Australia's 100 Best Par-3s

With that in mind, we asked our Top-100 Courses judging panel to cast their votes on the best par-3s in Australia. More than 160 holes got a vote and we narrowed down the list to the leading 100. Here they are....

TASMANIA

BARNBOUGLE DUNES

112-metre, 7th hole

Many believe this is the crowning glory of Tom Doak’s design at Barnbougle. It is an exquisite short par-3 (pictured above) that punches well above its weight in terms of difficulty based on its diminutive stature.

Measuring just 112 metres from the tips, it demands respect with big bunkers completely ringing the small target. With the prevailing wind into your face here, it is not unknown for a mid- or long-iron to be used from the tee. 

BARNBOUGLE DUNES

188-metre, 13th hole

Of all the par-3s showcased here, this one features the wildest of green complexes. It is a massive putting surface with several bowls separated by steep slopes, creating different levels, which represents the challenge from the tee – if you don’t get your tee shot onto the right level you could be faced with a very difficult two-putt.

BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM

‘Sally’s Point’, 124-metre, 4th hole

Barnbougle owner Richard Sattler named this little wonder in honour of his wife, Sally, who had selected the site of the 4th hole as a possible site for their new home. Richard thought it would make a better par-3. He was right. The hole is well exposed and players must hit into the prevailing wind, which makes club selection tough. Punching a little 5-iron into the wind here is not uncommon.

BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM

121-metre, 13th A hole

Lost Farm is spoiled with riches, including having 20 Bill Coore-designed holes on the property. The first of the two spare holes, 13A, is a little gem.

Played slightly downhill across a deep grassy gully between the sand dunes, the short par-3 features a small false-fronted green and slopes off the back edge as well as a ring of bunkers.

BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM

178-metre, 15th hole

Running parallel to the beach and wedged between dunes to the right and the clubhouse atop a massive dune to the left, the 15th is a spectacular and demanding one-shotter.

Large bunkers carved out of the dunes feature left and right and need to be avoided en route to the green, which slopes markedly from
back-to-front.

CAPE WICKHAM LINKS

170-metre, 3rd hole

Depending on the wind of the day, this par-3 plays strong or brutal. The prevailing south westerly wind is into your face here so the journey from tee to green – across a rocky shoreline – is usually longer than the scorecard suggests.

CAPE WICKHAM LINKS

136-metre, 11th hole

The shortest of Cape Wickham’s quartet of par-3s is the closest you will come to the waters of Bass Strait during a round. Both the tee and green are perched just above the rocky shoreline and exposed to the south-westerly winds from the left. A deep pot bunker cut into the left edge of the green encourages you to play for the right half of the putting surface.

CAPE WICKHAM LINKS

164-metre, 17th hole

The penultimate hole of the Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver design is a magnificent hole laid along the edge of a rocky shoreline.

Seven greenside bunkers line the right edge of the putting surface, which features a large mound in the its heart and can complicate a tee shot heading for a back pin position.

OCEAN DUNES

‘Disphyma’, 131-metre, 4th hole

With a tee laid on a rocky platform and the green covering similar terrain on the other side of a shoreline inlet, Ocean Dunes’ 4th is about as close as you will ever get to the sea on any course in Australia. With waves crashing into the rocks between you and the green, it adds to the unforgettable experience of playing the hole.

OCEAN DUNES

‘Bay’, 204-metre, 10th hole

The Southern Ocean is a mighty hazard that can only be avoided by a well-struck tee shot here. Then there are the two deep bunkers short left, and one right, of the putting surface. If you can’t get your tee shot all the way onto the green, aim right and let the sloping ground help you out.

TASMAN GC

131-metre, 8th hole

The crowning glory of the little nine-hole course at Port Arthur requires one thing – a well-struck short iron (usually) is needed to carry a 100-metre wide clifftop chasm to safely reach the green on the other side.

Take a few moments to drink in the view before trekking to the green.

