Five courses in the Golf Monthly UK&I Top 100 course rankings tee off on a short hole, but the word ‘short’ is a bit of a misnomer for all five measure 200+ yards off the tips.
And two of our quartet of closing par 3s also stretch to over 200 yards!
There are four par 3 18th holes in our top 100 - there to test out your ball striking right until the end of the round where a solid iron, hybrid or fairway wood is required before you get to enjoy a post-round beverage.
Opening par 3s
ROYAL LYTHAM AND ST ANNES
The most famous of our opening par 3s is the only one on the list of Open rota courses. Royal Lytham and St Annes’ 1st hole can stretch to 206 yards off the blue tees, with five bunkers closely guarding the entrance to the green.
It is possibly an easier angle off those back tees as you are playing directly between the left and right bunkers. From the left-hand tees you have little choice but to carry it over the left-hand traps.
SOUTHPORT AND AINSDALE
Just four yards shorter, a little way back down the north-west coast, the 1st at James Braid’s Southport and Ainsdale is perhaps just as tough on account of five more deep pot bunkers to avoid with your opening long iron or hybrid.
Mind you, there were even more until the most recent course works here.
LIPHOOK
Heading down south, Liphook, The Berkshire (Blue) and Walton Heath (Old) all open with long and testing par 3s.
Liphook’s is the shortest of the trio at 203 yards and does at least play downhill from a tee very close to the 18th green and clubhouse. Missing right is highly likely as the slopes will kick the ball that way, but with a good lie, getting up and down from here is easier than from the left as you are chipping back into the slope.
THE BERKSHIRE - BLUE
Next in terms of length is the 213-yard 1st on The Berkshire’s Blue course, which may just be the toughest of all our opening one-shotters.
The green is a good size, but between you and the target lies a sea of heather in a big dip, while anything pin-high but drifting right is likely to kick some way down the steep greenside slope.
WALTON HEATH - OLD
Walton Heath Old’s opener is longest of all off the tips at 235 yards, and even off the shortest tees it’s still 193 yards.
It is the only hole the clubhouse side of the Dorking Road and plays over very flat terrain, but the big bunker short-right can prove a very popular – or indeed, unpopular – spot for nervy or stiff opening tee-shots.
Closing par 3s
THE BERKSHIRE - RED
It’s back to The Berkshire for the shortest of our closing par 3s at 175 yards, but this time on the Red course where it is the last of six short holes.
It does play uphill, though, to quite a long, two-tier green so invariably plays a club or two more than its yardage.
SAUNTON - WEST
Also not quite making it to 200 yards is the 193-yard finale on Saunton’s West course in Devon.
A dune short-right of the green and deep bunkers either side at the front mean that only the most accurate or well-flighted of shots will find the narrow-fronted green.
PARKSTONE
Not quite so far west, the 18th at Parkstone in Dorset is a beautifully framed but very tough 201-yarder.
Miss left and you’ll either find sand or watch your ball kicking away down the bank. Miss short-right and, if you avoid the sand, you still have a pretty decent chance of getting it up and down for par.
ROYAL ST DAVID'S
Finally, to Wales where the closing hole at Royal St David’s in Harlech is exactly the same length as Parkstone’s off the tips.
After a thrilling rollercoaster ride through the dunes on the back nine, the 18th looks quite flat and innocuous by comparison as you play towards the distant mountains with the imposing castle away to your right, But don’t be fooled, for there is much sand to avoid if you’re to close things out with a safe par or maybe even a birdie.
Back-to-back par 3s
With good balance throughout the round often the hallmark of our very best courses, back-to-back par 3s are pretty elusive in this exalted company.
But here are five courses in our latest rankings that do boast back-to-back par 3s, nearly all over 100 years old (West Sussex has eight years to go).
