannamoisett 3
LuLu 4
Leatherstocking 12
Atlantic City CC 4
CC of Troy 15
CC of Fairfield 4
St. George's  17

[K. Krahenbuhl]

A few favorites...

6 @ NGLA
14 @ Honors
10 @ Pine Valley
7 @ Pebble
15 @ Cypress Point
2 @ Prairie Dunes
11 @ Shinnecock
12 @ Shoreacres

[John Crowley]

Seems to me that short par threes are least affected by club/ball technology. Long holes, yes, are affected by tech.

[Jeff_Brauer]

John,

Good point, but I also fear that the indecision of "between clubs" and/or partial swings is reducing, too.  Now that there are gap wedges and the old Dave Pelz swing variations, more good players at least, know how to hit it awkward distances.

[Philip Caccamise]

Doesn't this conversation start with ANGC #12?

[Tom Jefferson]

Phillip C.....Well, you might think the conversation starts with AGNC #12,  but I will maintain that it might very well start with Pacific Dunes #11, because at AGNC the club selections are from (I am assuming this from 40+ years of TV viewing) the club selection will vary from 7 to PW (+/-, of course, based on era and weather).  

At Pac #11, however, it is based on wind.....always variable, from day to day and season to season.  I have, to use my own game as an example, played everywhere from a PW to a 3W into that green!!  It is daunting to say the least, and all within the distance of 120 to 135 yds.

Anyway, it is formidable, beautiful, dauntiful!

Tom

[Kyle Henderson]

Clear Creak Tahoe #17.


Barnbougle Dunes #7.

[Ronald Montesano]

Not necessarily, Philip. Golden Bell is one of many excellent short par threes, but it benefits more than any other hole I know from a meteorological feature: the wind. It seems to always be blowing through there, affecting shots that stray right.

[Mark Saltzman]

 12 at The Country Club is perhaps the best I've seen, though 9 at Myopia could give it a run.

[Amol Yajnik]

For those of you that know much more than I do and have seen many of these holes (which I have not), what makes a great short par 3?  I would assume that on a short par 3, any carry over a hazard is not a big deal because most players will have a short iron or wedge in their hands.  So is it the shape or size of the green, the grasses/hazards surrounding the greens, or the setting itself? Pebble Beach #7 comes to mind when talking about setting, but the small green and the winds also play a part in the strategy of that hole.

[Scott Warren]

I know Ran has said that a great golf course needs at least one short four. The same could well be said for a short par three.

It adds something really special and the humble length allows for some really bold, memorable design  - DA at Pine Valley #10, the green on the Short at National, the LHS bunker at Barny Dunes #7, the RHS of the green feeding into the bunker at #16 Royal St George's, Prince of Wales hole (#12) at Durban CC, island green at TPC Sawgrass...

[Philip Caccamise]

Not necessarily, Philip. Golden Bell is one of many excellent short par threes, but it benefits more than any other hole I know from a meteorological feature: the wind. It seems to always be blowing through there, affecting shots that stray right.

I think that's part of the greatness of it. It creates indecisive swings out of the best players in the world who could literally hit 8-9 iron inside of 10 feet every time otherwise.

I love short par 3s.  They're fun for every level of golfer and every time you tee it up, in the back of the mind of every player, is the thought that "this could be the one".

I consider a short par 3 anything that effectively plays to an 8 iron or less. Would most agree?

[Jason Topp]

Barnbougle 7 is the best I have played.  110 yards but you are deciding whether or not to bail out right.  To have a difficult strategic choice on such a short hole is pretty terrific.

I have always suspected short par 3's are relatively rare in modern courses because they shorten the yardage on the card significantly.

[Sean_A]

I know Ran has said that a great golf course needs at least one short four. The same could well be said for a short par three.

It adds something really special and the humble length allows for some really bold, memorable design...  

Scott

I agree 100%.  I am surprised there are no more quite short 3s.  