TASMANIA GC

134-metre, 11th hole

A visually striking one-shotter that offers Barilla Bay as a picturesque backdrop. The hole drops some 30 metres from tee to green and is well exposed to the wind.

VICTORIA

BARWON HEADS GC

130-metre, 13th hole

Once you reach the 13th tee, elevated in the sand dunes, the test that lies ahead is fully revealed. It is a challenge that doesn’t include bunkers. The green is surrounded by mounds and hollows, making any chip shot recovery a tough one.

CATHEDRAL LODGE

149-metre, 15th hole

This is such a loveable, short par-3. Teeing off under a canopy of native greenery, the hole plays downhill to an elongated green with cavernous, rocky trouble left and is sheltered by a large sloping mound to the right. 

COMMONWEALTH GC

133-metre, 9th hole

A wonderful strategic par-3 riddled with pitfalls for the miscued tee shot. A huge bunker lies front left of the almost triangular-shaped green, while two more bunkers right cut into the edge of the putting surface. An incorrect club selection leading to a shot flying long leaves a very difficult chip to any pin position.

COMMONWEALTH GC

147-metre, 15th hole

From the tee, the diamond-shaped green deceptively appears as if it is surrounded by sand. While the bunkers offer a stern test to saving your par, missing the green long presents an even tougher challenge with a steep drop off feeding balls into the rough.

HUNTINGDALE GC

161-metre, 12th hole

Club selection can vary between a 4- and 8-iron depending on the conditions of the day, which makes hitting the long, narrow and heavily-bunkered green a stern test.

KINGSTON HEATH GC

127-metre, 10th hole

When Dan Soutar created Kingston Heath back in 1925, he used the 10th hole – located right in the middle of the course – as his design starting point. The narrow green is lined with sand on both sides from the front to halfway back, where a ridge runs through the green. The ideal tee shot here should land before the ridge, as the putting surface slopes down from the ridge to the back of the green, bringing a steep drop-off into play.

 

VICTORIA (continued)

KINGSTON HEATH GC

142-metre, 15th hole

This challenging uphill par-3 is home to some of the most fearsome bunkering Alister MacKenzie ever designed. The middle of the green is the only safe place on this hole and, even then, you hope you have an uphill putt.

RIGHT: Kingston Heath, 15th hole. PHOTO: Brendan James.

“If anyone built this hole now, the hackers would howl in protest because they could never get out of the bunkers,” Mike Clayton once wrote. “As MacKenzie did it all those years ago, no-one bothers complaining because, fortunately, no-one would listen.”

METROPOLITAN GC

160-metre, 2nd hole

During his 1926 trip to Melbourne, Dr Alister MacKenzie visited Metropolitan and on seeing the 2nd hole he described it as one of the best short holes he had seen in Australia. It is a gorgeous green complex with bunkers cut right into the edge of the putting surface.

MOONAH LINKS – LEGENDS COURSE

162-metre, 3rd hole

Named after 1984 Australian Open champion, American Tom Watson, the key here is in
club selection and making sure you have enough club in your hand to carry the sandy wasteland gully and bunkers that lie between tee and green.

MORNINGTON GC

149-metre, 19th hole

This is the newest par-3 to be featured among the elite one-shot holes showcased within these pages. Officially opened for play last year, it is a spectacular hole with Port Phillip Bay as its backdrop.

PENINSULA KINGSWOOD CC – NORTH COURSE

160-metre, 2nd hole

Based on the design principles of the world famous 5th hole on Royal Melbourne’s West Course, this could be the best par-3 built in Australia in the past few years. With an elevated tee and green, the tee shot is played across a valley with sand lining the right side. It’s an all-carry tee shot to avoid the false front, but bunkers left and right narrow the back of the green.

PENINSULA KINGSWOOD CC – NORTH COURSE

151-metre, 14th hole

With such a big, wide target lying off in the distance, it would be easy to dismiss this par-3 as straight-forward. A false front rejects anything short and a front left bunker makes the shot to the back left flag tough, while the false edge that winds around the right edge of the green makes for a shot no less difficult. The putting surface is also trimmed right to the edge of two bunkers carved into the hill behind. Not so straight-forward after all.

