Course design you dislike.

[Freewaytom]

It’s usually into wind too, as 15 is basically a 3iron off the blues. In the Bowood bowl it’s just a hit and hope on 16.

No need for the middle bunkers at all.

The green design is also garbage as you can’t see the bottom of the hole.

I’m a big fan of bowood, and think it’s the best in Wiltshire but 16 is terrible

I've played bowood a number of times, and am also a big fan. I like the idea of 16 however I don't think it works not because of the centre line bunkers, but because they are paired with a very well protected green that requires a wedge in to hold. It means for most golfers it should be played as lay-up, lay-up, wedge onto green, as if you were to hit the green with a long club it would probably roll off anyway.

I think if the green were more get-able, it would be a better hole. without the centre bunkers it would be yet another 400y straightish par 4 on that course.

I'm not a fan of par 3s over 18 holes that are all the same length, I want to be challenged with different distances off the tee on par 3s.

 

[TheDoctor]

Not a fan of blind shots, but once I have played a course I am usually okay with it

The worst one I think is a blind par 3 - played one last year (Ravensworth) and I didn't enjoy the course anyway, but that hole was more than enough to make me not want to go back

 

[Orikoru]

Not a fan of blind shots, but once I have played a course I am usually okay with it

The worst one I think is a blind par 3 - played one last year (Ravensworth) and I didn't enjoy the course anyway, but that hole was more than enough to make me not want to go back

Blind par 3s are just silly. There's one on Pinner Hill near me that we've mentioned on the forum a few times. Well over 200 yards but straight downhill, and even the green itself is cut down another yard from the base of the hill. There's an aiming post (don't know if they ever move the pin but this is irrelevant since you wouldn't know anyway), and you can hit any club as long as it catches the slope it will just bounce and roll all the way down, where it ends up is pot luck really. Could be on the green or off the back, who knows.

 

[USER1999]

There is a blind par 3 at my course. I like it. Having this hole prevents us from holding too many County events, as elite players don't like it. More playing time for the members then.

 

[garyinderry]

I dont get the hate for long par 3s.


There is as much strategy in playing a long par3 as there is in playing a short par 4.

The reward might not be quite the same. You are looking to make 3 and move on. Maybe you are looking to use your shot and make a net par.

Either way. Some thought and a bit of skill in shot placement is required.

4 of them in a round is a bit of a grind I'll admit.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I dont get the hate for long par 3s.


There is as much strategy in playing a long par3 as there is in playing a short par 4.

The reward might not be quite the same. You are looking to make 3 and move on. Maybe you are looking to use your shot and make a net par.

Either way. Some thought and a bit of skill in shot placement is required.

4 of them in a round is a bit of a grind I'll admit.

I'll give you my perspective. Higher h/c, not a big hitter.

Par 5's will need driver.

Most par 4's will need driver, possibly 3 wood.

A 200yd par 3 = driver
A 190yd par 3 = driver
A 180yd par 3 = 3 wood or driver with a little taken off
A 170yd par 3 = 3 wood
A 160yd par 3 = hybrid
A 150yd par 3 = hybrid
A 140yd par 3 = 7 iron, phew

In effect, long par 3's mean no variation off the tee. That's dull, really dull.

Yesterday I played away at another course. I took irons off all 4 par 3's. From memory they were between 120-140yds, lots of bunkers, small greens, bigger greens. They tested your iron play, not just your woods. Lots of fun, plenty of skill required and something different from banging another wood off the tee.

 

[JGolfer]

Any par 3 that is 200+ course I play has 210 / 228 and a 197 that plays 207 cos it’s uphill. I can hit my long irons in there, but my dad + a lot of the players I play with just have to hit driver. Very unfun.

Lack of hazards, again course I play all the hazards are between 180-200 off the tee. If you can fly past them there is pretty much 0 trouble. All it does it punish short hitters, who are already punished on 430/427/450 par 4s.

Lack of pin transparency, I’d like to know if the pin is front middle or back of the green. I have a range finder so it’s not big deal for me, but it would still be a nice indication (just have different flag colours)

Longer is harder, feel like this is becoming the mentality of a lot of courses, “just make it longer” long holes are fine in moderation as challenges, put an emphasis on positioning (think this comes from the idea oh people are hitting 7 irons 190, well no actually that’s got the loft of like 28degrees, not really a “7 iron”)

Forced carry over water, played a course where a par 3 was basically all carry over whatever, me and pops sat down and watched 4 groups all have to aim down the Cart path as the carry for them wasn’t possible, pops then had to do the same.

 

[Ethan]

I think if a blind hole is characterful and authentic, it can work. If it is jus because the piece of land they n

I'll give you my perspective. Higher h/c, not a big hitter.

Par 5's will need driver.

Most par 4's will need driver, possibly 3 wood.

A 200yd par 3 = driver
A 190yd par 3 = driver
A 180yd par 3 = 3 wood or driver with a little taken off
A 170yd par 3 = 3 wood
A 160yd par 3 = hybrid
A 150yd par 3 = hybrid
A 140yd par 3 = 7 iron, phew

In effect, long par 3's mean no variation off the tee. That's dull, really dull.

Yesterday I played away at another course. I took irons off all 4 par 3's. From memory they were between 120-140yds, lots of bunkers, small greens, bigger greens. They tested your iron play, not just your woods. Lots of fun, plenty of skill required and something different from banging another wood off the tee.