I haven't seen a better example than Troon's Postage Stamp.  When folks talk about the Open there practically the first thing said is the course has the shortest and longest hole in the British Championship golf.  

Burnham's Channel Course has a Post Stamp evil twin, #8, a great hole.  

Saunton's East Course has a good shortie, the 5th.  I haven't played the hole since the green was worked on though.  

Addington's 11th is good, but instead of moving up to the ladies tee, the knucklheads I play with don't get it and always want to move back to the 135 yard tee.  There is no accounting for taste.

Painswick's 10th must be mentioned in any conversation about shorties.  110 blind yards to a green which makes the Postage Stamp look like a football pitch.  There is also the 5th, the longest 102 yard hole known to me.

Ciao

    

[Michael Goldstein]

Scott & Jason - you guys have nailed it.  Also, I'd add that these holes can be great whilst taking up bugger all space meaning faster and more sustainable golf.

Some other non-US examples that almost rival Barnbougle #7...

-  Pram Beach #16
-  Narin & Portnoo #17
-  13th Beach #16

and a couple of US examples:

- LACC North
- CPC 15

[Ben Jarvis]

I'll second Goldy's nomination for the short 16th on the Beach Course at 13th Beach. It certainly doesn't get as much air play on this site as #7 at Barnbougle, but those that have played both always draw comparisons.

Some of my nominations include;

- #7 Royal Melbourne West
- #7 Royal County Down
- #7 Barnbougle Dunes
- #10 Kingston Heath
- #16 13th Beach (Beach Course)
- #15 Cypress Point
- #15 Pasatiempo

[Mark Pearce]

The 9th at Silloth is a very good example at 120 yards.  More frightening when, as happened at BUDA in 2012, good players have to hit long irons or woods to reach!

[Thomas Dai]

Just a few UK&I not mentioned so far plus one thoroughly endorsed (and one later added) -

6th and 10th at Royal Dornoch
4th at Nairn
2nd and 6th at Golspie
Cullen, several holes
7th and 9th at Cruden Bay, St Olaf course
8th at Royal Aberdeen
3rd at Montrose
2nd at Long Ashton
7th and 10th at Tadmarton Heath
6th and 10th at Frilford Heath (Green)
8th at Burnham & Berrow, Channel course (endorse Seans nomination above)
12th at Okehampton
5th at Westward Ho!/RND
9th at Kington
14th at Royal Porthcawl
5th at Lahinch
3rd, 4th and 9th at Castlerock, Bann course
3rd at Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
17th at Enniscrone

All the best

Photos of some.

Below - 8th at Burnham & Berrow Channel Course - 117 yds of evil


Below - 17th at Enniscrone - 149 yds


Below - 3rd at Castlerock, Bann Course - 95 yds


Below - 7th at Tadmarton Heath - 137 yds

[Ally Mcintosh]

This is a great (and unheralded) one... 96 yards from the back tee and a very scary shot

[Mark Pearce]

1st at Huntercombe is another good example.  Semi-blind to a seriously tricky green which slopes away from uyou.  Requires a very precise short iron for your first shot of the round.

[Scott Warren]

Thomas,

I guess you must have a fairly loose definition of "best" if there are 25 you've played in GB&I alone that qualify!

[Thomas Dai]

Thomas,
I guess you must have a fairly loose definition of "best" if there are 25 you've played in GB&I alone that qualify!

Scott,
I just like par-3's, and short ones in particular, and with a bit more thought I could come up with an even longer list! Don't worry I'm not planning to!. Short par-3's are IMO just great fun, such variety, a howling gale knock-down with a long/mid-iron or a bump-n-chase with a hybrid, or maybe a downwind smash for spin/stop with a short-iron/wedge/SW/LW. Fun time! So many possibilities as to how to play each one. In fact, my first GCA thread was entitled 'If golf were only played on par-3's' - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,54964.msg1272174.html#msg1272174
All the best