Resurgence of the Par 3 Course

My friend, writer Chris Santella placed this interesting piece in the NY Times earlier this week called "Pitch and Putt and Behold the Glory."  His placement is a timely one now with waves of non-traditional golf facilities popping up all over North American and the World.  Why? The people have spoken and their messages are quite clear:   Golf should be more affordable, more accessible and take less time.  The game is inherently difficult, therefore every effort should be made to make it more fun.  And since golf has fallen under the microscope of public perception, the facilities should be efficiently managed and self-sustaining with less consumption of resources like water and less chemical usage.  They should also be applicable on small acreage sites, perhaps those which are sensitive environmentally, where large expanses of turf are otherwise not possible or advised.

In an answer to golf's needs of today, Mom and Pop's old par three course is making a comeback, and so is the executive 9-hole course, or any other of a myriad of optional golf opportunities that target kids and beginners while fulfilling the time, cost and fun factors that resonate with players of all skill levels.  Enjoy Chris's entry below and give a shout out if this hits home with you!

Pitch and Putt and Behold the Glory

BANDON, Ore. — On Tuesday, more than 150 golfers lined up to plunk down $100 to play a 13-hole par-3 golf course called Bandon Preserve, at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the coast of southern Oregon.

Pay $100 for a par-3 course?

Not taken completely seriously, par-3 courses are a frequently overlooked part of the golf world. The holes are generally under 200 yards, and the greens can usually be reached by players of modest ability in one shot. Par-3 layouts are not usually sanctioned by the United States Golf Association and hence need not adhere to particular rules. Some courses might have 9 or 18 holes, though they are almost as likely to have 6-, 10- and 12-hole layouts.

Par-3 courses are often perceived as practice areas, an extension of the driving range, and somehow not quite “real golf.”

“If you were to review every par-3 course in America, most would fall into the ‘rudimentary’ category,” said Ron Whitten, Golf Digest’s architecture editor. “However, the same can be said for most regulation golf courses. Par-3s play an important role. They are the sandlots of golf, where people can go to build a passion for the game.”

The first known par-3 course opened in Portsmouth, England, in 1914, primarily as a diversion for vacationers. Short courses gained some competitive élan in 1933 with the launch of the Professional Short Course Championship, now known as the British Par 3 Championship. Whitten said par-3 courses began appearing in greater numbers after World War II, partly because of the architect Geoffrey Cornish, who built many short layouts in the United States, Canada and Europe. “With a little luck, beginners could hit some greens, maybe even make some birdies,” Whitten said.

Irish golfers also advanced the cause of short courses, forming the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland in 1960 to govern competitive events.

Drew Rogers, a golf course architect in Toledo, Ohio, said he played par-3s regularly as he was learning the game.

“My mom would drop me off and say, ‘Here’s 10 bucks, I’ll get you in three hours, have fun,’ ” he said. “Sometimes, you’d have to search hard to find a guy that you could pay. The holes were pretty pedestrian and didn’t have much in the way of features. The greens were all identical circles, usually crowned, and they were often lighted for night play. Not much effort was ever put into their creation or their maintenance. It was always fun to play the par-3s, but I wouldn’t label my experiences then as anything too special.”

But although the image of par-3 courses is decidedly downscale, they need not be ugly or unchallenging. The par-3 course at Augusta National Golf Club has holes that replicate some of the greens and approach shots of the famed site of the Masters. The par-3 tournament held the day before the Masters has been televised in recent years, helping to elevate the status of par-3 golf, Whitten said. There is also a par-3 course at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, where the United States Open will be held in June.

Fine public par-3 courses can be found along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, at Monarch Dunes in Southern California, and at Treetops Resort in northern Michigan.

There is reason to think par-3 courses will gain popularity. First, there is the economics: short courses do not require as much land, and the holes are cheaper to build and maintain. Other trends also favor short courses.

“People have less time for golf, and you can get around a par-3 in just an hour and a half,” said Mike Keiser, the owner of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, which features four regulation courses. “And baby-boomer golfers are getting older. Many of our clients used to play 36 holes a day for several days. Bandon is a walking-only facility, and some of these players simply can’t walk 36 anymore.

“When I mentioned to some regulars that I was considering a par-3 course — a memorable par-3 course — to a man, they said, ‘Hurry up and build it.’ ”

Bill Coore, who designed Bandon Preserve with the two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, said they approached the design of the course the same way they would approach a full-length course.

“No different design tenets come into play,” Coore said. “I’ve always felt that short par-3 holes can be some of the finest holes in golf. They negate the need for strength. An 18- or 20-handicap player can hit a shot that’s as good or better than the shot a tour player can hit. Par-3s balance the playing field, and that makes things fun.”

The 13 holes at Bandon Preserve range from roughly 80 to 175 yards, and they unfold on undulating land that slopes gradually to the Pacific Ocean. The fescue turf, the shape and speed of the greens, and the bunkering are all in keeping with the look and feel of Bandon’s long courses.

“Our directive was to build the best holes we could find on the available land, holes that would fit in on the other courses,” Coore said. He added: “I don’t think Bandon Preserve will be perceived as second-class golf. Even the little 78-yard eighth hole will hold its head up. ‘I may be little,’ it might say, ‘but I’m in your face.’ ”

 - Thanks, Chris for this timely piece on short courses.  Having just returned from a busy week of ASGCA meetings in Chattanooga, our group focused a great deal on discussion regarding shorter, non-traditional experiences.  Clearly there is a place for the par three course – no matter the number of holes or size of land parcel.  The focus is to put clubs in the hands of everyone and go out and enjoy.  Size does not have to cheapen the golf experience!