But you can play a hole differently from a longer hitter. Suppose there is a 210 yard par 3, with some room in front but tightly bunkered at the green. You are better off knocking your 3 wood up 20 or 30 yards short and having a chip from fairly close. You'll probably get a 4, maybe a 3 with a good chip. If you have a shot, even better. The low guy who has a pop with his 3 or 4 iron is taking on a much more testing target, and might hit a beauty, but equally might end up in a bunker and be glad of the same 4. And it might not be a shot hole for him.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think if a blind hole is characterful and authentic, it can work. If it is jus because the piece of land they n


But you can play a hole differently from a longer hitter. Suppose there is a 210 yard par 3, with some room in front but tightly bunkered at the green. You are better off knocking your 3 wood up 20 or 30 yards short and having a chip from fairly close. You'll probably get a 4, maybe a 3 with a good chip. If you have a shot, even better. The low guy who has a pop with his 3 or 4 iron is taking on a much more testing target, and might hit a beauty, but equally might end up in a bunker and be glad of the same 4. And it might not be a shot hole for him.

I get that but a good course, imo, tests all facets of your game. The example you give is effectively played as a par 4. There are probably 10 other par 4's on the course, what is interesting to the player about adding another in in all but name?

My driver and 3 wood are being tested already on other holes, why not test how someone hits a 9, 8, 7 iron off the tee?

In any piece about 'best par 3's they are pretty much exclusively short ones, iron shot holes. That has to say something.

 

[davidy233]

I think if a blind hole is characterful and authentic, it can work. If it is jus because the piece of land they n


But you can play a hole differently from a longer hitter. Suppose there is a 210 yard par 3, with some room in front but tightly bunkered at the green. You are better off knocking your 3 wood up 20 or 30 yards short and having a chip from fairly close. You'll probably get a 4, maybe a 3 with a good chip. If you have a shot, even better. The low guy who has a pop with his 3 or 4 iron is taking on a much more testing target, and might hit a beauty, but equally might end up in a bunker and be glad of the same 4. And it might not be a shot hole for him.

Kind of agree with this but it depends on the hole having somewhere to lay up to, Penina in the Argarve has a par 3 at just over 200 yards with water all the way from tee to green, but it does have a bit of fairway (and a bunker) short and left so you can lay up - I've played courses in the UK which don't really have that option on their long par 3s - I don't mind one long par 3 in a round but when there are four of them then I'm not a fan.

 

[Mandofred]

I just keep coming back to the Rory M interview on Dan Patrick a couple of years ago. Rory's favorite par 3's are around 150....you can do a LOT with that distance. Bunkers....slopes.....it's endless. The 230 yard par 3......not so much.

 

[clubchamp98]

I just keep coming back to the Rory M interview on Dan Patrick a couple of years ago. Rory's favorite par 3's are around 150....you can do a LOT with that distance. Bunkers....slopes.....it's endless. The 230 yard par 3......not so much.

I agree.
We have two on the 200yd mark.
Our fourth hole is 208yds off the back tee and is the hardest hole on the card to par. But si6.
Up hill slopes left and right and lots of the members can’t reach with driver.
The others are.
176 yds
190yds
166yds.
All good holes ,

 

[garyinderry]

That course goes too much the other way. I'd likely hit no more than pw 9 or 8 at those.

I'm not long. Just have strong lofts these days. Lol



You need a mixture of par3s. 140 is far too short as the longest of 4 par 3s on a course.

 

[birdyhunter]

I just keep coming back to the Rory M interview on Dan Patrick a couple of years ago. Rory's favorite par 3's are around 150....you can do a LOT with that distance. Bunkers....slopes.....it's endless. The 230 yard par 3......not so much.

I agree, you only have to look at great par 3s... 17th at Sawgrass, Postage Stamp at Troon, 12th at Augusta, among others are all less that 150 yards but the most talked about and occasionally card wrecking par 3s in golf. Wonderful par 3 holes that I'd watch all day, rather than a 230 yard flat slog.

 

[KenL]

There are no famous long par 3s in golf.
Except maybe 16 at Carnoustie and that is a crap hole!

 

[Slime]

There are no famous long par 3s in golf.
Except maybe 16 at Carnoustie and that is a crap hole!

Except may one ................................ at 437 yards!

 

[KenL]

Except may one ................................ at 437 yards!

A novelty hole, not a serious hole.
Did you see the nick of the tee?

 

[Pickles]

Forced lay up off the tee rather than strategy. Played the odd hole where water came up at 200y and there was no other option etc etc.

 

[davidy233]

There are no famous long par 3s in golf.
Except maybe 16 at Carnoustie and that is a crap hole!

Not sure why Carnoustie 16th would be regarded as ‘crap’ - prevailing wind is behind you so it will play shorter than the 235 off the yellows that most people will play it from - if I’ve got to play a long par 3 then I’d have no problem with this one, it’s pretty fair for all levels of golfers

 

[USER1999]

I'll give you my perspective. Higher h/c, not a big hitter.

Par 5's will need driver.

Most par 4's will need driver, possibly 3 wood.

A 200yd par 3 = driver
A 190yd par 3 = driver
A 180yd par 3 = 3 wood or driver with a little taken off
A 170yd par 3 = 3 wood
A 160yd par 3 = hybrid
A 150yd par 3 = hybrid
A 140yd par 3 = 7 iron, phew

In effect, long par 3's mean no variation off the tee. That's dull, really dull.

Yesterday I played away at another course. I took irons off all 4 par 3's. From memory they were between 120-140yds, lots of bunkers, small greens, bigger greens. They tested your iron play, not just your woods. Lots of fun, plenty of skill required and something different from banging another wood off the tee.

But in your example, yes, all par 3s over 150 get a bit samey for you, but any par 3 under 140 is a wedge for a lot on here. Samey, but in a different way.