by Forrest Richardson
The par-3 golf hole, quite simply, is the design where every player is expected to have an opportunity to make a hole-in-one. At each crack taken, that thrill — even if realized just once out of 10,000 or so attempts — creates fun and intrigue that cannot be duplicated on the longer holes.
The anatomy of a par-3 begins with one basic theme: Players begin from just one point — a tee. That point, regardless of the number of alternative tees, is determined by the golf course architect. He or she decides on the basic premise. Then, on a daily basis decided by one or more course employees, the set up will establish where the tee markers at each tee will be placed, and where the cup will be located on the green. Unlike its counterparts, the par-4s and par-5s (and the occasional par-6), the par-3 stands out as a ‘set-in-place’ experience. It asks the golfer to stand within a small area and to figure out how — from that controlled space — to best execute a shot directly to the green. There is no approach shot — at least ideally. All players at the par-3 are expected to get ready, aim and then fire. As the ball flies, the anticipation is unlike any other in the game.
The Hills at Promontory Hole – No 6 (Photo by David Burke)
The par-3 is also a great equalizer in golf design. Any player — good, average or otherwise — should have a decent opportunity to get from A to B with just one swing. Ideally, there will be no C, D or E at the par-3. Just one shot. Tee to green, all at once. At golf’s other longer holes, playing becomes a free-for-all. The tee shot at the par-4 or par-5 can come to rest in any one of a million places. The next shot (or shots) create a path to the green that is made unique by each player. One player may choose this way. Another that way. Golfers are on their own. The map they draw to get home is theirs alone to devise.
On the surface it may seem like the par-3 hole may perhaps be a bit less interesting. Are par-3 holes somehow less strategic than holes where reaching the green comes after the tee shot? Maybe so, but the intrigue of the par-3 surpasses all other designs. The holes that get remembered and become part of golfing lore and legend are more often the short one-shotters. Just ask any golfer what their favorite hole on a course may be. The answers, statistically, are that par-3s rein. Sure, there are famous and well-loved par-4s and 5s, but they hold 2nd and 3rd places. Par-3s throughout golf are more recognized, more loved and more highlighted than their longer counterparts.
Pete and Alice Dye’s famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass was rated in a survey of writers and architects as the hole in all of golf with the most iconic hazard. It’s hallmark — that pesky lake on which a small green sits like a floating island beckoning players to ‘come on in’ for a visit. TPC’s 17th is the sum of its parts. A few areas to tee it up. A green. And two obstacles. The physical being the lake, and the mental being the irony of having only one thought in mind — don’t mess up. Had Pete and Alice made it a longer, two- or three-shot design, it would likely be just an honorable mention.
It is the simplicity and irony of the par-3 that cuts through the clutter of the game. When we come to a par-3 we take a breath. This should be easy. I’ve got this. Length is customarily not the goal. As John Low, the 20th century golf writer and design philosopher so eloquently wrote: “The short hole should not be long.” The par-3 proves that we play a game that was originally devised to emphasize ‘how near,’ not ‘how far.’
Typically the par-3 has just one defense. A bold hazard, whether natural or created. Some sort of obstacle to carry or avoid by doing what is counterintuitive — taking aim at something besides the target. Even though we see the flagstick and hole at the par-3, we might choose an angle that is slightly away from the flagstick. Perhaps to land where we will avoid the dreaded three putt. Imagine any other sport where we might do that on a regular basis?
Today there is a movement to create more par-3 courses. While we have always known about them, the short course made up of all par-3s is now being appreciated by serious golfers — and the developers and visionaries who make golf courses happen. I say, it’s about time. A long overdue movement that comes with the positive messaging and reality of less land, less time and less water. We now know that the small space design can be just as fun and just as memorable. Perhaps even more when done right.
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This article was adopted from Routing the Golf Course (first printing 2001), Forrest Richardson’s first book on golf architecture. Among his writing in that work was a description of his ‘par-2’ design concept, an idea he has now brought to life — and one that is gaining traction among his peers. “If I were to suggest pushing the envelope of golf design, it may be to explore the idea that the art of putting is underappreciated in many of our modern designs. The par-2 is bold, interesting and creates a cozy stage on which players must act upon the most intimate of spaces. It is the ultimate short hole to be considered.”