I recently got the chance to play a brand-new short course near me in Colonial Williamsburg. My quick trip around The Shoe at Golden Horseshoe reminded me of the key elements that, frankly, make short (or par-3) courses so enticing.
Honestly, I’m fully prepared to declare that it’s a much better golf experience than playing the “real” thing.
Here’s why I think short courses are the best way to play golf.
It’s faster
Ain’t nobody got time for a 5-hour round. No, seriously. There are few things I hate more in life than a painfully slow round of golf. In many ways, the short course addresses this problem.
Shorter distances, fewer opportunities to end up in the woods searching for a ball and every hole being a par-3 speed things up.
You can easily get around a 9-hole short course in an hour … just enough time to sneak away as my toddler goes down for a nap.
It’s still challenging (in some ways)
The other thing I love about the short course experience is the opportunity to work on different shots. At The Shoe, for example, the shortest holes play around 40 yards, while the longest is nearly 140.
It’s not very often that I end up with a 40-yard shot into a green or have to fit my pitching wedge into a tight spot between greenside bunkers.
It’s family-friendly
In direct contrast to my last point, the short course experience is also one that’s more suitable to the new or casual golfer.
Golf becomes heckuva lot easier when you don’t have to worry about hitting driver off the tee. Forty-yard holes are manageable for someone who’s hardly touched a club before.
The reality is, my wife (or any number of non-golfers) would more quickly make a par on any given hole at a short course than at a normal course.
And the sooner a newbie scores their first par, the more likely they are to keep coming back. Same goes for birdie.
Do you agree?
The short course is the most refreshing, enjoyable way to play golf. At least, that’s what I think.
Do you agree? Leave a comment down below.
Brent
12 months ago
Before we moved to the country my better half and I enjoyed the local par 3
We made early tee times and avoided the “crowds”. A good fit as she doesn’t play regulation courses much.
Pete USA
8 months ago
I like smaller courses for a quick round, but find all short holes boring to play. So to make the course more interesting I use a conforming modified ball that opens the shorter game into a big play so I can use all my clubs. Allows me to play a full par round in half the time at affordable rates. The ball floats, harder to lose, fun to play and makes the shorter course design more interesting.