PENINSULA KINGSWOOD CC – SOUTH COURSE

142-metre, 14th hole

An impressive one-shotter played across a valley where the left side of the hole is a combination of sand and long grass. The big, wide green offers a vast range of pin positions with the most interesting one being the back left corner, which can be accessed with a tee shot turning right-to-left from the centre of the putting surface. A false front will grab the short tee short and feed it into the front left bunker.

PENINSULA KINGSWOOD CC – SOUTH COURSE

120-metre, 17th hole

Could there be any more pressure coming towards the end of a round and facing a seemingly innocuous short par-3. Sand dominates the left side and back edge of the two-tiered green … club correctly and stay clear of the bunkers to head to 18 unscathed.

PORT FAIRY GL

178-metre, 15th hole

A fantastic redesign by Mike Clayton in 2006 changed the direction of this hole to run parallel with the coastline and created an unforgettable hole. The slightly elevated tee sits above the coastal scrub, offering superb ocean views right of the hole. It is a wide green surrounded by humps and swales, complicating any recovery.

RACV CAPE SCHANCK RESORT

170-metre, 14th hole

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, it shouldn’t surprise that this downhill par-3 is one of the most dramatic featured here. With a three-tiered green that slopes significantly from back to front, the tee shot here is all about finishing on the same level as the flag. Any other result is asking for trouble.

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – WEST COURSE

161-metre, 5th hole

Correct club selection and pinpoint accuracy make this par-3 fearsome. Played across a valley to a green with bunkers to the sides and a deep swale at the front, it is simply beautiful and arguably the best of the great Alister MacKenzie/Alex Russell/Mick Morcom
par-3s at this famed club.

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – WEST COURSE

135-metre, 7th hole

This deceptively easy-looking hole might just be in the top-3 uphill par-3s in the country. Club selection is absolutely vital to find the narrow, but wide, green, while difficult undulations make long putts tough. This little gem is just as challenging for the pros as it is for amateurs.

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – WEST COURSE

202-metre, 16th hole

Some have described this par-3 as a par-3 and a half, simply because of its length and the small target that awaits. A scheme of five beautiful Sandbelt bunkers dominate the left of the ideal playing line, while another huge trap to the right almost gives the impression of no landing area short of the putting surface.

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – EAST COURSE

184-metre, 4th hole

This is one of the finest uphill par-3s in the Sandbelt. The green runs diagonally from right-to-left, so the further left the flag, the longer the tee shot must carry. The other option is to hit a controlled right-to-left shot from the tee and use the slopes on the green to get close to the hole.

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – EAST COURSE

151-metre, 16th hole

An attractive well-bunkered par-3, where the real test comes around the green. Getting out of the bunkers here is one thing, but making putts on the sloping surface is another. Ben Crenshaw once called the 16th “one of the most beautiful in the world”.

The odd-shaped green features a deep bunker cutting into the middle of the putting surface, while more Alex Russell-designed bunkers can be found left and through the green.

SORRENTO GC

141-metre, 2nd hole

The outstanding feature of Sorrento’s best par-3 is the green complex, that sits at a slight left-to-right diagonal to the approaching tee shot. Two deep bunkers hug the right edge of the putting surface. Always a difficult green to hit, no matter what the wind is doing.

SPRING VALLEY GC

134-metre, 10th hole

Most great courses are home to a difficult short par-3 demanding of a precise short iron shot. Spring Valley’s downhill 10th is one such hole. Deep bunkers surround the narrow green, making par saves difficult after a miscued
tee shot.

THE DUNES GL

148-metre, 3rd hole

This was a surprise inclusion from The Dunes, considering the acclaim with which the 17th hole is held. That said, this superb one-shotter fully deserves its place among the elite. It is a wonderful hole played across the top of a ridge, exposing any tee shot to the wind. This brings six bunkers into play, especially three immediately to the right of the green’s fringe.

