Your Favourite Par 3?

Your favourite Par 3?

Watching balls go in the water, during the Players Championship, at the infamous par 3 17th at Sawgrass brought back painful memories when I played the hole. On two consecutive occasions I managed to find a watery grave whilst my playing partners found dry land. This hole like many on Pete Dye’s masterpiece at TPC Sawgrass is all about visual intimidation. Without an island green it would just be a boring par three, with an island green it is one of the most talked about par three’s in the world of golf. You genuinely arethinking about that hole for most of your round at Sawgrass and particularly as you look to your right when playing the par five sixteenth. Despite my failure to find the target at seventeen at Sawgrass, I consider it to be one of the best par three’s I have ever played.

Others that would make the list would have to include, the 4that Royal County Down. Off the Championship tee, this is the best par three in Ireland. The 6th on the Dunluce course at Royal Portrush is another favourite, in many ways owing to the green complex, a much better hole than the more famous 16th ( Calamity Corner). The 15th at Portmarnock is another hole where like the 4th at County Down , nothing but a perfect shot will find the target. In Scotland, my favourite would be the Postage Stamp (8th at Royal Troon) or the 7th at Western Gailes in many respects a better course overall then its more illustrious neighbour. To finish I would add in the 3rd on the South course at Torrey Pines in San Diego. It might not be the best par three I’ve ever played but with views down to la Jolla and the Pacific Ocean it may well be the most picturesque.