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Par 3's on tour, some just way too long?

I played at a course called todd creek yesterday. One hole (11 or 12 I think) was playing about 250 uphill against 30+mph wind. Hit a good 3w but came up a bit short to the left. I thought it was unreasonably long...

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Anything over 200 is too long. I like to be able to hit a mid iron, a short iron and a wedge on a typical course. You should have nothing more than a 6i in your hand on a par 3.

As matter of fact, I think that is the best club to have in your hand for one. It is just enough club to be challenge and a reward for hitting it perfect.


Tappin away
 
mayday1775 said:
Anything over 200 is too long. I like to be able to hit a mid iron, a short iron and a wedge on a typical course. You should have nothing more than a 6i in your hand on a par 3.

As matter of fact, I think that is the best club to have in your hand for one. It is just enough club to be challenge and a reward for hitting it perfect.


Tappin away
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Who's distances do you use on tour to use as a standard for a 6i?

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Ok, I say my 6i distance which is about 170-175. A course should have a 170ish, 150ish, and a 130ish par 3.


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mayday1775 said:
Ok, I say my 6i distance which is about 170-175. A course should have a 170ish, 150ish, and a 130ish par 3.


Tappin away
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Nothing over 175 from the Championship tees on any courses?
 
Golf Ghost said:
Nothing over 175 from the Championship tees on any courses?
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I thought we had changed to talking about average people on everyday courses. I think the average 6i distance on tour is something like 185-190 right? So I say nothing more than that for most tournaments. For a major or something like that they should have one par 3 like 220 with a tight pin for a tournament changer.
 
mayday1775 said:
I thought we had changed to talking about average people on everyday courses. I think the average 6i distance on tour is something like 185-190 right? So I say nothing more than that for most tournaments. For a major or something like that they should have one par 3 like 220 with a tight pin for a tournament changer.
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My bad, didn't realize you were talking about the regular play, not PGA.

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It really depends on each individual hole, what is fair and what isn't. Is a 140 yard island green easier or tougher than a 220 yard "average" par 3?

For example, Sergio's ace was on a 250ish par 3 that clearly had bail out areas to the right (If I remember correctly). The chip may be tough but not impossible. I'm okay with that hole even for an amateur. You can miss somewhere and still be fine.

An example of one par 3 I'm not okay with is one locally - Tips are 220 yards. Water front and left. Bunkers back right and back left. And a huge drop in elevation to the right (~30 feet) that quickly turns into a tree line. There's no safe miss here. I have to pull my 4 iron with the wind at my back and try to hit a green that's guarded by the gates of hell! Not cool!

Long story short, yardage is only part of the equation. Long isn't always unfair, but I'll admit it makes it easier for the designer to be unfair if he feels like it.
 
Tough par 3's at my local course. 195, 201, 225, 199, and 150 - and the short one has a green about 7 yards deep with water off the back and left and a big bunker guarding front and right. Par 3's make or break my rounds.
 
I think long par 3's are awesome. You've got to have the distance for them obviously, but that's why most courses have multiple tees. In my opinion, if a long par 3 is "too long" for you, you might be playing the wrong set of tees.
 
I have to admit I really enjoyed that 100 yard par 3 at the us open. Great to see all the pro's hitting the same wedge shot into a tough green
 
The thing is now a days some of these guys are hitting irons 240, sure for the average golfer it's too long, but not for tour players. Granted here shouldn't be 4 par 3's of that length but one here and there is fine
 
From the middle tees I play at, every par 3 is within 20 yards distance of each other. My 6 iron gets more work than I regard as tolerable. I think I'd rather have at least 1 of them be 220+ where I need to hit a 3 hybrid or 5 wood off the tee than to have all of them be the same distance. Though I would also like it if one of them were short enough where I need to hit a 9 iron accurately enough to avoid trouble. It's a matter of give & take. For how far and precisely professionals hit a golf ball, I think 240+ is on the tough side of fair.
 
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