(A 900-yard par 3 golf hole? See info at the end of this story)
America has plenty of tough 18-hole golf courses, but in actuality this nation has numerous par 3 golf courses that are even more difficult.
Hard to believe, you say.
Well, how about a par 3 golf course where the holes average about 200 yards? That’s a course where most amateurs would be hitting a driver off every tee.
Statistics show that no professional golfer over the course of his or her career has averaged less than 3 on all their par 3 holes combined. That even includes Tiger Woods at the height of his career.
For example, consider the Par 3 golf course at the Pipestem State Park in Pipestem, W. Va.
This beautiful course set in the mountains has immaculate fairways and greens, with trees lining the course and sand traps dotting the holes. And six of the nine holes are more than 200 yards long from the white tees (the only tees available for men – the ladies tees are a little shorter.
This gives the Pipestem course the unofficial title of World’s Toughest Par 3 Golf Course.
The beautiful Pipestem State Park has a great many activities available – everything from tennis to horseback riding – and offers a lodge and cabin for visitors. And the lovely Bluestone River runs through it (flyfishing is available). There is also a highly-regarded 18-hole regulation golf course at the park.
For information on this course and park features contact the park at www.pipestemresort.com.
Here are some more interesting par 3 golf courses you might want to try, as compiled by Mike Bailey of Golf World:
Bandon Preserve at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.
Bandon Preserve, a Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design that opened in 2012, is a 13-hole short course with views of the Pacific Ocean on every hole. It can’t get any better than that. Additionally, Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser donates 100 percent of the net proceeds from this course to the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, a non-profit organization he founded to support economic, ecological and tourism initiatives on the southern Oregon coast.
Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course in Palm Beach, Fla.
This 18-hole municipal par-3 course has ocean views galore, except it’s on the other coast. The Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course sits right between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway on some expensive real estate on the southeast coast of Florida. This all-paspalum course, redesigned recently by Raymond Floyd, is always in great shape, and the holes are really interesting, especially the ocean holes. To top off the experience, the course got a new clubhouse about a year ago. With even better views of the ocean than many spots on the golf course, the restaurant on the second level, al Fresco Pizzeria Ristorante & Bar, is killing it with golfers and non-golfers alike.
Threetops at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich.
Located at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord, this northern Michigan gem is certainly among the best two or three par-3 courses in the country with mountains and elevation change as its primary scenic draw. For many years, Threetops at Treetops Resort was home to the ESPN Par 3 Shootout. In 2001, Lee Trevino aced the 150-yard seventh, which plays three clubs less because of the highly elevated tee. He won more than $1 million for that shot. In case you’re wondering, Threetops yields between 30 and 60 aces each season.
Challenge Course at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, Calif.
While the 12-hole Challenge Course at Monarch Dunes, designed by Damian Pascuzzo and Steve Pate, is paired with a really good championship course, it can stand on its own just fine. Most unique are the dunes, fescue and links features that make up these holes. Located near San Luis Obispo on the central coast of California, what really makes the Challenge Course interesting are the seemingly endless array of tee options, which means you can play a totally different golf course each time.
Origins Golf Club in WaterSound, Fla.
Origins Golf Club, located near Watercolor Resort on the Emerald Coast of northwest Florida, should be a model for future golf courses. Why? Because it makes great use of land and is so flexible. Designed by Davis Love III, it can be played as a six-hole layout with regulation par 3s, par 4s and par 5s, a nine-hole executive course with par 3s and par 4s, and a 10-hole par-3 course between 1,600 and 1,800 yards. The design, which actually harkens back to old golf courses in Scotland, encourages golfers of every level and background.
The Links at Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
The Links at Terranea has a Pacific Ocean backdrop, so right away it makes our list of favorites. Located just south of Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., this family friendly nine-hole design is a blast to play. The layout includes elevation changes, contoured greens, creative bunkering and great views through a wide range of classic strategic elements. Hole lengths range from 50 to 180 yards.
Top of the Rock Golf Course near Branson, Mo.
Top of the Rock Golf Course is Jack Nicklaus’ best (and only) short course. This short Nicklaus Signature course is also a little pricey — $115 for nine holes at last check — but it does include the additional putting course, a bag of range balls and a canyon and nature trail tour. Located just south of Branson, Mo., which is an emerging golf destination, Top of the Rock Golf Course is part of Big Cedar Lodge and located high above Table Rock Lake, offering great views and terrific conditions. It’s also an Audubon Signature Cooperative Sanctuary course.
Cloud Nine Short Course at Angel Park Golf Club in Las Vegas
The Cloud Nine Short Course at Angel Park Golf Club is actually 12 holes, but at night it reverts to nine because those are the holes that are lighted. As part of a 48-hole complex, this may be its best attribute because it allows you to play after the sun goes down. Many of the holes on Cloud Nine were inspired by some of the best par 3s in the world, including the 17th on the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
Barn Hollow at Hawk’s View Golf Club in Lake Geneva, Wis.
One of Lake Geneva’s best daily fees is Hawk’s View Golf Club, which not only has a terrific championship course, but also a great 18-hole par-3 course called Barn Hollow, named for the old abandoned barn on the property. Like the main course (called Como Crossings), it’s well conditioned and has plenty of water and sand, but its greens may be even more challenging. It’s a great course for families or groups that want to play an extra 18 and wager a couple of bucks with a cold beverage or two.
Short Course at Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile, Ala.
There are several par-3 courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, but the Short Course at Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile, Ala., is not only the best of the lot, but also one of the best in the country. Anything but easy, there are plenty of forced carries over marshes to bulkheaded greens with plenty of slopes. It’s a lot of golf course, even for good players.
For a complete state-by-state directory of par 3 and executive golf courses in the U. S. visit the web site http://www.par3-executive-golf.com/CourseListings.html
AND NOW FOR THAT 900-YARD PAR 3 . . .
The Legends Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa is brand new and features 18 holes by 18 different designers including Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Justin Rose, Trevor Immelman and Vijay Singh.
The course is supposed to be amazing but nothing approaches the 19th hole.
The course’s so-called “Xtreme 19th” hole is a par 3 — a par 3 whose tee is atop a cliff on Hanglip Mountain, more than 1,400 feet above a green carved like the continent of Africa. You’ve got to take a helicopter to get to the tee box, and from there it’s more than 630 yards to the pin. Once you tee off, it takes nearly 30 seconds for the ball to hit the ground.
Should you manage to drill a hole-in-one on the 19th, congratulations — you’ve just won yourself a million bucks, and the right to call yourself the most Xtreme golfer on Earth! And unlike certain signature holes (Island Green at Sawgrass, we’re looking at you), you can play just the Xtreme 19th, if you like, without messing with all that full-round business. You can, of course, add it to your existing round, a la carte. And for tournaments held at the Legends, it will serve as the playoff hole. Playing all 19 holes runs about 2,000 South African rand, or about $220 in American bills, but for that you get the helicopter ride, plus a bunch of souvenir swag and a DVD of your shot.
In a recent match at the resort, Harrington and European Tour player Raphaël Jacquelin finished 18 holes all square, so they hopped on a helicopter that shuttled them to the mountain top. Jacquelin’s tee ball found the green, but he three-putted the severely sloping surface. Harrington’s shot landed in the bunker that rings the entire green, but he pitched out to a foot for a par and became the first-ever player to card a three on the hole.
To watch them play this incredible hole, visit http://www.compleatgolfer.co.za:80/new_site/content/news/singlepage.asp?id=856.
For more information
See more at: http://www.oobgolf.com/content/fore+play/1-2544-Worlds_Hardest_Par_3.html#sthash.CQqNCIuy.dpuf
