Laying up on Par threes?

[senorchipotle]

the greatest shot i've ever hit in my life, aside from the uno which is often more the luck of the bounce than the shot, came at a 260 yard par three. i mean really, who makes a 260 yard par 3? there was a tree guarding the left side and a chasm too far right. pin at the back of the green. wasn't trying to lay up necessarily, but i was trying to see how far i could hit my 3 iron with a good, controlled swing since i had to draw it. put it 249 yards about two feet from the green and it didn't release. so, essentially i laid up, and it was the most beautiful iron shot i've ever hit.

[bplewis24]

I've only done a full lay-up off of one par 3 that I can remember. That is a 220-240 yard par 3 at a 9-hole course.

However, sometimes I do a modified lay-up on long (180+) par 3s with front pin locations if it seems like a smart shot. The way it works is, I take one less club than I think I can reach the green with an average swing/contact.

For example, I know I can hit my 4 iron about 190 most of the time, and on my best strikes I can hit it 200+. So, if there is a 210 (middle of the green) par 3, but the pin location is about 200 to an easy front pin location, I may decide to hit the 4 iron, knowing that most of the time I will come up short, but with a great chance of getting up and down.

Brandon

[jamo]

The 5th at Hopkinton Country Club? I can see it in my head. Bitch of a hole.

Yessir, nice call. I hate that hole so much.

[KEEPITSIMPLE]

Never, I am not that into scoring. I like the comraderies and wagering always gets my blood pumping. Imo, overstrategizing takes the fun out of the game. I like to hit that incredible one out of 10 shot just because it is simply a high when you execute it.

That being said, I don't pin hunt most of the time, I will always bail away from OB.

[Shindig]

We have a par 3 at our course (175 yds), stroke index 18, so the easiest hole on the course, allthough nobody feels it to be so very easy.

I don't know how the R&A; affiliated clubs do it, but USGA clubs have 18hcp as the one where a bogey golfer least likely needs a shot from a scratch golfer. One of the toughest holes at my home course is a par-3, #18hcp. I've seen low-single digit handicap players produce double bogeys there.

So don't change your strategy based on the handicap number unless it affects whether or not you get strokes at that hole .

[The Recreational Golfer]

One course I play has a 141-yard par 3 with an elevated tee. There is a big pond hard on the right, and a deep bunker on the left. If you hit the ball in the air, it has all that more time to wander further off course if you don't hit it straight. So I just punch down the hill, chip on, and take a 3 or 4 and move on. 6s and 7s are there for the asking.

[Gerald]

I don't know how the R&A; affiliated clubs do it, but USGA clubs have 18hcp as the one where a bogey golfer least likely needs a shot from a scratch golfer. One of the toughest holes at my home course is a par-3, #18hcp.

Overhere (R&A;) it is stroke index 18 for the easiest hole and stroke index 1 for the most difficult hole, so if let's say a HC 20 plays a round, he will get 1 stroke at every hole and 2 strokes at the two most difficult holes.

At some courses like ours, with a high slope rating, players get a few strokes extra depending on their handicap and/or playing from the backtees (White) or standard tees (Yellow) ( I think in the USA backtees are Blue). Mostly only single digit handicappers and pro's play from the backtees over here.

[CalBoomer]

When you lay up has nothing to do with whether the hole is par 3, or 4, or 5. If your shot to the green requires a club that you can't control very well, and the green is heavily defended, you lay up to a range you can control.

[nike_golf]

I've honestly never even THOUGHT of laying up on a par 3. Maybe it's the young blood in me, but this "strategy" makes NO sense to me. Par 3's are designed for you to be on in one. And since 99% of us aren't playing U.S. Open courses, why are we bringing up ridiculous Par 3's where laying up MIGHT make sense? (Granted, yes, some of you do play some ridiculous Par 3's, but still, MOST of us aren't)

And hey, anything bad can happen on a lot of shots. What's the difference in going for the green on a par three versus shooting a wedge into a green from 120 out w/ a guarded green on a par 4 or 5?

If you lay up, who's to say you make a decent second shot to save par, or even bogey? I can't believe some would play a Par 3 for a bogey and be fine and/or happy w/ it.

I salivate when coming up onto Par 3's. A 160 yard Par 3 w/ a heavily guarded green is just fine w/ me. I, for one, love holes such as those.

Bring it on!

[max power]

I've honestly never even THOUGHT of laying up on a par 3. Maybe it's the young blood in me, but this "strategy" makes NO sense to me. Par 3's are designed for you to be on in one. And since 99% of us aren't playing U.S. Open courses, why are we bringing up ridiculous Par 3's where laying up MIGHT make sense? (Granted, yes, some of you do play some ridiculous Par 3's, but still, MOST of us aren't)

Then you haven't played one legitimately long or hard enough. I've only done it a few times-but it's a

248 yard par 3 with a narrow fairway, greenside bunkers, and ob immediately back/left of the green and a handful of yards right of the green. And usually a super strong left to right wind. I have no trouble with the distance, but even for bigger hitters a well struck shot is likely to find sand or hit the green and run off. Long iron to a landing area directly in front is simply a smarter play.

