When is Par 3 no longer realistic?

[Stud Muffin]

At the Potosi course I play often, there is a 650' par 3. It is downhill, but it is OB completely down the right side, and traditionally always facing a head wind. This means most flex shots end up OB.

Even with a good Flex shot, I still am still 300-250' out. This again, is traditionally facing a head wind, and OB down the right line. Is this a realistic distance to be making an 'approach' shot? There are Par 3's not as long as this approach shot on this course.

I do not throw far by this forum's standards. Some days better than others, but 300-330 range. Still, with the people I play DG with, I look like a mad bomber compared to them. There is no way they are making three unless they put it in 200' away.

I look at it like this, some people are very accurate, and can birdie technical holes with ease. Some people can throw really long too. If they can birdie long par 4's with ease, then they can do it, that still should be no reason to call a par 4 on a legitimate par 4 a bogey.

It just doesn't seem fair.
And, for the record, I have never made a 3 on the hole. It is an awesome challenge, and I do not beat myself up over making a 4, just hate that the scorecard does.

[DirtyMittenDG]

Just depends who your playing with...

[optidiscic]

How much of an elevation drop is it? It sounds wide open if you can huck a flex out there. Sounds like a weak 4 to me....so they kept it at 3

[Connor Jones]

Its still all going to a total at the end,so it doesn't really matter,call it a par 20 if that makes you feel better.

[skybird]

We have a par three that sounds just like the one you describe except it is 950'. Some holes you just take a 4 and walk away happy... Par ratings are just reference points, really. Around here everything is par 3, while somewhere else the same hole would be a 4 or 5. Its the same for everyone so what's in a number?

[Three Putt]

Par is whatever I say it is. I've got one hole that's a par 23 and yesterday I damn near birdied the sucker. - Willie Nelson.

[Stud Muffin]

Originally Posted by optidiscic

How much of an elevation drop is it? It sounds wide open if you can huck a flex out there. Sounds like a weak 4 to me....so they kept it at 3

It is uphill for 200', then it drops, I can not give a exact number or idea on that. It is completely wide open, but that does not make it easy. The fence to the right, OB, runs all the way down, and the basket is 40-50' from the fence. With the land being treeless here, massive wind gusts even on calmer days, and always in your face, coming a little left to right. I have thrown Wraiths on a hyzer that flipped up and over the fence. If you ever go there, there is a Huddle House across the road, which is over the fence... I have put discs in that parking lot with flex shots.

So the only safe bet is throwing a OS disc down center, and ending far left of the line. I have trouble getting much distance on that. Do not let it fool you, it is difficult to get a 4, much less a 3.

[jenb]

When is a par 3 unrealistic? How about on that 228 foot hole number 4 you should park with your putter? For every one of those on a course, there should be a hole like the one you described, just to even things out.So keep in mind that sometimes a hole that "should" be a par 4 is assigned a par 3 to even things out, because you can't assign a par 2 to the holes that deserve them.

[optidiscic]

Potosi has 4 par 4s...so this is not an everything is a par 3 argument...I'd guess its closer to a 3 than a 4 and thus they call it a 3.

[DirtyMittenDG]

Originally Posted by jenb

When is a par 3 unrealistic? How about on that 228 foot hole number 4 you should park with your putter? For every one of those on a course, there should be a hole like the one you described, just to even things out.So keep in mind that sometimes a hole that "should" be a par 4 is assigned a par 3 to even things out, because you can't assign a par 2 to the holes that deserve them.

No hole deserves a par 2. An ace shouldn't ever be a single birdie. And I don't like that "make up par" philosophy. lol