My 10 Favorite Par-Three Holes at Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with an event that coincided with the grand opening of the resort’s seventh course, a 19-hole Par-3 course which trundles over a parcel of land that is captivating yet too severe to accommodate a full-length layout. Named in honor of the land’s previous caretaker, this new addition—Shorty’s—is […]
What is Your Favorite Par-Three Hole in the World?
18 of America’s Best Short Par Threes
The 9-hole course I played as a kid, Canton Public Golf Course in Connecticut, culminated with a short, downhill par three that would make or break every round I played there, sending me home on my bike either smiling or steaming. Sadly, that terrific family-owned course no longer exists, but my memories of that 9th […]
Scotland’s Best Do-or-Die Par Threes
Par threes offer a nice break from golf’s two-shotters and three-shotters, a respite from the lengthier holes that predominate most courses—including those lucky enough to be situated in the Home of Golf. But because so much depends on your tee shot on these holes, your one full swing, they can often be scorecard-wreckers. If your […]
Ireland’s 10 Best Par Threes
Par threes are special holes. Rarely will you robotically reach for your driver when you step onto the tee of a par three. More likely, you’ll be grabbing a laser rangefinder and throwing a few blades of grass in the air to calculate the distance and pick a club. At that point, one swing will […]
11 of the Biggest Par-Three Drops in the U.S.
There’s just something about a downhill par three in the way the green is invitingly laid out in front of you. And the more pronounced the drop, the more the golfer needs to consider—or reconsider—which club to use. Here are 11 of the most significant par-three elevation changes, the kind of exhilarating holes that mess […]
10 Courses with Back-to-Back Par Threes
There’s something magical about a par three. Whether long or short, holes branded with a “3” on the scorecard are exhilarating. There’s potential for heroic shots, for calamity, and almost everything in between. “Par threes are the most important thing about a golf course,” Mike Keiser once said shortly after he toured the site of […]
9 Unique Par-Three Opening Holes
The back nine at Pacific Grove Golf Links has gotten a lot of recognition over the years as a municipal course located along the same dramatic Monterey Peninsula coastline as Pebble Beach. But the front nine is special in its own right, particularly the start. One of the game’s great munis, Pacific Grove opens with […]
10 Courses with Great Collections of Par Threes
Nearly 30 years ago in the pages of LINKS Magazine, author/broadcaster Ben Wright opined that the Golden Horseshoe’s Gold course in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., featured the best set of par threes on a single course of any he knew. Bentley was a shrewd, well-traveled judge—and a designer himself—so I’ll give him his due. I also […]
Top 10 Penultimate Par Threes
Typically, the 18th hole is a course’s grand statement, the big finish that settles all bets. On occasion, however, it’s the 17th hole that steals the show. On a fistful of courses, it’s the next-to-last hole that resonates strongest, where history has been made, especially when that hole is a par three. Combining challenge, lore, […]