[CalBoomer]

I've honestly never even THOUGHT of laying up on a par 3. Maybe it's the young blood in me, but this "strategy" makes NO sense to me. Par 3's are designed for you to be on in one. And since 99% of us aren't playing U.S. Open courses, why are we bringing up ridiculous Par 3's where laying up MIGHT make sense? (Granted, yes, some of you do play some ridiculous Par 3's, but still, MOST of us aren't)

Are you kidding? We're talking about long shots of over 200 yaards into heavily guarded greens. Don't know about you, but I'd much rather shoot a wedge from 100 yards than a fairway wood from over 200. A 160 yard par 3 is not what we"re discussing here. You need to play some harder courses from the tips.

[mtsalmela80]

For the less skilled golfer, like me, this makes total sense. Bogey is a lot better than beagle. Monday night, I take a 5 iron, a club Ive been struggling with, to get to a ~170 all uphill. I could taken a 6, which is shorter and Im mentally confident with and laid up 10-20 yards off the green, but I took a 5 to hit the green. I duffed it fat, ball went 20 yards. Ended up with, beagle (double par for those who dont know).

I can almost always get on the green from 20 yards on a clean lie, from 150+, not so much. For a bogey golfer, there is nothing wrong with a bogey!

[bplewis24]

IWhat's the difference in going for the green on a par three versus shooting a wedge into a green from 120 out w/ a guarded green on a par 4 or 5?

...

A 160 yard Par 3 w/ a heavily guarded green is just fine w/ me. I, for one, love holes such as those.

40 yards in your own example, which can be as many as 3-4 clubs for some people.

Out of the courses that I play regularly (Ancil Hoffman, Haggin Oaks (both courses) and Wildhorse), there are only a total of four par 3s that are 160 or less. I just did the math, and the average for the 17 par 3s on these four courses is 175 yards. There are several that are 190+, and I would consider laying up under certain conditions. Brandon

[DavidFehertysBike]

Yes, depending on the where the pin is there is one par 3 i play often where i purposely lay up. Front right, big drop off false font. Its actually easier to chip up from the rough than it is to two putt at that pin. Birdies are out of the question.

[sean_miller]

Regularly on a couple par 3s.

The 18th at Meadowlands (Sylvan Lake). It's 225 on the card, but uphill and typically against the wind. Last time out there I pured a 3-iron and was pin high - first time this year. It's not so much a "layup" as not quite enough club to get there. The fairway in front is really nice to chip from and there's bad new's left, right, and long, so a hybrid is too much club.

A 200 yarder at the Sylvan Lake GCC. Not terribly hard but there's OB right the green. The pin is often tucked behind trees anyway so an up and down from in front of the green is just as likely as getting anywhere close to the pin.

[chilly]

I have not ever seen a par 3 that made me seriously think about laying up, but I'd do it if necessary. Toughest I played was pretty simple, 190yd carry over water that was short/left...with right to left wind. I thought about maybe laying up to the right as my miss is left with irons, but I just started it right and figured I'd deal with consequences. Only holes with water would make me want to lay up, anything else I'd figure getting up/down from sand or a bad spot was worth the risk, versus being sure that I'd have to get up/down to par.

[nike_golf]

Are you kidding? We're talking about long shots of over 200 yaards into heavily guarded greens. Don't know about you, but I'd much rather shoot a wedge from 100 yards than a fairway wood from over 200. A 160 yard par 3 is not what we"re discussing here. You need to play some harder courses from the tips.

You still have to go for it, IMO. I would also rather shoot a wedge than a fairway wood, but what I was comparing and saying is, is that ANYTHING can go wrong on any shot.

As for playing harder courses. I do and have. Yes, I've played 200+ yard par 3's. Ya know what I do? Get out the 3 hybrid and stripe it down there!

...

Again, I was saying anything can go wrong on any shot. I wasn't simply comparing yardage differences. You can mis hit a hybrid on a long Par 3 just as easily as you can mis hit a wedge from 120 out on a Par 4. That's the thing about golf. Every shot is different and has the potential to be really good, just ok, or bad.

I will always be w/ the mindset that you have to go for pretty much ALL par 3 greens JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME. Can weather conditions change that line of thinking? Absolutely.

[oneoverwrx]

I havent ever layed up on a par 3. The longest one i have ever face that i can remember was a 215 yard par 3 slightly down hill. Hit my 5iron and was about a yard short of the fringe. Chipped it close and putted for par. I really cant think of any situation where i would lay up on a par 3. I hit every shot with purpose and the beliefe it will do what i need it to. I think this is how everyone should play.