ST ANDREWS BEACH

197-metre, 16th hole

Standing on the tee here, you are faced with one of the most intimidating tee shots on the Mornington Peninsula. Played from one sand dune ridge to another, the 16th has one deep bunker set well short of the green to the left and another on the right edge. High trajectory shots will hold on the green but running shots will move left with the sloping ground and into sand or deep grass.

 

VICTORIA (continued)

THE NATIONAL GC – GUNNAMATTA COURSE

187-metre, 16th hole

The view from the tee is deceptive as it almost looks like the waters of Bass Strait are not far behind the green, but they are almost a kilometre away. While the view is terrific, the slopes and surrounds of this green complex offer a lot of fun.

THE NATIONAL GC – MOONAH COURSE

140-metre, 8th hole

The 8th is an elevated, exposed par-3 that often plays into a headwind. A shot falling short of the very wide green, will either roll well back down the fairway or to the bottom of one of four deep bunkers front right. Making par from here is almost impossible.

THE NATIONAL GC – OLD COURSE

139-metre, 7th hole

Set against a Bass Strait backdrop and laid on stunning topography, the 7th requires precise club selection hitting into a massively wide green. Any tee shot hit short, long or left of the green can be waved goodbye into the scrub. A spine running through the green divides the putting surface in two, adding to what is already an unforgettable hole.

THIRTEENTH BEACH GL – BEACH COURSE

153-metre, 12th hole

Tony Cashmore’s Beach Course design exposed some beautiful natural holes that required very little earth-moving during construction. The downhill 12th seemingly just had the grass mown and pits dug for bunkers. There are bumps and hollows all around the putting surface that complicate every chip shot.

THIRTEENTH BEACH GL – BEACH COURSE

113-metre, 16th hole

This tiny offering is laid along a sand dune ridge with a relatively small green and pot bunkers lying left and long. In between these bunkers are steep, manicured run offs down to long fescue grass.

VICTORIA GC

169-metre, 7th hole

The uphill 7th tempts you to fly your tee shot right at the flag, especially when the hole is cut beyond the sand that wraps from the front around the right edge of the putting surface. The best play here is to take aim at the small entrance, between bunkers, into the green and watch as the left-to-right slope feeds the ball closer to the hole.

VICTORIA GC

178-metre, 16th hole

The testing run back to the clubhouse starts with this long uphill one-shotter. A seemingly endless scheme of bunkers lines the left of the hole and halfway along the green’s edge. Another bunker right is almost obscured from view as you stand on the tee considering your options.

WOODLANDS GC

154-metre, 17th hole

Fine examples of expansive Melbourne Sandbelt bunkering set the scene on this hole. The deep, narrow green is well protected short left and right by bunkers, but it is the steep slopes that repel balls away from the putting surface that can cause problems.

YARRA YARRA GC

165-metre, 11th hole

The late, great Peter Thomson once rated this par-3 in his top 18 holes in the country. The diagonally sitting green demands a perfectly controlled left-to-right shot onto the dramatically contouring putting surface. The huge bunker at the front of the green is another fine example of the creative minds of Alex Russell and Mick Morcom and has changed very little with the recent redesign of the course.

NEW SOUTH WALES & ACT

BONNIE DOON GC

120-metre, 15th hole

A short par 3 with plenty of teeth, it is very important to try and find the right level of this three-tiered green. Use the multiple back stops for each tier to your advantage and leave yourself below the hole. Arguably the coolest green complex to be found at Bonnie Doon.

BONVILLE GOLF RESORT

142-metre, 17th hole

There is a hint of Augusta National’s famous 12th hole in the look of this beauty, with water and sand short of the green, as well as more sand through the back. Only when your tee shot thumps into the putting surface is it time to breathe a sigh of relief.

ELANORA CC

123-metre, 17th hole

There are so many high-quality short par-3s showcased in these pages, and this diminutive hole is one of the best of them. Set at the base of a rocky cliff, the angled green is large with plenty of sloping ground in different directions.

