Par 3s... Brain v Brawn?

[JohnnyDee]

I'll nail my colours to the mast.

I'm no fan of the 200 and stupid yard par 3s that we see so many of nowadays. There are plenty of times during a round when it's necessary to open your shoulders and rip it, but for me not on a Par 3.

I see them as a mental challenge and ideally played with a mid to short iron, and if the course designer has done their job correctly they should be no less daunting than a big ignorant slosh with the heavy artillery.

We have 4 on our home track none over 175 yards and they're all tricky for a variety of reasons

I realise of course, as with everything in life, and indeed golf, there are two sides to this coin and I'm just wondering what others think on this subject.

.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Why cant they be both?

We have a 217 yard Par 3 at my course....we also have a 120 yard par 3 and I enjoy them both equally, just means you need to be a more complete player to hit both greens.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

A par 3 doesn't have to be long to test golfers but with golfers it seems hitting the ball further then adding length to par 3's seems a common theme

Woburn for example have some small par threes which are tougher than the longer ones they have but both provide a fair challenge

Ones over 210 imo are a bit silly

 

[fundy]

We have one at 220 yards thats not a good golf hole imo. Pretty open plays uphill and into the wind usually, in winter theres very few who can even reach. In summer they grow the rough up high on the right hand side and invariably this becomes a massive bottleneck in comps. Thankfully they had the sense to cut the rough down in club champs this year as been such a problem in prev years. The holes actually much better off the yellows at 175ish

 

[Foxholer]

I'm with you on this one.

Though I think they should be a test of mid to long iron (something like a 3 to 5/6) that may not have been tested elsewhere on the course.

Of course, that could be 200+ for the guns of Championship Tees (6 iron 190 is pretty standard for them!)!

 

[FairwayDodger]

I tend to agree. I was surprised playing a course last year to arrive at a 240 yard par 3 (from the red tees, mind). Couldn't even see the green so I wasn't impressed.

Walked off with a 3 though!

 

[SugarPenguin]

I have to agree. I think everybody should be able to reach a par 3 with irons/hybrids. It kind of eradicates the point of par 3's if people are taking woods.

For me personally my longest 4 iron goes around 210 yards. Anything over that I would have to hit my 3 wood which makes things awkward (really need a hybrid / driving iron).

Most people probably hit their long irons 180 max so I dislike seeing anything over this range. I think they should be from 90 - 180.

Personally par 3s that are 125 and shorter surrounded by bunkers are the most fun to play.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Luton Hoo has a 240 par 3 - it's just a bit daft

 

[patricks148]

we have a mix ..ish. one short two mid 160-180 and one long 210 off the medal tee's.

But just to show our head green keeper has a sense of humor, one par 3 on the short winter course is 275 yards

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Luton Hoo has a 240 par 3 - it's just a bit daft

Wimbledon Common has one at 237 through a very tight avenue of trees and thick vegetation both sides. Not for the faint hearted and I'd always take four there and run. It has another two at over 220 yard. To be fair we have two at over two hundred (229 and 217) but both give you a bit of leeway with the fairway wood off the tee. We have two more around the 175-180 yard mark which are a stiff test but both fairly fair in their layout.

I personally have no issue about long par threes and will play them as they come. Sometimes a bogey isn't the end of the world, especially if you do get a shot and even if you don't other holes usually give you a chance to get the dropped shot back

 

[garyinderry]

Closest to the pins are a lottery and turn into closest to the green comps.

I am not a fan.

 

[patricks148]

Wimbledon Common has one at 237 through a very tight avenue of trees and thick vegetation both sides. Not for the faint hearted and I'd always take four there and run. It has another two at over 220 yard. To be fair we have two at over two hundred (229 and 217) but both give you a bit of leeway with the fairway wood off the tee. We have two more around the 175-180 yard mark which are a stiff test but both fairly fair in their layout.

I personally have no issue about long par threes and will play them as they come. Sometimes a bogey isn't the end of the world, especially if you do get a shot and even if you don't other holes usually give you a chance to get the dropped shot back

I think Forres has a 248 yard par 3!!

 

[chrisd]

Ours are a mix, I managed to get on all four on Saturday in a match, some were flags near the front, I used on them A wedge, 8 iron, 6 iron and a boom with a 4 iron, so a good mix I'd say

 

[evahakool]

Our longest par 3 is 210 which I can reach with a hybrid , dislike anything longer than this and would much rather play a shorter par 3 that with more challenges around the green.

 

[fundy]

Luton Hoo has a 240 par 3 - it's just a bit daft

The 13th?

Its 271 yards off the blue tees - just a joke of a par 3, not as if there is anywhere to bail really either and a pretty narrow green to boot!

 

[SugarPenguin]

Wimbledon Common has one at 237 through a very tight avenue of trees and thick vegetation both sides. Not for the faint hearted and I'd always take four there and run. It has another two at over 220 yard. To be fair we have two at over two hundred (229 and 217) but both give you a bit of leeway with the fairway wood off the tee. We have two more around the 175-180 yard mark which are a stiff test but both fairly fair in their layout.

I personally have no issue about long par threes and will play them as they come. Sometimes a bogey isn't the end of the world, especially if you do get a shot and even if you don't other holes usually give you a chance to get the dropped shot back

Madness. I bet all the short hitters take drives and still struggle to reach. I like seeing 200 yard + for the pros but for the average golfer seems a bit extreme for them to be that long !

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Most people probably hit their long irons 180 max so I dislike seeing anything over this range. I think they should be from 90 - 180.

Personally par 3s that are 125 and shorter surrounded by bunkers are the most fun to play.

Agree with the above. There are plenty of occasions on a course where people can open their shoulders and whack a golf ball. Par 3's should be a little more about finesse and accuracy. One of my favourite par 3's is at The Hirsel in Coldstream. 98yds off the whites, elevated tee, green surrounded by bunkers. Loads of fun.

 

[SVB]

Merrick Park down in Bournemouth has a 244 yd par 3 for the 1st that plays across a valley so anything short in the summer and you watch it roll 100 yds down to the bottom. Nasty especially as there is no driving range as such to warm up so often first shot out of the car. Horrible!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The 13th?

Its 271 yards off the blue tees - just a joke of a par 3, not as if there is anywhere to bail really either and a pretty narrow green to boot!

The course could be really good as well but they just haven't improved it and that hole is just a joke as you say

 

[Mastercracker]

We have a 244 yard par 3, slightly uphill. In all honesty its garbage. The landing area slopes left to right so you have to be inch perfect with (in my case) a hybrid in summer or a 3 wood in winter.

I was about 1 foot short of a hole in one on it last summer. Gutted.

The hole after it is a 287 yard par 4, downhill from an elevated tee. Take the shortcut over some trees and that green is easier to hit in 1 than the par 3 before it!