In a recreation more and more obsessive about distance and energy, par-3 programs provide a welcome change of tempo – extra approachable for households, children, and the on a regular basis golfer. And because of their rising recognition, these brief programs are now not simply an afterthought.
Designers get to let unfastened, experiment, and sprinkle in a bit of additional aptitude with out worrying about 400-yard tee pictures. And over the previous decade, golf’s greatest names like Hanse, Nicklaus, and Coore & Crenshaw have jumped on the par-3 bandwagon, turning these bite-sized programs into must-play experiences at resorts throughout North America.
So seize your wedges and your flatstick – we’re headed to one of the best golf brief programs in North America.
Finest Golf Brief Programs You Should Play
1. Bandon Protect at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Bandon, Oregon
Bandon Dunes’ slogan is “golf because it was meant to be.” However at its brief course, Bandon Protect, it actually ought to be “golf for a superb trigger.” Opened almost a decade in the past, this Coore & Crenshaw design options 13 holes of continuous enjoyable together with these unmatched views of the Pacific for which Bandon is thought. However Bandon Protect isn’t simply one other brief course. Each penny of its proceeds helps the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, a company devoted to defending the southern Oregon Coast’s atmosphere, neighborhood, and financial system. So when you’re perfecting your brief recreation, you’re additionally serving to protect some of the beautiful coastlines within the nation.
2. The Cradle at Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Kick off your sneakers, crack open a chilly one, and crank up the tunes – we’re headed to the Sandhills of North Carolina with our subsequent decide. If a spherical on Pinehurst No. 2 left you questioning your life selections, don’t fear, you’re not alone. However there’s a treatment: The Cradle.
This nine-hole par-3, designed by the legendary Gil Hanse in 2017, is pure enjoyable. At a resort steeped in historical past and custom, The Cradle provides a playful twist – reminding golfers that generally one of the best rounds are those the place you’re simply having fun with the sport.
3. The Sandbox at Sand Valley
Nekoosa, Wisconsin
That is one sandbox that’s undoubtedly not only for children. Designed by Coore & Crenshaw in 2018, this 17-hole brief course celebrates every part that makes central Wisconsin particular. Routed by a restored sand prairie, its rolling hills and sculpted mounds create some of the distinctive backdrops you’ll discover for a par-3 expertise. True to its playful identify, The Sandbox is all about enjoyable – however don’t be fooled. Its inexperienced complexes are not any joke, that includes classics like a Biarritz, Double Plateau, Lion’s Mouth, and Redan.
4. The Baths of Blackwolf Run at Vacation spot Kohler
Kohler, Wisconsin
Few par-3 programs dare to flirt with water. Even fewer dive all the best way in, with 4 water options. Welcome to The Baths of Blackwolf Run, the place the identify pays homage to Kohler Co.’s century-long legacy of bathing design excellence.
Unfold throughout 27 rolling acres, this 10-hole brief course isn’t only a place to work in your wedge recreation. Designed with the identical consideration to element that defines each Kohler expertise, The Baths seamlessly mix problem and attraction. Strategic water hazards glisten beside completely contoured greens, providing loads of possibilities for each birdies and splash landings.
5. The Hay at Pebble Seashore Resorts
Pebble Seashore, California
The Hay is a nine-hole brief course redesigned by none aside from Tiger Woods, however its roots stretch again to 1957, when former Head Skilled Peter Hay first reimagined what a brief course might be. At present, that spirit of innovation lives on. The Hay pairs playful enjoyable with Pebble Seashore status, that includes a reproduction of the enduring seventh gap and a large 20,000-square-foot placing course
6. The Nest at Cabot Cape Breton
Nova Scotia, Canada
Perched excessive above the Atlantic on the towering cliffs of Cape Breton, The Nest occupies some of the breathtaking settings in all of golf. Positioned on the resort’s highest level, the 10-hole par-3 course pairs dramatic ocean views with a design each bit as thrilling as its backdrop. Created by Rod Whitman and Dave Axland, The Nest channels the pure essence of hyperlinks golf – agency turf, artistic shotmaking, and an ever-present sea breeze that retains issues fascinating. It’s short-course golf elevated, actually and figuratively.
7. The Staple Golf Course at PGA Nationwide Resort
Palm Seashore Gardens, Florida
Named after its creator, architect Andy Staple, The Staple delivers 9 holes of pure par-3 enjoyable with a character all its personal. Stretching from 60 to 130 yards, every gap presents its personal twist, together with one which begins proper in a bunker! Brief, playful, and stuffed with surprises, The Staple proves that a bit of course can pack a whole lot of character.
8. Little Sandy at Omni Amelia Island Resort
Fernandina Seashore, Florida
Little Sandy on the Omni Amelia Island Resort is all about camaraderie and soaking within the surroundings. This 10-hole brief course winds round Purple Maple Lake, with holes starting from 70 to 125 yards, making it excellent for golfers of all ages and talent ranges. Whereas the format stays true to a basic short-course really feel, it doesn’t skimp on facilities: an expansive 18-hole placing inexperienced ensures follow (and pleasant competitors) continues lengthy after your spherical.
9. Horse Course at The Prairie Membership
Valentine, Nebraska
Designed by Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford, the Horse Course was named one among Golf Digest’s “10 Most Enjoyable Programs to Play” in 2013, and it’s simple to see why. Impressed by the basic recreation of H.O.R.S.E., this course throws custom out the window: there are not any tee packing containers. As a substitute, the winner of every gap will get to choose the following teeing spot, protecting each spherical contemporary, unpredictable, and an entire lot of enjoyable.
10. Prime of the Rock Golf Course at Huge Cedar Lodge
Ridgedale, Missouri
Prime of the Rock Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, holds the excellence of being the primary par-3 course ever featured in an expert championship: the Bass Professional Retailers Legends of Golf. Set amid the beautiful Ozarks, the course celebrates the area’s pure magnificence with cascading waterfalls, winding streams, and scenic vistas at each flip.
11. Threetops at Treetops Resort
Gaylord, Michigan
From its dramatic elevation modifications to its tough, undulating greens, Threetops affords a problem not like some other. You would possibly acknowledge it because the host of ESPN’s Par-3 Shootout for eight consecutive years, a testomony to its standout design. Extensively considered one of many nation’s high brief programs, Threetops proves {that a} par-3 spherical will be each bit as thrilling as a full 18.
12. QuickSands at Gamble Sands
Brewster, Washington
Since opening in 2021, QuickSands has given golfers but another excuse to make the pilgrimage to Gamble Sands. This 14-hole brief course stretches throughout 25 acres of beautiful terrain, with holes starting from 60 to 160 yards. Every inexperienced is a murals, meticulously contoured and whimsically named for its form – assume Crater, Donut, and Boomerang.
13. The Par-3 Course at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership
Augusta, Georgia
Final, however in no way least, is arguably probably the most iconic brief course in all of golf: the par-3 course at Augusta Nationwide. Performed yearly in the course of the Masters Par-3 Contest, this nine-hole gem has turn out to be one among golf’s most cherished traditions. Winding round two serene ponds, it affords loads of birdie alternatives – and the ever-tempting likelihood for a hole-in-one.
And in terms of getting to those greatest golf brief programs, don’t let the airport sluggish you down. ShipSticks helps you to ship your golf golf equipment and baggage forward, and again house on the finish of your journey, so you possibly can skip the bags declare and all the opposite airport complications.
