In a sport 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 quick programs are not simply an afterthought.
Designers get to let free, experiment, and sprinkle in just a little additional aptitude with out worrying about 400-yard tee photographs. And over the previous decade, golf’s largest 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 the perfect golf quick programs in North America.
Greatest 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 quick 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 quick course. Each penny of its proceeds helps the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, a company devoted to defending the southern Oregon Coast’s setting, neighborhood, and economic system. So when you’re perfecting your quick sport, you’re additionally serving to protect one of the vital 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 decisions, don’t fear, you’re not alone. However there’s a remedy: 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 the perfect 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 positively not only for children. Designed by Coore & Crenshaw in 2018, this 17-hole quick course celebrates every little thing that makes central Wisconsin particular. Routed by way of a restored sand prairie, its rolling hills and sculpted mounds create one of the vital 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 aren’t 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 way in which 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 quick course isn’t only a place to work in your wedge sport. Designed with the identical consideration to element that defines each Kohler expertise, The Baths seamlessly mix problem and appeal. Strategic water hazards glisten beside completely contoured greens, providing loads of possibilities for each birdies and splash landings.
5. The Hay at Pebble Seaside Resorts
Pebble Seaside, California
The Hay is a nine-hole quick course redesigned by none apart from Tiger Woods, however its roots stretch again to 1957, when former Head Skilled Peter Hay first reimagined what a brief course could possibly be. In the present day, that spirit of innovation lives on. The Hay pairs playful enjoyable with Pebble Seaside status, that includes a duplicate of the long-lasting 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 one of the vital 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, inventive shotmaking, and an ever-present sea breeze that retains issues attention-grabbing. It’s short-course golf elevated, actually and figuratively.
7. The Staple Golf Course at PGA Nationwide Resort
Palm Seaside 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 just a little course can pack loads of character.
8. Little Sandy at Omni Amelia Island Resort
Fernandina Seaside, Florida
Little Sandy on the Omni Amelia Island Resort is all about camaraderie and soaking within the surroundings. This 10-hole quick course winds round Crimson Maple Lake, with holes starting from 70 to 125 yards, making it excellent for golfers of all ages and talent ranges. Whereas the structure stays true to a basic short-course really feel, it doesn’t skimp on facilities: an expansive 18-hole placing inexperienced ensures observe (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 considered one of Golf Digest’s “10 Most Enjoyable Programs to Play” in 2013, and it’s straightforward to see why. Impressed by the basic sport of H.O.R.S.E., this course throws custom out the window: there aren’t any tee bins. As an alternative, the winner of every gap will get to select the following teeing spot, maintaining each spherical contemporary, unpredictable, and a complete lot of enjoyable.
10. Prime of the Rock Golf Course at Massive 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 Outlets 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 adjustments to its difficult, undulating greens, Threetops affords a problem not like every other. You may acknowledge it because the host of ESPN’s Par-3 Shootout for eight consecutive years, a testomony to its standout design. Extensively thought to be one of many nation’s high quick programs, Threetops proves {that a} par-3 spherical could 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 one more reason to make the pilgrimage to Gamble Sands. This 14-hole quick 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 on no account least, is arguably probably the most iconic quick course in all of golf: the par-3 course at Augusta Nationwide. Performed yearly through the Masters Par-3 Contest, this nine-hole gem has change into considered one of 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 with regards to getting to those greatest golf quick programs, don’t let the airport gradual 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 luggage declare and all the opposite airport complications.
