Ask any golfer their mind set when they walk up to the tee box of a par 3 and they will all say the same thing. “Birdie opp!” This is silly since most just chalked up a double bogey on the previous par 4. Now, they only have 154 yards to the pin, their irons will all of a sudden become laser precise. “HA!,” I say to that. I presently see par 3s as more banes to my scorecard then par 5s.
May par 3 performance is a Bogey +.2 on average while I am scoring under bogey on par 5s with more room to maneuver to hit the green.
Let me share why I grown to hate these short holes.
Par 3s Hole Layouts
Most par 3s will have a green heavily guarded by either sand traps with high lips or a pond hugging the edge vacuuming errant shots. The course architects make these layout decisions to challenge us since the hole is just right there. They cannot give the hole away so they stack the deck against us.
Par 3s Peer Pressure
I dare anyone to make the following proclamation on a 125 par 3:
I think I will layout up to the right of the green so I have a nice chance to bump and run to the pin for an easy par.
You will be laughed off the course. But what if that is the smart play facing a green only 30 feet deep sitting atop a peninsula. If playing a shot to a short game that results in tap in pars, why do we feel the pressure to play a shot that is high risk and low reward. Because the tee box is a microcosm of peer pressure akin to middle school.
Lack of Accuracy
Lately, I can either have a lazy fade or a razor sharp straight shot. On par 3s, that can be on or off the green depending on my aim and whether my shot agreed.
As my Grint performance tracker for the last 20 rounds shows, I hit 1 out of 5 Par 3 greens in regulation while par 5s are hit 2 out of 5.
If I want to improve my golf game, I need to hit more par 3 greens off the tee box.
What is the most challenging par 3 you have ever played?
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