Are Par 3 Courses Good For Practice?

Golfible has researched and found that playing par 3 golf courses can be very beneficial to golfers. The course provides golfers with a variety of scenarios to practice and can help improve their swing and drives as well.

We will dive into the benefits as to why it can make a golfer better and lower their scores. Par 3 courses are ideal courses for any skill level of golfer and have benefits aside from just improving also.

What Is A Par 3 Golf Course?

A par 3 golf course is a course that is specifically made up of holes that are par 3s. This means that on each hole a par is three strokes.

Most holes range from 80 yards to 150 yards on most standard par 3 courses. Since the holes are so short, you can walk the course with a sunday golf bag. 

These golf bags are skinnier, lighter and easier to walk with vs. normal golf bags. Most courses offer rentals for pull carts too if you don’t feel like carrying it.

Many Par 3 courses are nine holes but on rare occasions you can encounter some with 18.

Playing at Par 3 courses is good practice:

Here’s Why:

Zone In On The Short Game

Since you’ll be mostly hitting irons on a Par 3 course, you’ll find yourself with more greens in regulation and holding a putter in your hand more often.

You can really work on your short game and focus on improving your putting stroke whether it be with lag putting, hitting it straighter towards the cup, or reading greens.

You’ll also be faced with many short chips and can practice different kinds of shots around the green — a scenario found on a standard golf course as well.

Putting and having an excellent short game is a key difference between high handicappers vs. low handicappers.

Par 3’s are an excellent training tool for pressure situations when trying to score low similarly to on a full-length course.

Short Irons From The Tee Repetitions

When playing a par 3 you will be constantly using short irons and wedges from the tee box.

Doing this repetitively will aid you when hitting off the fairway on a real course or on a short par 3 hole.

You’ll learn how hard to hit specific clubs the correct distances and can experiment hitting different types of shots such as high or low trajectory, fades and draws.

Par 3s can help you gain confidence and become a pin seeker.

Par 3 Courses Are Built For Busy People

Another pro for playing a par 3 course is the time spent on the course. 

Rather than playing for four to six hours during a full round, you can easily complete the course in around an hour to an hour and a half.

Many people have to play golf on the weekends when the courses are packed and rates are more expensive.

To play during the week most golfers have to take off of work early or the day off in order to play.

At par 3 courses you don’t have to do this and are offered more flexibility. A lot of par 3 courses can be played after work and many have lights so they can be played at night.

It is also convenient to take friends who want to try out golf.

The rates will be much cheaper and it is usually easier for beginners to navigate a short par 3 instead of having to hit driver and play a 500-yard hole.

Great Beginning Course For Kids

Teaching junior golfers and children how to play golf is a lot easier on a par 3 course than a normal course. The course is such a short length that even toddlers and smaller kids can play too.

You can teach them how to swing the driver as well and show them the basics of the game such as the short game and putting.

 It will give them a good opportunity to enjoy the game instead of being frustrated on a longer, more difficult course.

It is also easier to let groups pass you up on a par 3 course.

Distance Control And Club Selection

Since Par 3 courses are usually filled with small greens with tight landing spots, you can learn how to control your distance and choose what clubs to hit.

For example, if you’re 140 yards out facing an elevated green you can figure out that your eight iron might be a better option than your nine iron. 

Then, when facing the same distance at another course hitting down at the hole, the nine iron might be better since it plays shorter.

Distance control and club selection is crucial not only on par 3’s but on any hole from the fairways and tee boxes, so it serves as good practice.

Conclusion

Par 3 courses are great for all levels of golfers trying to improve their game and are also good for teaching kids how to learn golf. Whether you want to practice or play competitively after work, this type of course will suit both needs.

They are also great exercise and easy to walk and carry a bag around. You can also save money not having to pay a cart fee when walking. Share your experiences with par 3 courses in the comments.

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