Par-3s – Scorecard Killers
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Par-3s – Scorecard Killers

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Par-3s – Scorecard Killers

A common misconception amongst amateur golfers is that par-3s are easy but that could not be further from the truth.

Our on-course data partner, Shot Scope, has pulled the stats on mid- to long-range par-3s to reveal some interesting insights on how amateurs fare on these holes.

Many clubs will include a “Magic Twos” prize pot alongside the competition in their weekly medals to reward those that successfully birdie any par-3s, and for good reason, as we will soon find out.

a chart showing golf par 3 performance by handicap from 150-200 yards

From 150-200 yards, what can we expect on a par-3?

Immediately, we can see that the vast majority of golfers are more likely to miss the green than hit it from between 150 and 200 yards.

Let that sink in …

Even for scratch golfers, it is almost a coin flip as to whether or not they will find the dance floor at this distance.

But still, when we miss the green, we should be annoyed, right?

Wrong!

One thing that jumps out for all players (except for scratch players) is that they are more likely to bogey the hole than par it, based on shots to finish.

In terms of proximity, players may be surprised to see how far away, on average, their handicap benchmark hits their tee shot. 

For example, the 10-handicap golfer will typically hit their tee shot to 70 feet. Anything inside this will gain them strokes … 70 feet!

What happens if we move everyone back to over 200 yards?

a chart showing golf par 3 performance by handicap from more than 200 yards

Well, the importance of being able to hit the ball farther becomes very clear. The chances of mid to high handicappers hitting the green plummets while the shots to finish rise significantly.

Unfortunately for the 20-25 handicap player, chances are they will make a double bogey on long par-3s. This is because green success is next to zero so the players are required to get up and down.

And, as we have discovered in our previous articles on club selection around the green, amateur golfers struggle to get up and down, which we can see below:

So for the higher handicapper, on a longer par-3, their higher score is made up of a missed green in regulation, unsuccessful up-and-down attempt and a few putts depending on how close they hit their approach shot.

Of course, there can be exceptions to this but, for the most part, this is a scenario that we can typically expect. 

So what can golfers do?

a chart showing up and down rates by golf handicap

Manage expectations. We are all guilty of expecting too much on the course and, often, without even realizing it.

It is easily done, especially when we watch the game’s elite on television and seldom see them hit a misplaced shot – they do. We just don’t usually see it on the coverage!

Likewise, playing high-risk shots around the green with lob wedges probably does not help. Aim to hit the green and give yourself a putt. If you hole it, superb, and, if not, then a two-putt is perfectly fine. 

Remember, most players won’t make a par so if you do, you are gaining strokes.

If you want data insights like this into your game, check out Shot Scope performance tracking products.

Shot Scope is the Official On-Course Data Partner of MyGolfSpy.

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      FakeRichGuy

      5 months ago

      For me (high handicap, admittedly) l, there’s something psychological about teeing up and having to hit a small target and make it stick, as opposed to hitting a driver and knowing that if I hit it straight, it will generally be fine.

      Reply

      Danie Maré

      5 months ago

      Makes you wonder why the stroke index for par 3s do not reflect this. They seem to always be ranked as some of the easier holes, whilst in fact they are some of the more difficult.

      As a 7 handicap, I often have a 5 iron in hand on a SI 15 par 3. I hardly ever have a 5 iron in hand on a far more difficult rated par 4.

      Reply

      CS

      5 months ago

      Because hole handicap has little to do with overall difficulty of the hole, and I feel like I’m explaining this to my friends all of the time. The system is designed so that in match play as many holes will be theoretically halved as possible. Hole handicapping is based on the DIFFERENCE in difficulty for scratch vs bogey golfers… so the number 1 handicap is the hole with the biggest difference (i.e. the worse golfer most needs a stroke on that hole). This article actually answers your question when looking at the shot averages. For a scratch golfer to not halve/lose the hole on average (average score difference =/>1) to a worse golfer they would need to get to a handicap of 20!!!!

      Reply

      Darren Jeffries

      5 months ago

      Yet, the index of the hole is used in a medal or stabeford as a measurement to handicap your score relative to the scratch golfer. Based on that logic, we would need a 2 tier system

      chisag

      5 months ago

      Like many I was really disappointed in my par 3 scoring when I kept stats for a 4 month pilot season in LA back in the early 2000’s. Then I saw a stat of Tiger Woods in his prime and loosely remembering he was something like 1,140 under on par 5’s for his career but he was 39 OVER on par 3’s for his carer.

      That was an eye opener for me and I started to lower my expectations, play more to the middle when called for and very rarely go right at pins. It helped quite a bit but par 3’s are still my highest over par scores. You have two chances to recover on a par 5 and one chance to recover on a par 4. You have no chance to recover on a par 3. Sure you can get up and down but that isn’t the same as the extra shots on 4/5’s where you can still hit the green after a bad tee shot.

      Reply

      WSinTX

      5 months ago

      Nice article. Could use more of this on MGS. Kudos Tony.

      Reply

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