ELLERSTON

150-metre, 6th hole

A terrific par-3 played along the bank of a creek that marks the beginning of the famous Hunter River. From the slightly elevated tee, all the trouble can be seen … creek to the left of the putting surface, mounds and deep bunkers to the right.

FEDERAL GC

135-metre, 16th hole

Coming late in the round, this short downhiller can easily be dismissed as a pushover. But missing the heavily bunkered green will leave a difficult recovery shot onto the kidney-shaped putting surface.

KOOINDAH WATERS GC

149-metre, 2nd hole

The biggest question this par-3 asks is “what club are you going to hit”? A green bound tee shot is all carry over wetlands, while there is plenty of room left of the water hazard to take a conservative line. A bunker through the back of the putting surface will snare the player who takes too much club.

MAGENTA SHORES G&CC

124-metre, 15th hole

Stretched to 124 metres from the tips, the hole plays even longer when the flag is near the back edge of the 26-metre deep green.

With the beach just beyond the green, a high tee shot here is exposed to the wind bringing surrounding hollows and deep bunkers left, right and short into play.

MOLLYMOOK GC – HILLTOP COURSE

166-metre, 17th hole

The terraced teeing areas are elevated high above the green, leaving no surprises of what lies ahead. A creek cuts across the hole well short of the green, which is protected by a lone bunker short left and another two to the right. Take note of the wind affecting the flag to help make your club selection on the tee surrounded by shrubs and tall trees.

MONASH CC

197-metre, 14th hole

A spectacular long par-3 hole demanding a carry over the edge of a lake to an elevated green. Any tee shot finishing beyond the flag will leave a tough downhill chip and putt on a traditionally quick putting surface, while pulling up short will finish in sand or on a
steep upslope.

MURRAY DOWNS G&CC

194-metre, 5th hole

Easily the toughest par-3 to be found along the entire stretch of the Murray River.

Taking aim at the green involves a long water carry to reach the safety of the putting surface. Two bunkers wedged between the green and the lake catch the mis-hit, while
four bunkers lining the left of the hole ensure you need to be precise with a conservative playing line.

NAROOMA GC

141-metre, 3rd hole

A spectacular one-shotter with the tee and green perched precariously on either side of a cutting in the high cliffs on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

The massive sea cave that lies directly beneath the green adds another memorable element to the tee shot, which must carry the gap between the cliffs to find the small green that lies beyond two pot bunkers.

NEWCASTLE GC

143-metre, 7th hole

A simple hole, framed by dense stands of gum trees and played from a slightly elevated tee to a beautifully-bunkered green. What makes this better than most par-3s is the deception it inflicts on the tee shot. The breeze often differs in strength and direction from tee to green, which then brings the two deep bunkers in front of the green into play.

 

NEW SOUTH WALES & ACT (continued)

NEW SOUTH WALES GC

177-metre, 6th hole

This famous hole has undergone some changes in recent times with the green being re-shaped and moved closer to the water. From the back tee, perched on a rocky outcrop, your tee shot must fly over the edge of the ocean and a small beach to find the green. This is perhaps the most memorable short hole in Australian golf and rarely plays the same way twice.

NEW SOUTH WALES GC

149-metre, 11th hole

The elevated 11th tee occupies one of the highest points of the layout and, therefore, is well exposed to the elements. The green, which slopes markedly from back to front, calls for a tee shot to finish below the hole for a good chance at birdie.

ST MICHAEL’S GC

176-metre, 12th hole

One of the most daunting par-3s to be found in Sydney, even on a windless day. Surrounded by a nest of bunkers, steep drop-offs and hollows, the green is relatively small and features plenty of slope from back left to front right. The safe play here is to aim at the right edge of the putting surface.

THE AUSTRALIAN GC

157-metre, 11th hole

The 11th has been the scene of plenty of drama in Australian Opens past. Much of this can be attributed to the green complex and the difficult tee shot it demands. The green is angled diagonally from left-to-right, with the wide front narrowing above a steep tier that runs from front-to-back between two bunkers.

