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The Par 3 Finishing Hole

One of my regular courses starts and ends with a Par 3 but it is a only 9 holes.
I actually like it since It can be discouraging to start with a double/triple on a Par 4 or 5.
 
One of our county courses used to end on a par 3 before they flipped the nines. I didn't mind it, but it did feel a little anti-climactic.
 
It would have to be a beastly par 3 for me to like it, in general I’m not a fan. Especially if it’s something I’m watching, 72 hole coming down to a single iron shot, not thanks. If someone is leading by a shot they’re at least almost guaranteed a playoff. I much prefer something with a decent chance for someone to make an eagle to close it out.
 
Tomahawk Hills is a course in KC that finishes both nines with a par 3 off the same cliff. I always thought it was a cool way to finish, at least on that course. It's the only one I can think of around here that finishes either nine with a par 3, so it's unique.
 
Has anyone heard of a regulation course with it's first hole as a par 3 ?
I have not.
 
Smallville said:
Tomahawk Hills is a course in KC that finishes both nines with a par 3 off the same cliff. I always thought it was a cool way to finish, at least on that course. It's the only one I can think of around here that finishes either nine with a par 3, so it's unique.
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There’s a course by me that starts out with a par 3, actually both #1 and #10 are par 3’s, so no matter which side you go off on it’s a par 3. I think #1 is around 190, most of it carry over water.
 
I think of the Greenbrier course when I think of a closing par 3. It's usually a swan song for the winner because par will be enough, they play it safe.

I played a tournament a couple years ago with a shotgun start in Benson, AZ where we were AS heading into our last hole, a par 3, and it was a lot of fun because of the gamesmanship of whether to gun it at the flag or play it safe. I think in that context, a closing par 3 can be really great. I would love to see the Greenbrier come down to that, though it hasn't in recent memory. I'm reminded of Rickie Fowler's win at Sawgrass came as a result of a crazy-aggressive play on the Island Hole, a short par 3. In my head, were I a course designer, that's what I think of in terms of how great a closing par 3 can be! But for regular play, it can feel a bit of a letdown in terms of a big scoring swing, because the difference between playing it safe and playing aggressively is not that big without the hole feeling really, really trussed up.
 
Lions81 said:
I don't think I've ever played a course where the last hole was a par 3. Only one I can think of is Greenbrier from watching it on tv. I don't think I'd mind it. Can make for an exciting finish.
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Yep, Old White. It's different but can provide its own drama. When it's a par 4 or 5, you probably have more of a chance at a birdie or even eagle. When it's a par 3 there is more of a premium on the tee shot and birdie, par, or bogey are usually in play.
 
I’m not a fan of it all. The finishing hole should be a par 5 or a hard par 4.


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Since my one and only ace was a "walk-off" on the 18th hole, I kinda like 'em. :)

There's also a course near me that starts and ends with a par 3, that has to be pretty rare.
 
Based on the other threads, bumping this up
 
Course I used to frequent started and ended on a par 3. I just play the hole that's in front of me. I don't care if it's a par 3 ir 30. It's just another hole.
 
Don't really like par 3s as a finisher. Par 5s I think work well if it's a big risk reward hole.

I think I prefer par 4s overall. Slightly less dramatic, but really makes when someone holes out that much more epic while at the same time making a par is more straightforward.
 
Usually I don't like it. There's a local CC that used to host an LPGA tourney. The 18th is a par 3, so for the tourney, they'd flip the 9's. A few years ago we had a chance to play that course, and I can tell you that the 18th is just a beast of a par 3! If you can par that hole, you are doing something! I bogeyed the hole and felt lucky to do so!

But, I do like the idea of a birdieable, or eagleable, par 5 as the last hole. Giving guys a stroke or 2 behind a chance to make a splash.
 
Never really thought about it I guess. Just another hole to me.

I once heard a tour pro once say that par was just a number. He may have been talking about par 70s, and 71s tournament, idk. It just seems to me that an individual hole's par is just a number too.

Me, I tee off, and tally up that hole's score, while walking off the green. At the end of the round, I add the two 9s together.

Sometimes I never know if I'm playing a par 4, or par 5. I'm just trying to play the hole in the least number of strokes.
 
Can you imagine having 17 and 18 flipped at TPC Sawgrass? That would be amazing! Someone leading by 1 on the 72nd hole, needing to land it on the green.

I haven’t played a finishing par 3 but would mind it.
 
Nappy said:
My home course - both the front 9 and back 9 end with a Par 3. I guess I've never really thought about it as being a big deal.
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same for me and my feelings are the same. Doesn’t bother me really at all.
 
River Ridge in Oxnard ends on a par 3. Tips out around 220 and plays straight into the Ocean wind which is rarely under 15 mph and often much more than that. It’s also an island green (the island is massive) which makes it a stupid hole imo
 
One of my favorite local courses has a 200 - 215 yard opener depending on where tees are. Not a fan but it's a good early gauge for what's in store as if I can hit my 5/6 iron well it's usually gonna be a decent day.
 
I can't remember ever playing a course with a finishing par 3, so I either haven't or it didn't make much of an impression on me. :LOL:

In an ideal world, I'd like to always end on an easy par 5. That way even if you've had a not so great day, it gives you the opportunity to finish with a good hole.
 
I think I would absolutely hate this. Ending on a 5 is bad, this is worse imo.
 
Par 3 finishing holes are just too anticlimactic IMO. Course I played a few days ago finished with an easy par 3 so long as you don't duff it into the pond. I'd just played one of my most spectacular ever recovery approaches into #17 there, so the easy tee shot into #18 just seemed so boring.

There's another local course I that play much more often, maybe 10 times over the past 4 years. It's even worse than the course I played last week because both #16 and #18 are straight forward par 3s. They bookend #17, a very short par 4 that I can't carry the hazards just short of the green. So I'm usually hitting iron off the tee and then a wedge in. Three iron swings and a wedge is a sucktastic three hole finish to a round.

Same on the Tour IME. I got to work the 18th tee box during the inaugural Tour Championship in the mid/late 80s. Hole #18 (Oak Hills San Antonio) was a relatively simple par 3 for those guys. I stood right where the players and caddies made club selections and it was pretty much 7 or 8 irons for all but a few. It'd be wedges now I bet. Not one single guy (30 players X 4 rounds) missed bad enough to find the water short (would've been a bad miss) and even single bogeys were rare. Tom Watson was 2 shots clear when he got to the tee on Sunday. It was a done deal B4 he swung.
 
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I agree with those who wrote "not a fan". seems like an anticlimax. My feeling is the 18th should be difficult and memorable, but do-able so you can head home feeling like you accomplished something with a par.
 
One of my local goat tracks starts and ends with a 3. I like it unless I start with a double.

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My home course has three nines. One finishes with a par 5, one with a par 4 and one with a par 3. The par 3 plays uphill with a hazard right and trees left. Four tee boxes from 135 (super senior) to 182 at the tip. It has a deep left to right green with three distinct levels. Being below the hole is important on this one regardless of pin placement.
It can be a challenge to say the least with a little wind and back pin placement.
 
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