45 LONG PAR THREES Long par threes offer almost no margin – there’s often no lay-up, no bailout strategy that still feels like a win. You either hit it, or you don’t. Conversely, if you called it a short par four, suddenly that same shot becomes an option – and golfers love options. “I also think there’s an opportunity being missed with how long par threes are typically presented. Too often, they’re flat, one-dimensional brute tests with little nuance. But what if we leaned into the scale? What if they played downhill, through wind corridors, into wide, expressive green complexes with feeder slopes, humps, and multiple entry points? Introducing strategy into long par threes is difficult, but not impossible. “Maybe the most radical idea is to stop labelling holes by par altogether. Instead, ask: is this hole fun, interesting, and engaging to play repeatedly? Can it accommodate different trajectories and different players? At the end of the day the player with the lowest score would still win. I’d love to see more long par threes that feel like short par fours in spirit, with strategy, variety and room to move. If we give players space to rethink expectation and experience these holes creatively and strategically, would long par threes actually become some of the most beloved?” Let’s give the last word to someone who has played the eighth at Oakmont in top level competition. “I played the hole in the 2003 US Amateur at about 255 yards,” says Tripp Davis. “It was a good distance because all players in the field could reach the green. Three hundred yards may be a bit too long because not everyone in the US Open field can hit it that far. But I like it as an option. We worry too much about par in the US. It may be a par 3.5, but if it has some options that make sense, like a wide area to not try to hit the green, it can add a lot of interest.” Calamity Corner, the sixteenth hole at Royal Portrush, will be the longest par three at the 2025 Open Championship. Its 236 yards may seem relatively modest, but it typically plays into the wind Photo: Kevin Murray “ I’d love to see more long par threes that feel like short par fours in spirit, with strategy, variety and room to move”
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