Best Par 3s In The United States
There’s something inherently awesome in the opportunity for all golfers stepping up to a great par 3, because unlike a beastly par 4 or a never-ending par 5, a great par 3 presents a chance for all golfers to hit that one perfect shot and make a memorable score. Length takes a backseat to accuracy— and tiny nuances in the hole’s design are magnified to take centerstage. Obviously big numbers are still possible on these “little” holes, but regardless of your score, you’re certain to be entertained by the 17 Great Par 3s we’ve listed below!
- Hole #15
- The Anchor hole at Harborside has a simple message for all of its golfers- “Hit a good shot, or you’re sunk!” And while this might seem like an easy task on the tee box, a uniquely shaped green and classic, swirling Chicago winds make this test a tough one.
- Hole #11
- Views, views & more views… This Pacific Ocean facing LA looker is one of the most enchanting golf holes golfers will ever play, but they should be very weary of getting too enamored by the crashing waves, because this 200+ yard beauty packs plenty of punch.
- Hole #11
- The 11th hole at Poppy Hills Golf Course is what golf in Pebble Beach, California, is all about. Towering cypress trees. Pacific Ocean breezes. Beautiful white-sand bunkers. But don’t let the beauty distract you. This 202-yard one-shotter demands an accurate tee shot over a ravine up to a well-protected green that drops off drastically to the left.
- Hole #9
- Whale Road is a short, 121-yard par-3 at Terranea Resort that packs whale-sized problems if you're long or short. As one Los Angeles local recently put it, “There’s definitely nothing fishy about Whale Road. You get the distance right, or this pup takes a big bite out of your round.”
- Hole #3
- The Championship Tees at this massive par-3 outside of Olympia, Washington undoubtedly leave most golfers thinking: ‘Who plays from back there?’ Measuring a whopping 291 yards from the tips, this tough test asks a ton from the tee box and a little bit more around its creatively contoured green.
- Hole #12
- Top of the World is a great way to describe what golfers feel when they look out on the amazing view from this great hole in Austin, Texas, and we hope that players can hold onto that feeling after they hit a challenging, downhill shot into a well-protected green.
- Hole #10
- Perfect green fairways meet majestic mountain vistas at this epic test in Sedona, Arizona that many claim is the most photographed hole in the Southwest. And with a good tee shot, golfers just might be taking a celebratory birdie photo as they write down a number as red as the rocks around them!
- Hole #11
- Drawn up by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, this par-3 calls for the same type of signature butter cut that helped Nicklaus win 18 majors. And while most players can negotiate the sub-150-yard tee shot, a complex, multi-tiered green can give even the best putters fits.
- Hole #11
- Impressive is the best way to describe this Hamburg, New Jersey par-3 that asks golfers to launch their tee shots down the face of an 80-foot tall limestone quarry to a small, well protected green. Throw in varying wind conditions, and one can quickly see how club selection can turn a birdie hole on the scorecard into a bogey or worse.
- Hole #9
- Golfers can’t find themselves short or long at this difficult, downhill par-3 in Peoria, Arizona. If a player does find the green off the tee, he better hope he’s well versed in reading putts and quickly answering the question: “Which way is the valley again?”
- Hole #7
- Tom Doak designs are celebrated for his commitment to working with what the land gives him, and in the case of Streamsong, it gave him a ton! From the tee markers to the pin, this short hole encapsulates Doak’s reoccurring challenge to golfers to consider (and cherish) raw, natural elements with every shot they take.
- Hole #16
- True to its name, Mother Earth is a naturally beautiful hole on the banks of the Rock River that evokes the perfect mix of admiration and respect. Standing on the tee box, golfers are clearly informed that everything breaks and bounces left, and yet many still test these irreversible laws of gravity and beg for that ever-improbable bounce right.
- Hole #15
- When Robert Trent Jones Jr. originally came to this amazing property on the Puget Sound, he wanted to bulldoze the lone tree that stood in the course’s way of being a “pure links” course. But the Lone Fir ultimately survived, and it now creates a magnificent backdrop on a fantastic hole that challenges golfers to carry the ball all the way to the green or face a test of survival in the sand.
- Hole #3
- Consistently named the “most beautiful hole in golf,” this Big Island beauty was originally imagined by famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., and it has marveled golfers every day since it opened in 1964.
- Hole #16
- Universally recognized as the loudest hole in golf, birdie roars truly echo year round at this Scottsdale gem. And if you’re lucky enough to play it when the bleachers are up, you can almost hear the fans screaming your name.
- Hole #17
- Aptly nicknamed Alcatraz, the 17th Hole at PGA West truly offers no escape. Year in and year out, this short, 168-yard par-3 ranks among the most difficult holes on the PGA TOUR. Club selection is critical, and anything less than a clean strike and your golf ball is swimming with the sharks.
- Hole #17
- Arguably the most iconic hole in all of golf, the island green at TPC Sawgrass presents golfers with one of the more challenging short irons they will ever hit. And a recent estimate that over 100,000 golf balls are retrieved from the water each year puts the proof in the pudding- or more accurately, in the beautiful pond surrounding that tiny, 3900-square foot green.