What are your strategies for Par 3s?

[titaniummd]

What are your strategies for Par 3s?

Regarding approach, aiming for the pin, middle of the green, accounting for wind, slope of the putting green, etc.

[m11]

What are your strategies for Par 3s?

7/8i and closer...i aim directly at the pin.

anything longer and i take into account what you've mentioned.

[kfowler]

At my level, I try to aim for the middle of the green and pick the club avoids danger. For instance if water is up front, I'll take an extra club length. That being said, I score highest on Par 3's compared to 4's and 5's. Mostly because I struggle with irons. So maybe I should change my approach.

[HartridgeKing]

If its under 160 yards with favorable conditions I usually aim right at the pin, but if its really windy or their is a lot of trouble I just try to get on the middle of the green.

[ElTigre]

If I am using 6 iron and down I mainly take into account the wind, and maybe if my swing is good that day, a place where I want to leave my ball for best shot at birdie.
6 iron and higher I don't think much about the wind unless it's strong. I mainly play to whatever section of the green the pin is on. For instance, front, middle, back.

[Fat Slice]

I try to land in the middle of the plane that's even with the pin. I aim to miss a little beneath the hole and to the wide side of the green when possible.

[AK jr.]

i mostly agree with the others. just get it on the green with long irons but go for the pin with scoring clubs. also take into account the depth of the green so that you can take any front bunkers or water hazards theoretically out of play

[kc8kir]

Yardage, Wind, Slope of Green, Slope of Surrounding Terrain, Surrounding Hazards, Best Areas for Recovery, Worst Areas for Recovery, Tee Box Orientation, Green Conditions, Grass Species, Grass Cut and Grain, Water Flow patterns, etc...then the more complicated factors like...

Geospatial orientation of the golf hole, magneto-polar lines of force, balance of chi surrounding the area.... you know, the regular stuff.

Just kidding. Grab a club, aim, fire. It's only golf.

[dave s]

Primary strategy: Never up, never in. Always take plenty enough stick to get the ball all the way to the hole.

Secondary strategy(ies): Take the hazards that might cause a high score out of play as much as possible.

Rely on my up-and-down skills to limit a miss to a bogey at worst.

dave

[Shindig]

It's the same as if I have a perfect lie and that distance into a par-4 or par-5. I'm going for the center of the green, unless it's an 8i or better (115-120 yards for me) and I can go for a pin without bringing hazards into play any more than they are already. If I can't reach the center of the green - there's some, even from the white tees - I figure my bailout zone and try for an up-and-down from there. It's amazing how much better I am at up-and-down from the short grass than the thick stuff.

In fact, I view some things the opposite. Part of my strategy on par-5 and par-4 that dates back to my days as a short(er) hitter was to consider the last 150 yards a par-3. If I finished a hole with 3 or fewer strokes from inside 150 yards, I considered it a resounding success. For that matter, I still do.

And the same with par-3s for me. If it's over 150 yards, I don't get upset by a bogey (even if it's a hole I don't get a stroke on).

[golf_junkie27]

It depends on the pin placement and any hazards. If it's a water hole, I'm going for the center of the green and not trying to be cute. If the pin is close to the front and the putt is uphill, I'm leaving it below the hole. Any flat green without hazards calls for taking dead aim at the flag.

A bogey on any Par3 is cause for the little guy in my brain to call me all sorts of names that I can't repeat.

[michaeljames92]

Well, We have quite long par 3 holes at my course. A couple are like 180m in length which is a 4 iron for me. Often I hope for par or sometimes bogey on those holes.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

The par 3's at the course I play most often all have an area of fairway grass in front of the green. With that in mind, I've discovered I do much better if I only take enough club to reach the green if I hit the ball absolutely perfectly. There's one hole in particular which is marked as 148 yards, and so I always used to use an 8-iron. However, after hitting my 8 165 yards off the tee into the sharply sloping rough behind the green two rounds in a row, I started using a 9 instead. I can't usually hit my 9 iron 148 yards. But chipping softly from the short grass in front sure beats trying to pitch from the long grass at the bottom of the hill behind the green.

So I guess what I'm saying is, I don't even hope for "near the pin" on any of the par 3's I play. I aim for the middle of the green, hoping just to be on the green at all, and I try to use club selection to take the trouble behind the green out of play.

-Andrew

[thumper07]

i like to work my shots on par 3's. if the pin is on the right i aim center and try to play a cut if pin left i play the draw. if center wierdly enough i try to play with trajectory. if i stop trying to be cute id prolly make alot more pars.

-matt

[Sir Shanksalot]

I will typically play for the middle of the green unless I have a short club in my hand. The main thing for me is to not over swing, which I have been known to do on par 3's. I'll even take an extra club.

[mad max]

I shot for the middle of the green regardless even with a PW. The only thing I will do to avoid trouble is club selection and only if I am already between clubs. I will take par on any hole on any course.

[brandon_mcg]

par 3's arent really my friend right now. when i was playing more often i would try to get as close to the pin as i could but now since i dont get out as often i just shoot to get it on the dance floor

[yeis20]

Go for the pin unless the pin is tucked right behind a greenside bunker.