What's more important to you?

[BiMGuy]

A hole requiring good strategy doesn’t have to have multiple ways to play it.

The strategy could be how am I going to answer the question the course architect is asking. Where am I aiming, what shot shape, which club am I going to hit. Is the best option to play away from a sucker pin position. Or do I lay up and accept a 4 is a good score.

 

[Albo]

Do these long par 3s that a lot of players cannot reach have prepared fairways?

In my cace, yes

 

[evemccc]

Which tees do you play off ?

When playing in social play or competition play

There is so many factors in play when looking at course playability for all levels

and yes there will be par 3’s where some people can’t reach in one just like there is par 4’s people can’t reach in 2 and Par 5’s where people can’t reach in 3

To answer your Q: White tees in comps or whatever is required in open comps, Yellow at home club for casual rounds, and at ‘day-out’ courses, then whatever is requested by that club ?‍

Points 2 and 3…Yes, but that’s not in dispute and nor being discussed ?‍
Not talking about how many shots Joe Bloggs with a dodgy hip gets on a hole…or the 10 year old Joe Bloggs Junior who is new to the game and can’t hit it far, I’m talking about course design..and the golf architect’s intent! Yes we all play holes differently based on our perceived ability and the conditions and form of the day

It goes without saying that the Postage Stamp in strong January winds plays differently and requires different shot / club choice than a windless June afternoon ?‍ Again, not talking about how a hole is playing based on weather or conditions..

I read a lot of course reviews and have played a lot of away courses in the last two years. My assertion is that Par 3s are a lot more often penal than they are strategic

You appear to not think so…We can go through the most famous Par 3s on the Open Rota if you want to? The 12th at Birkdale, the 8th at Troon, the 11th at St Andrews, any of the 3s at Muirfield, the 6th at Sandwich…even the great Par 3 (10th/11th?) we played at Hayling —- they’re penal holes

 

[evemccc]

A hole requiring good strategy doesn’t have to have multiple ways to play it.

The strategy could be how am I going to answer the question the course architect is asking. Where am I aiming, what shot shape, which club am I going to hit. Is the best option to play away from a sucker pin position. Or do I lay up and accept a 4 is a good score.

Of course I don’t disagree with that, except the semantics…
IMO and from what I’ve read in armchair golf architecture, Strategic choice in golf implies an option of how to play it in terms of route to the green (much, much more commonly found in 4s and 5s)

IMO you’re describing the ‘strategy’ or tactics that the individual golfer undertakes on any golf shot…and it’s as equally as pertinent for his/her shot decisions on penal golf holes. It’s not strategic hole design in my understanding

 

[sunshine]

Yes. ‘Can’. my home course has a very long Par 3 which most play as a two shotter - but they’re pretty rare

Approximately do you think there are i) more, ii) equally as many iii) fewer, strategic par 5s, compared to par 3s?

And the same question for Par 4s Vs Par 3s?

The answer is ii) equally as many.
And the answer is the same for par 4s v par 3s.

 

[DeanoMK]

A course near here has a 240 yard par 3......not something I'd want to play on a regular basis.....

Temple? If not, their 16th is a ridiculous par 3 too, 230 from the yellows and uphill!

 

[Imurg]

Temple? If not, their 16th is a ridiculous par 3 too, 230 from the yellows and uphill!

Whiteleaf....