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You and me both. 180 is a 7 or 8 iron for them and a very well struck 5 iron for me...
PGA Tour Par 3 Length
You and me both. 180 is a 7 or 8 iron for them and a very well struck 5 iron for me...
From the back tees, I like a mix.
Short par threes are fun to watch but I don't want to cut back on watching the pro's using long irons either.
Same with one drivable par 4 (when they average par or more) and one dragon of a par 5. I think it would make the game more enjoyable to watch from my perspective.
Short par threes are fun to watch but I don't want to cut back on watching the pro's using long irons either.
Same with one drivable par 4 (when they average par or more) and one dragon of a par 5. I think it would make the game more enjoyable to watch from my perspective.
Par 3’s should be something that everyone is hitting 5i or less IMO, unless there’s lots of wind. 5-8i are ideal par 3 clubs. Takes some skill to knock it close, but a reasonable chance to hit the green. The courses I play most (2 that I spend 95% of my time on) have par 3’s that are 142 (almost always into wind), 160 (wind usually pushing it right), 190 (into wind, hate that hole-bailout right but always leaves you short sided), 155 (but 100ft uphill, and a horrific green-If you don’t miss short and right, you have almost no chance of chipping on). If you’re lucky enough to be on it you may end up putting almost backwards to get to the hole. If it was one stimp point faster, no one would even play that damn hole. That green is rediculous.
That’s course one. Course two, first par 3 is 178. Usually into the wind. Forced water carry of 160 or so-no biggie-but if you miss the green right you are dead. If you miss the green left, you’ll end up missing the green right, so dead plus a stroke. There used to be a bailout bunker on the right. Since they put in quicksand instead of actual sand last year, if you fly it into it it may take you 3-4 chops before you’re actually out. Fired egg doesn’t begin to describe it. More like a gopher hole. Second par 3 plays into the wind every time from 150 but otherwise isn’t too difficult. The green sucks and you might have a 25ft putt that you aim 90+* above it and still miss it low, but it’s usually either a par or bogie at worst. 3rd par three is 170, but pretty sedate. Long, left, or short (on line) leaves you with a probable up and down. There’s water right but usually you have neutral to a helping wind. The final par 3, 16 is 195. Wind is usually pushing right but it’s the easiest par 3 I usually play. Green is pretty easy. There’s ob right but any miss other than long or extreme right is recoverable from. Needless to say I’m always happy to par any of these 8 holes.
On a couple other area courses, there are some memorable par 3’s. My favorite hole in the entire world is a 220 yard par 3. Other than length, it’s straightforward. You tee off on a cliff that you couldn’t walk down, not carrying clubs anyways. It’s a pear shaped green with bunkers left and right-both ending midway through the pear where the green opens up. A front pin would be tough but it’s usualky back center. Even in either bunker you have a decent chance to get up and down from them. No one misses a 220 yard par 3 long, which would be the only bad miss. In 15ish career round I’ve probably made par 8 times, bogey 6 times (short game failures) and one proud birdie.
Another 2 come immediately to mind, holes 5 and 6 on a local course. Hole 5 is only made tough by a 2tiered green. It’s only 130 or so, about a 90% GW for me. The pin is ALWAYS on the upper half. I don’t know how many times I’ve been a foot from perfection only to have my ball roll back 30 yards short of the green. If you spin the ball at all and hit into that upslope, hold on because it’s coming back. 5 yards behind the green there is a net to save the course Managers house, and prior to that a very steep slope back to the green. After last year I think my play is going to be into that net and just accept the results. It’s steep enough it’s almaot impossible to keep on the green if long. It’s short enough that left/right dispersion isn’t an issue, but you have about 5 yards to safely land the ball otherwise you’ll pray for bogey. Hole 6 on the same course is basically a peninsula green. Your only bailout is long and left, which is almost impossible to hold the green from chipping. It’s about 180 with water short, short left, right, and long. It’s the highest point on the course hitting to a green 30 yards below you. Absent wind, an 8-9i for me but don’t let that fool you. You better hit this small green or you're pretty much giving up 2 strokes. I’ve been just off long and left and hit a pretty good chip that trickled into the water. As many bad breaks as I’ve got on that hole, the last time I played it (into a 30mph wind) I hit a 6i that I hit fat. It landed on the bridge and bounced off it onto the green, lol. Lots of times when I try to hit a knockdown I close the face and this was one of those times. Bounced off the bridge and ended up with a 20ft birdie putt. Missed it but that bounce changed a 5 or 6 into a par.
So all in all, most of the par 3’s around here are 5-8i. Even the short couple ones, par is a great score. It’s amazing to me how these courses that are super easy overall, the par 3’s are anything but. They’re all protected in some way. Lots of them use prevailing wind, but all of them have subtle design features that make them tough.
My favorite hole that I spoke of above, it’s a stock5-6i most days. The days it plays into wind, I’m hitting a hard 3w. Due to the elevated tee, any wind is compounded. Despite its length I make par on it more than most of the others. I make more birdies on the others, but I also make more bogeys + on the others. If nothing else, and even if most par 4’s and 5’s I play regularly are sedate and even boring, the par 3’s have character. Lots of it. Unless I’m feeling exceptionally froggy, I just want my 3 and to move on.
