Image – Keyur Khamar/US PGA TOUR
How long is too long? Do you play a long par 3 as a par 4? Do you enjoy them?
All fair questions. I personally think all par 3’s should be under 200 yards. As an 18 hcp, I get a shot a hole and when I’m stood on the tee of a par 3 around 200 yards I’m always happy to walk off with a 4 on my card. That won’t stop me trying to hit the shot I need – it doesn’t feel right having to deliberately lay up on a par 3.
For tournament professionals, a 200-yard shot means an 8 maybe 7 iron but for most amateurs were looking to pull a hybrid club or maybe even a 3 wood so are we making the game even more difficult for us amateurs?
If you look back at the first PGA tournament back after lockdown the Charles Schwab Challenge, only 14 players were below 3.00 scoring avg on Par 3 shots of 200 – 225 yards so do the pros even like them, who really wants to hit a 4 iron 244 yards to a hard green with no chance of it staying on?
Everything is relative to the quality of player you are. For most amateurs, a 150-yard shot is a 7/8 iron, for professionals with the same club in hand they’re hitting it 200 yards so I kind of get why there is the need of a long par 3 but how many of the best par 3’s in the world are 200 yards plus? None!
The 8th at Royal Troon “Postage stamp” at just 128 yards, elevated tee over a gully, deep bunkers all around, many a player has fallen foul of this short par 3. During the Womens Open this year they played it at 98 yards and with the conditions proved a real challenge.
Image – Golf.com
The 12th at Augusta “Golden Bell” at 155 yards, so much drama around this hole, and one Jordan Spieth will want to forget!
Image – Augusta.com
The 7th at Pebble where depending on the conditions your hitting anything from a wedge to a 5 iron is just 109 yards the shortest par 3 in any of the mens four major championships.
Image – Pebblebeach.com
The famous island green the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is a hole every professional just wants to get away with a 3 on this 132-yard hole. Rickie Fowler has fond memories of this hole on his way to winning the player’s championship in 2015.
Image by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR
Give me any of the above holes in a round above those of 200 yards or above. The above holes are for me whilst potential double, triple or worse are the reasons I play golf, for the challenge, for the ability to play a challenging shot, where the hole is a leveller, not your ability to hit a solid long iron and most of all for the memories when you’re sat in the 19th enjoying your post-round analysis with your mates!
Jeremy
#LiveLifePlayGolf
Nine Hole Golf 
Montie said there’s never been a decent par 3 above 200 yards. I tend to agree unless there’s an extreme change in elevation. I remember reading something that virtually every amateur is better laying up from 200 yards or less because of how infrequently they’ll hit the green. It doesn’t make sense to design a par 3 for an amateur where they will statistically score better not going for the green.
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The elevation change is a really good point, we’ve played some great holes where elevation comes into the design of the hole.
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