THE LAKES GC

160-metre, 7th hole

With a green that slopes markedly from back right to front left, the 7th is a hole with numerous scenarios. The required shot will change markedly here depending on the tee and flag positions as well as the wind direction. The best play here is to always aim for the left front of the green to avoid slick downhill putts and the sea of sand to the right.

THE LAKES GC

138-metre, 9th hole

A demanding little one-shotter where an accurate tee shot in the wind from the high dune is more easily said than done. Two spines running through the green can prove problematic for long putting.

THE VINTAGE GC

194-metre, 8th hole

The visual of water all down the right of the hole and green, with bunkers crammed into the left edge of the putting surface, can be daunting. But designers Greg Norman and Bob Harrison created two playing lines to the flag – the aggressive all-or-nothing at the flag shot and the conservative line where a running shot at the left half of the green will feed in close to most pin position.

THE COAST GC

180-metre, 4th hole

A beautiful natural hole with the tee and green separated by a rocky shoreline rising above
the ocean.

From the back tees (180 metres) it is a beast, especially in the prevailing southerlies, and the best ‘miss’ is short right of the putting surface. A miss anywhere else will likely result in a bogey.

TURA BEACH CC

181-metre, 5th hole

A picturesque lake separates the back tee from the front of the green, which is guarded right by a bunker and three mounds long and left.

A fairway winds around the water and shorter hitters can lay up short of the putting surface with their tee shot.

WOLLONGONG GC

141-metre, 17th hole

Despite its beachside location, the only time you get an unobstructed view of the ocean is when you stand on the 17th tee that is perched above the back of Wollongong Beach. The downhill tee shot here must avoid four bunkers and a series of mounds and hollows that ring the green. Don’t discount the difficulty of this little gem. 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BUNBURY GC

124-metre, 10th hole

The shortest hole at Bunbury really packs a punch. From the tee, elevated nearly 40 metres above the angled green, it is difficult to judge the wind and club selection can easily be affected. Bunkers – short left and long right – add to the questions this hole asks.

KALGOORLIE GOLF COURSE

174-metre, 8th hole

Named after the ‘Super Pit’ gold mine just outside Kalgoorlie, the 8th lies across the slope of a red sand-covered hill. The contrasting couch grass fairway leads to a wide, almost boomerang-shaped, green surrounded by four bunkers. It is a desert beauty that easily slips into the top-100 Par-3s in the country.

LAKE KARRINYUP CC

201-metre, 8th hole

The most difficult par-3 to be found at Lake Karrinyup, the tee shot must not only carry 200 metres, at its longest, but it also favours the player who can move their ball from left-to-right, to avoid the bunkers short, right and long left of the angled green. Better players won’t be concerned by the lake in front of the tee but it will intimidate the higher handicapper.

LAKE KARRINYUP CC

135-metre, 12th hole

Playing downhill it is little more than a long pitch but the green is quite small and missing it makes saving par really difficult. The best miss here is into the bunker lining the left edge of the putting surface.

LINKS KENNEDY BAY

‘Wee Tap’, 132-metre, 16th hole

A terrific short one-shotter but by no means is it easy. Its length and greenside dangers make it similar to the famed ‘Postage Stamp’ hole at Royal Troon, in Scotland. The shape of the green and the bunkers – two long and one short – give the ‘Wee Tap’ some real bite.

JOONDALUP RESORT – QUARRY COURSE

135-metre, 3rd hole

The first of the ominous holes around Joondalup’s famed quarry, it is also arguably its best.

The memorable all-or-nothing tee shot over the quarry to the green is quite unique in Australian golf, while the wide variety of tees offers a range of angles and distances in which this terrific hole can be experienced.