That’s course one. Course two, first par 3 is 178. Usually into the wind. Forced water carry of 160 or so-no biggie-but if you miss the green right you are dead. If you miss the green left, you’ll end up missing the green right, so dead plus a stroke. There used to be a bailout bunker on the right. Since they put in quicksand instead of actual sand last year, if you fly it into it it may take you 3-4 chops before you’re actually out. Fired egg doesn’t begin to describe it. More like a gopher hole. Second par 3 plays into the wind every time from 150 but otherwise isn’t too difficult. The green sucks and you might have a 25ft putt that you aim 90+* above it and still miss it low, but it’s usually either a par or bogie at worst. 3rd par three is 170, but pretty sedate. Long, left, or short (on line) leaves you with a probable up and down. There’s water right but usually you have neutral to a helping wind. The final par 3, 16 is 195. Wind is usually pushing right but it’s the easiest par 3 I usually play. Green is pretty easy. There’s ob right but any miss other than long or extreme right is recoverable from. Needless to say I’m always happy to par any of these 8 holes.
On a couple other area courses, there are some memorable par 3’s. My favorite hole in the entire world is a 220 yard par 3. Other than length, it’s straightforward. You tee off on a cliff that you couldn’t walk down, not carrying clubs anyways. It’s a pear shaped green with bunkers left and right-both ending midway through the pear where the green opens up. A front pin would be tough but it’s usualky back center. Even in either bunker you have a decent chance to get up and down from them. No one misses a 220 yard par 3 long, which would be the only bad miss. In 15ish career round I’ve probably made par 8 times, bogey 6 times (short game failures) and one proud birdie.
Another 2 come immediately to mind, holes 5 and 6 on a local course. Hole 5 is only made tough by a 2tiered green. It’s only 130 or so, about a 90% GW for me. The pin is ALWAYS on the upper half. I don’t know how many times I’ve been a foot from perfection only to have my ball roll back 30 yards short of the green. If you spin the ball at all and hit into that upslope, hold on because it’s coming back. 5 yards behind the green there is a net to save the course Managers house, and prior to that a very steep slope back to the green. After last year I think my play is going to be into that net and just accept the results. It’s steep enough it’s almaot impossible to keep on the green if long. It’s short enough that left/right dispersion isn’t an issue, but you have about 5 yards to safely land the ball otherwise you’ll pray for bogey. Hole 6 on the same course is basically a peninsula green. Your only bailout is long and left, which is almost impossible to hold the green from chipping. It’s about 180 with water short, short left, right, and long. It’s the highest point on the course hitting to a green 30 yards below you. Absent wind, an 8-9i for me but don’t let that fool you. You better hit this small green or you're pretty much giving up 2 strokes. I’ve been just off long and left and hit a pretty good chip that trickled into the water. As many bad breaks as I’ve got on that hole, the last time I played it (into a 30mph wind) I hit a 6i that I hit fat. It landed on the bridge and bounced off it onto the green, lol. Lots of times when I try to hit a knockdown I close the face and this was one of those times. Bounced off the bridge and ended up with a 20ft birdie putt. Missed it but that bounce changed a 5 or 6 into a par.
So all in all, most of the par 3’s around here are 5-8i. Even the short couple ones, par is a great score. It’s amazing to me how these courses that are super easy overall, the par 3’s are anything but. They’re all protected in some way. Lots of them use prevailing wind, but all of them have subtle design features that make them tough.
My favorite hole that I spoke of above, it’s a stock5-6i most days. The days it plays into wind, I’m hitting a hard 3w. Due to the elevated tee, any wind is compounded. Despite its length I make par on it more than most of the others. I make more birdies on the others, but I also make more bogeys + on the others. If nothing else, and even if most par 4’s and 5’s I play regularly are sedate and even boring, the par 3’s have character. Lots of it. Unless I’m feeling exceptionally froggy, I just want my 3 and to move on.
Thread killer, that’s me. Sorry. Just re-read the thread title and my post had nada to do with it. Sorry.
I did a nice job chronicling the par 3’s I play.... which has nothing to do with the thread.
I still like the idea of 5-8i for the vast majority of pro par 3’s. Anything less and they’re shooting darts-unless an island green
Everyone, even pros has trouble with psychology of those, even pros. Even they have issues when there is no bailout. Offer a bailout and they’ll hit it stiff or into the bailout.
I did a nice job chronicling the par 3’s I play.... which has nothing to do with the thread.
I still like the idea of 5-8i for the vast majority of pro par 3’s. Anything less and they’re shooting darts-unless an island green
Everyone, even pros has trouble with psychology of those, even pros. Even they have issues when there is no bailout. Offer a bailout and they’ll hit it stiff or into the bailout.
On tour? Make them hit hit the shots they almost never have to hit on tour, over 200 into less receptive greens.
