Best Par 3s North America

A hand full come to mind. There is 12 at Augusta, 7 at Pebble, 14 at Coeur d'Alene, 3 at Mauna Kea, 16 at Cypress Point. What are some others?

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing if there are others outside of North America as well. Let me know your favorites!

I am surprised you did not include the 17th at TPC Sawgrass.  There are going to be some that feel the hole is too contrived but it makes great theater.

A couple of the par 3 holes at Ballybunion are pretty strong and visually are quite intimidating. #17 at Carnoustie is a fine hole, too.  Hole #3 (I think) on The Old White at Greenbrier is certainly interesting with the 6 foot deep trench in the middle.

Ah, total brain fart on my part. It's definitely one of the best!

Hole 12 at Mangilao Golf Club on Guam. It's 165 yards from the white and 188 from the tips. The golf club will get you a certificate if you get a GIR on this hole.

Played 14 at Couer De Alene, hit it.

@ ~~bkuehn1952 - 17 at Carnoustie is a great call!  Off the tee you have an option to play safe and to the right, but it leaves you with a long second.  Or, you can take your chances with the burn and the gorse, which come into play on both sides if you play to the left fairway option. Assuming you find the fairway, it leaves you with a much easier second.  It's a really great hole - but it's a par 4.  Definitely worth a mention; just on the wrong thread.  That's all :)

I've always been partial to #15 at Cypress Point rather than #16.  Not that I've played them.  I'd be happy enough to simply lay eyes on them someday.  If I'm lucky.  The best I've seen and/or played is #17 at Sawgrass, and I felt fortunate enough to have done that twice.  Hit the green on day 1, then got too aggressive on day 2.  I went pin seeking at that front hole location.  Found the bulkhead instead, then watched it bound 20 feet up in the air, only to hit the bulkhead one last time before going in the drink.  But I still made bogey ....

#17 at Merion is fresh on my mind because of last year's US Open.  #8 at Royal Troon in Scotland, otherwise known as "The Postage Stamp" probably deserves a mention.

Lastly, if throwing in the crowd at the 16th at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Championship is fair game, I don't see how it doesn't make the list.  There's no scene in golf quite like it.

Yes, #16 is the par 3 I was thinking about, not the par 4 17th.  I was probably still dazed from my triple bogey on #15 and lost track of which end was up.

Definitely all great holes. Thanks for sharing!

Hole 16 at South Cape Owner's Club in South Korea looks pretty sharp too.

And the 14th.. wow.

Here is - at least - a very interesting Par 3. This is No. 6 at Stonewolf GC, my home course. Yardage ranges from 200 yds. at the back, to 113 for the women. Golfer has water on the left front and side, and a bunker over the right back. Hole normally plays into a quartering R to L headwind. Angled green is about 4 clubs long from front to back.

Several tee boxes dot the hillside (see two trees against skyline). Teeing area can move 30 yds. to left or right depending on which patch they pick for a given day. (Nicklaus Signature design)

I've had good results on this hole, getting par fairly often and birdie twice. Most frustrating day: got GIR, and three-putted from 60 feet.

Spyglass #3....

This one has to make the list. Exteme 19 at Legends Golf Club in South Africa.

#6 on Jones Masterpiece @ Treetops Resor t in Gaylord MI.  Even better in the fall when the leaves are changing!

Didn't play the Masterpiece at Treetops, but I did play Threetops at the same resort.

This photo of #3 "Devils Drop" was definitely one of the best par 3s I've played!

That looks cool! Any idea how big the drop is?

Yeah it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 145 feet. I believe it was the 7th hole that Lee Trevino hit a million dollar hole in one on a few years back in a tournament - which has a 90 foot drop.

Played Threetops as well...pretty hard to pick a favorite out of those 9.  It was a unique experience and a great way to end four great days of golf in Northern Michigan!