JOONDALUP RESORT – DUNE COURSE

172-metre, 4th hole

The second of two holes played across the bottom of an abandoned quarry, the long 4th spends most of the afternoon each day in the shadow of a 35-metre high rock wall, which lines the right edge of the hole. A massive undulating green presents enough of a target that any miss will be frustrating.

MEADOW SPRINGS G&CC

155-metre, 8th hole

There are several par-3s showcased here that require long water carries over a lake adjacent to the hole. But none have the added hazard of also having a babbling brook cutting in front of the green. That’s what you’ll find on this testing one-shotter, as well as a huge undulating green surrounded by gentle humps and swales.

SECRET HARBOUR LINKS

173-metre, 17th hole

From the back tee (173 metres) it is all water carry to a wide green, with two pot bunkers squeezed between the putting surface and the lake. From the forward tees (142 metres), you can easily play alongside the lake and also avoid bunkers left of the green.

THE CUT GC

177-metre, 13th hole

Heading away from the sea, this superb one-shotter plays up to a slightly elevated green that is partially obscured by a sand dune cutting in from the left. Thankfully, given the wind that can blow here, the green is large and receptive to shots with long clubs.

THE CUT GC

134-metre, 16th hole

The tee lies on the highest point of the course and offers beautiful views across the 12th, 15th and 17th holes and beyond to the Indian Ocean.

There are no bunkers around the peanut-shaped green, which features a receptive ‘bowl’ in the front half.

THE VINES RESORT & CC – LAKES COURSE

174-metre, 16th hole

With an angled green boasting three distinct sections and a significant slope from
left-to-right, the best way to play this hole is to aim to the left half of the green and watch your ball feed towards the hole, especially if it’s positioned back right. The water to the right shouldn’t come into play.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

GLENELG GC

168-metre, 11th hole

This is one of the more testing par-3s to be found in Adelaide, simply because it plays uphill into the prevailing wind. But the pines that surround the tee and line the first two thirds of the hole shelter you from the wind and make club selection intriguing. While there are three bunkers near the green, it is the large pit right of the putting surface that is best avoided.

 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA (continued)

KOOYONGA GC

152-metre, 7th hole

There are so many great par-3s that play from an elevated tee to a green perched above the other side of a valley and this is one to be included. The green features two levels and any tee shot coming to earth near the front of the putting surface is in danger of rolling back into the deep front bunker or down the trimmed slope off the green.

KOOYONGA GC

145-metre, 14th hole

The most recognisable and famous of Kooyonga’s par 3s, the 14th is a hard club selection hole because of the wind protection offered by surrounding trees. The green is well protected by four deep bunkers and a grassy hollow through the back of the putting surface.

LINKS LADY BAY

184-metre, 17th hole

On a still day this is a stern test of ball-striking, but when a westerly blows in across the course from the Gulf of St Vincent, you might need everything in the bag to find the green. A mis-hit here will either find deep grass atop the surrounding dunes or one of the seven bunkers that ring the putting surface.

MT COMPASS GOLF COURSE

170-metre, 12th hole

Strategically, Mt Compass’ 12th hole asks plenty of questions as you stand on the tee. Featuring a wide green with a large bunker covering most of the front edge, and a small pot bunker back left, working out the best way to access the flag is half of the test here. And I didn’t even mention the water carry.

MT GAMBIER GC

150-metre, 8th hole

The tee sits high above the kidney-shaped green, protected by bunkers – a small one left and a larger sandy hazard right. As is the case with most ‘drop shot’ par-3s, club selection is vital and here the prevailing wind is into the face so take care.

ROBE CC

157-metre, 8th hole

The short climb from the 7th green reveals a wonderful par-3, played across the top of a dune to a large rolling green, protected by a lone bunker.

Designed by Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford and opened for play last November, this is a superb one-shotter combining a beautiful view and challenging golf.

ROYAL ADELAIDE GC

167-metre, 7th hole

The 7th is not an overly long hole, but the superb bunkering and devilish green make it a challenge every time. Small bunkers in front and on each side combine with deep grassy hollows through the back to defend this green.

