Par 3 Golf Players

How many of you play Par 3 courses on a regular basis? I am a member at one since it's only a few minutes from my house. I can get there, practice for an hour, and be home in no time. For me, the short game is so critical to practice, that this has been a great decision.

BTW - I just broke 40 for 9 holes this morning (shot a 37). May not seem like a big deal, but a watershed moment for me. For now, it's not the score, it's where the ball is going, and whether I'm putting for par. So far, the game is going in a good direction. Tomorrow may be a 180-degree change (as goes my game).

Any other Par 3 players in the house?

I used to when I was 8 years old (not an insult) but now I just play regulation as The Par 3's are just as far as regulation courses.

I've actually meant to play 1 this year just for fun but haven't played any.

I don't play any Par-3 courses but we do play Executive Courses from time to time. Our normal one has 12 Par-3's and 6 Par-4's for a par of 60. It's a good course to work on your middle to short irons (has Par 3's ranging from 76 to 180 yards) and lets you pull out your woods on some holes (Par 4's range from 290 to 325). Nice to use early in the year to work the rust off after winter or any time you need to work on something. Plus, it's one of the courses on GolfLogix!

define par 3 courses? i played an 18 hole par 3 course with regular length holes,par 54. but, there's also a few par 3 courses around town that are par 54's, but the holes are ridiculously short,40 yards,60 yards, maybe 1 or 2 @ 100 yards. i guess the latter is called a pitch and putt?

There is a 9 hole par 3 at my favorite driving range; I'll play sometimes in the spring after hitting some range balls.

I play mostly on par-3 courses. For me, its because of the cost. The par-3 courses around here charge $10 for 9 holes, wherea the regulation/fullsize courses charge $15 for 9 holes. With where my budget is, I can afford to play 2 times a week on the par 3 courses, as compared to only once a week at the big courses.
The holes on the par-3 courses that I play on range in distance. The one courses has holes that range from 85-yards to 220-yards (most of the holes on that course are in the 120-yard range), the other courses has holes that range from 120-yards to 250-yards, plus that course is a lot harder because it has more sandtraps, water and from the red to white to blue tees it gets considerably harder because the angle at the green is a lot more difficult from 1 tee to the next. Some of you may have heard of that course. Its Spring Creek in Fort Atkinson, WI. Supposedly it was named one of the top-10 par-3 courses in the United States.
No doubt some of you may scoff at someone who is a, "par-3 golfer" but we do what we have to. I feel that its better to play more on a smaller course than to only play once a week on a big course.
You know, Im not well-off and I dont have the luxury of a job that pays me $80,000 a year. I make less than $50,000 a year, I own a house and Im living on a single income, so paying the bills take priority over fun stuff like golf. I do what I can to make this sport affordable, and playing par-3 courses is one of those things.

If you get a hole-in-one at a par 3 course, do you count it as a legit ace?

I played two 9s at Colbert Hills' par 3 course the other day. It's fun and good practice.

Never been on a par 3 course. I would love to play one though.

I would. Of course, I've never had one. I haven't ever holed out other than a greenside chip shot. There's no rule that says how long a Par 3 has to be is there? If not, then by all means it counts. If there is some rule that stipulates a par 3 must be XXX yards long, then if the hole is at least that long, then it would count.

Not missing much..

There is an Executive 9-Hole course (6 Par 3's and 3 Par 4's) near me that is really fun and challenging. I always enjoy playing there on occasion, as it breaks normal routine that occurs on the regular courses. The only bad thing is that they raised the green fees to pay for hand laid cobblestone cart paths and a fancy clubhouse with all the fixtures in gold and brass.

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Driver- Taylormade Burner
3 Wood- Adams RPM
5 Wood- Adams RPM
Irons- Adams SC2
Wedges- SW, LW Adams SC2
Putter- Odyssey WHite Hot XG 1
Ball- Taylormade LDP Burner
Bag- Nike ProCombo

they are great to practice short game. my school's course has one, the longest hole is 160 yards.

i'm in the high 20's there, my best round being a -2 25

Of course. Why wouldnt you? Although Ive never gotten a hole-in-one, Id count it as a genuine ace no matter whether it was on a regular course of a par-3 course. I did hit the flagstick today though (from about 120 yards), it was pretty cool.

My definition would be the course where I play: >2,000 yards over 9 holes, varying from ~80 to 170 yards (max yardage from blue tee markers). No water, but sand bunkers on 8 out of the 9 holes. Greens are somewhat undulating, with good pin placement forcing tight shots over bunkers and trees for decent birdie chances. If I remember, I'll take a few pics to illustrate.

I would since it's seems to be a legit course (has the "official" yardage markersboxes in the tee boxes,...). Don't really know what else would qualify it as USGA legit...perhaos I should ask someone there to be sure...

There are no windmills or clowns' mouths! Don't even get a free pizza or game with a hole-in-one!

Seems like a good way to mix things up a little. Short tracks place a premium on accuracy and putting - the cornerstone of honing a golf game. You can always decide not to re-visit if it's not to your liking, but I say, go for it.

To each his own...

The biggest improvement in my game has been due to a local par 3 course (holes range from 95-148 yds) that I mix into my rotation almost weekly. When I play there, I dont go to keep score, I play to practice there and hit probably 300 or more shots while I am there. I play when it is not busy and I can take 4-5 balls off each tee, then after those, pick spots 30-60 yds from the green for practice shots with wedges... sometimes playing 10+ balls per hole.

I will then drop these balls all our the outer green and practice lagging putting for 2 putts. Often after this per hole, I will pick a difficult lie angle and slope and practice chipping to the green.

I can easily spend 3 hours out there and doing this 1 time per week has an unreal affect on your "real" rounds especially in cutting strokes around the greens.

The best money I spend per week on golf.

Par 3's - they're fun, cheap, and short and I can play nine on my one-hour lunch break.