[asivisepo]

Luke_Donald Luke Donald by TimJVickers
"Why do architects insist on these 240+ yard par 3's. No thought, not fun and unimaginative" Twitter quote

This got me thinking, are designers getting out of control with the length of this Par 3s? Is 240 plus too long? What is an exceptable distance? Whar features would you add to enhance the hole?

One of the most intimidating par 3s in the #17 (TPC Sawgrass) and it plays 145. Or #7 at Peable Beach or the Postage stamp of in the UK. All short by current standards but all very challenging. So what is too long?

Luke Donald's comment on Twitter was in response to Stewart Cink, who is playing a practice round today at Atlanta Athletic Club. He posted a picture of the 15th hole, which has been lengthened to 260 yards from the back tee! Here is the picture that Cink posted of the view from the tee:



For the pros, I'd say anything over 230 yards is getting a little long for them, but then again some guys are able to hit irons over 200 yards. Sergio Garcia, John Daly and Davis Love III just played a 212 yard par 3 at the Greenbrier tournament and all of them hit 7 iron! They play a game that is completely different than all of us.

For me, anything at 200 yards or above is a hybrid or fairway wood, and that gets pretty difficult at times. There are definitely ways to make shorter par 3's difficult with sizing of greens and trouble around the greens. One of the courses I play is only about 120-130 yards to the center of the green based on tee location, but the green is very narrow with a deep bunker on the left and a dropoff on the right. It's a pretty challenging hole, but what is interesting is that I played that hole one time with the assistant pro, and he said the course has trouble keeping the green in good shape because so many people are hitting high-lofted clubs into that green and not fixing pitch marks all that much, so the green is never in good shape. Who knows if that's a reason that architects are getting away from building good short par 3's.

One other thing: most courses will have 4 par 3's, and I like when a course makes me hit different clubs off of all of those holes. It's silly if I'm hitting the exact same club or very similar clubs on all of the par 3's.

[SallythePearl]

I don't mind 1 long par 3 but 2 or more gets old. The course I played today had 2 longer par 3's. The first was ( with GPS ) 191 and I hit 4 iron on the green. The 2nd was 206 and I hit my 3H and was just short, still pared it. To me if there going to be long, leave a big area open in case a hook, slice comes into play and it wont ruin the hole.

[MadMark]

we're down in FL actually but I have played a course in DE that has something close to that I'll look it up when I get the chance.

I see. Not too many courses that long in DE so I was curious.

[obegeLype]

Was just thinking about this yesterday when I was thinking about slow play. At one of the muni's I play there is a par 3 that plays 218 from the blue tee. You play over a creek to an elevated green. To me, for a public course, that is just ridiculous. The reason this came to mind is every time I have played this course, this hole plays so slow. On this particular hole, you can't even use the "you're playing from the wrong tee" argument. I lazered it from the front tee with the pin in the middle and it still played 162. Lot of people are going to struggle with that one, even from the front tee.

[Yarikoff]

I loved the Par 3's at PGA National. They just seemed to get progressively longer but nothing more than a 5 iron (depending on the wind). Good fun, those par 3's. Same as at Windermere CC.

Grand Cypress is the same, good mid length par 3s that require asolid swing.


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[Angeheade]

My home course has a par 3, entirely over water, that is 200 from the member tees and 220 from the championship tees. If course designers expect me to hit 3- and 4-irons (or more) to reach the green, I don't see anything wrong with the best players in the world being required to do the same.

[Yarikoff]

Played a 236 yard par 3 today...not fun at all. Not because of the length but because as the quote says it doesn't make you think about anything but the distance.

Where did you play today?


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[GreefeWrereon]

Where did you play today?


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Waldorf Astoria GC

And Kevin, garrisons lake GC has one it says online 214 but it actually is 224 at the course if I remember right. It plays more like 230 though due to wind

[fount_pirat]

My home course has a par 3 that plays 285 from the tips. The middle tees play from 219 and even the senior tees play 185. All of this and its a pretty well guarded green that is elevated by 20 yards. If the tee is in the back corner it can play 295 yards with a carry of 275 required to go for the pin. Thats just ridiculous. To be fair the tees usually are moved up one pin ahead, so the Tips play from 252 and the middle play from 184.

Holes like this is where the 75.2/144 rating/slope come from.

[Suvuseh]

Ary - thanks for the pic and the story. That is crazy long!!!