Royal Adelaide’s best par-3 certainly wouldn’t be out of place on a British Open course like Royal Lytham.

THE GRANGE GC – EAST COURSE

215-metre, 12th hole

An unforgiving par-3 where all the trouble is left of the ideal playing line. In fact, if you find the massive bunker short and left of the putting surface, you could be faced with a 40-metre bunker shot to the flag.

There is a three-club difference between a back and front pin position here, so choose your club wisely.

THE GRANGE GC – WEST COURSE

138-metre, 8th hole

There is always much to be said for short holes where a good player can make a four with one bad swing and the highest markers can make a two with one good one. This is such a hole.

The tee shot needs to carry a sandy wasteland and avoid three bunkers around the edges of the green to have a crack at making a birdie here.

QUEENSLAND

BROOKWATER G&CC

173-metre, 16th hole

Played across the corner of a wetland, designers Greg Norman and Bob Harrison have encouraged brave play here with their angled green and bunker positioning. The left half of the green, nearest a bunker that disappears into the adjoining water hazard, is the most receptive area for incoming tee shots. A second bunker short of the right half of the green is no place to go.

HAMILTON ISLAND GC

175-metre, 4th hole

In the wind, this is one of the most treacherous holes on the Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett-designed layout. The angled green, laid across a ridge, is wide but shallow in depth. Its exposed location provides incredible views to the mainland and Long Island as well as making club selection a stern test.

HAMILTON ISLAND GC

150-metre, 14th hole

Standing on the tee here you almost feel like you’re standing on top of the world with the tee and green being elevated high above its surrounds and the waters of the Whitsunday Passage beyond.

With bunkers surrounding the green on three of the four sides, the tee shot needs to be perfect to find the putting surface.

LAKELANDS GC

133-metre, 14th hole

This is one of the most memorable holes of Jack Nicklaus’ creation at Lakelands. The right-to-left diagonal sitting green sits beyond a waterfall feeding into the adjoining lake and also features a huge sprawling bunker short right. It’s easy to be distracted by the beauty of this hole.

LINKS HOPE ISLAND

188-metre, 17th hole

One of the toughest par-3s in Queensland, Hope Island’s penultimate hole can demand as much club as driver from the back tee when the wind strengthens. Whatever the conditions, the carry over a lake and three pot bunkers cut into the front of the edge of the green is daunting.

PACIFIC HARBOUR G&CC

214-metre, 17th hole

From the tips most players will need to hit driver to reach the green of this hole, appropriately named ‘The Beach’ for the bunker that separates the entire right side of the hole from the adjacent lake. Birdies here are extremely rare so if you happen to make one, treasure it.

ROYAL QUEENSLAND GC

202-metre, 8th hole

The tee shot here, from the tips or forward tees, must carry a water hazard that cuts diagonally across the fairway in front of the green, and continues along the right edge of the hole. Overly cautious players looking to easily carry the water will have to avoid a crop of bunkers left of the green.

ROYAL QUEENSLAND GC

125-metre, 17th hole

This one-shotter is best described as a “little gem with bite”. The tee shot here must carry all the way over a sandy wasteland to reach the slightly elevated green. Sounds easy right? The winds here, however, are fickle and with a putting surface split into two distinct tiers you can easily walk off with a bogey despite hitting the green in regulation.

SANCTUARY COVE G&CC – PINES COURSE

201-metre, 13th hole

From any of the four teeing grounds, it is all water carry to a tiered, well bunkered green. There is an option for shorter hitters to lay up right of the green when playing from the
back pegs. Correct club selection is key here and taking a little more club is a smarter play than going in the water or hitting the rocks that line the edge of the hazard.

THE GLADES GC

173-metre, 5th hole

Designers Greg Norman and Bob Harrison are renowned for intimidating players with visually dramatic bunkering and this one-shotter is a perfect example. An expansive waste bunker lines the left of the hole and is also wedged between the green and a lake. It has the effect of making the generously-sized green appear smaller than it actually is.