Lowest SI for a Par 3

[Slab]

255yrds par 3 8th hole at Anahita GC was SI 2 for years, I think it recently changed but still pretty low. Although that's the Black/Pro tees, so no one really plays it at that length. Into a tunneled ocean wind you cant feel on the tee, bunkers left right and rear that when stood up in them your head is still below the level of the green
(I'm playing there this weekend so I'll make a point of looking what the SI is now)

 

[Bobthesock]

At my course we have a 220ish up hill (plays 245ish) par 3 with OB left too. Right is trees then the 4th fairway. Just 2 bunkers one left one right rough and a wall long. A well hit 3w or Dr to reach that dependent on wind and how soft the course is.
Thats SI 4 I think.
Hit the green maybe 1 in 10

Unless it's up a mountain 220 will not play 245

 

[HeftyHacker]

Our 2nd is SI 5 but is comfortably the hardest hole on the front 9 and will be the worst scored across all handicaps I'd have thought.

- 220 yards so most are hitting woods into it.
- Into the prevailing wind, so often plays longer
- Upslope for the last 20 to 30 yards of the approach means its hard to run a ball on.
- small green but, crucially, also a short green front to back means that even if, by some miracle, you manage to hit it - you'll struggle to make it stick.
- steep bank with long rough immediately behind the green and path, gorse then estuary (dead) beyond that.

A 4 is a great score.

A 4

 

[sunshine]

Our par 3 6th is only 149 off the back tees, has a couple of bunkers at the front and a raised green, not an overly difficult hole and yet it's index 4!
Clearly a case of indexes following matchplay advice.

(I had my only ever hole in one there, for 5 points)

That strikes me as rather odd. Would you say it’s fairly easy to make a 4?

Most par 3’s have a high stroke index because they are hard to par but easy to bogey so not particularly fair to get a stroke in match play if the higher handicap is only receiving a few shots.

 

[Crow]

That strikes me as rather odd. Would you say it’s fairly easy to make a 4?

Most par 3’s have a high stroke index because they are hard to par but easy to bogey so not particularly fair to get a stroke in match play if the higher handicap is only receiving a few shots.

It is, but also easy to rack up some bigger numbers, any single figure golfer should par it most days.

Indexes are swings and roundabouts, lose on one, gain on another.

 

[Orikoru]

Our hardest par 3 is around 215 yards but directly uphill. The green has a very severe slope down to the front and off the left side too. Consequently, although I need to hit driver for the distance, if you fade it and miss the green right, you're faced with an impossible chip which just runs off the other side. The slope is that severe I've seen an 8 foot run up two inches short of the hole and then roll right back to the feller's feet. So in summer it's sometimes better for me to hit 5 wood so I'm short but straighter and pitching more up the hill. In my mind it's a par 3 and a half so if I make a 4 I'm absolutely laughing.

It's only stroke index 7 though!

 

[Albo]

Unless it's up a mountain 220 will not play 245

Shrugs.
Liberal use of 'ish'.
Next time i'm there i'll see how close my yardages were