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I have been fortunate to play some world-class golf courses so far in 2024. One somewhat less-heralded one that I find myself thinking about as much as the rest is Pinehurst No. 3.
Why? No. 3 is a magic-trick of a golf course. Take one look at the scorecard and it's easy to overlook or disrespect. It tips out at just under 5,200 yards, par 68. Of its six par 3s, two of them are less than 120 yards. Two of the first five holes are sub-300-yard par 4s, too. The second of the two par 5s on the course - the 13th hole - measures just 423 yards - shorter than many par 4s on other courses. No surprise - it's a short golf course, so there are several short holes that offer opportunities to pile up birdies and even the occasional eagle.
But Pinehurst No. 3 has plenty of teeth. It demonstrates one of the fundamental values of superior golf course architecture: variety. When I played it in May, I got all but one club - my 6 iron - dirty. No. 3 makes up for its limited length with several challenging uphill shots, as well as two back-nine par 3s that, at 196 and 191 yards from the tips, are among the most challenging one-shot holes resort-wide. They come in a pivotal three-hole stretch that shocks players out of any potential false sense that the course is a pushover.
As a result, I came away from my round feeling every bit as challenged and satisfied as I would be playing a proper, 7,000-yard "big" course. Except it took just under three hours to play, rather than the typical 4 1/2 or more. No. 3 is a fairly hilly golf course, but because it's more than 1,000 yards shorter than the others at the resort, it's a wonderful walk. I came away so thoroughly impressed from my round that I ranked it my second-favorite of the resort's 10 18-hole golf courses.
Golf courses of broadly similar footprint to Pinehurst No. 3's don't have a common name to describe them. "Executive" or "short" courses have a majority of their holes as par 3s, and are seen as fun golf diversions or training grounds for novice players. While it doesn't rise to the official definition of "championship golf course" (exceeding 6,000 yards), Pinehurst No. 3 and its ilk are more than sufficient to provide a thoroughly satisfying golf experience.
For lack of a formal term, I am inclined to call these layouts "in-between" golf courses. If you feel as though you have a more elegant name or classification, drop it in the comments.
5 other noteworthy 'in-between' golf courses
Sedge Valley at Sand Valley Golf Resort - Nekoosa, Wisc.
The Keiser family-run resort in north-central Wisconsin seems to get better by the minute, and 2024 has been a banner year, with Tom Doak's new golf course coming online in July. With a meadow-and-forest setting that gives it a distinct identity from the other, more expansive and openly sandier courses on the property, it's the course's slightly scaled-down approach to length that really sets it apart. At less than 5,900 yards from the tips, its par of 68 makes it feel like it plays significantly longer, which challenges any traditional golfer's inherent biases against "short" golf courses and helps divorce the concept of length from the concept of excellence.
The Match at PGA National Resort - Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
It might seem odd that a course that hosts the PGA Tour is not the best on property, but that's a testament to architect Andy Staples' creativity in turning the tired Squire course into a swell 9-hole par-3 loop called The Staple and a bantamweight beauty in The Match where the house rules require some sort of competitive aspect to any round - a shake-up that visitors and members are gradually embracing in the spirit of full-on match-play clubs like Ballyneal in Colorado and Ohoopee in Georgia. The Match spices up flat overall terrain with all sorts of cheeky features in the form of creative green and fairway contours as well as appealing bunkering inspired by great Old-World golf courses.
Goat Hill Park Golf Course - Oceanside, Calif.
The revitalization of this hilly, quirky course by clothier John Ashworth over the past decade has helped open golfers' eyes to the joys of a compact, concentrated and slightly off-kilter course. Goat Hill Park's laid-back vibe - I played it in flip-flops back in 2019 - is a key ingredient to the experience. At less than 5,000 yards, par 65, it's a great example of how the scorecard seldom tells the story of a course.
Course No. 3 at Gullane Golf Club - Gullane, Scotland
The U.K. and Ireland are home to several of these shorter but still punchy courses that visitors often overlook to the detriment of their links golf vacations. Variety of challenge being key to compelling golf course design, the shortest (just over 5,200 yards, par 68) of this storied East Lothian club's trio of golf courses features a set of 11 par fours that vary in length from the 250-yard 4th hole to the 450-yard 10th, which actually plays seven yards longer than the course's lone par 5. Add par 3s ranging from 135 to 186 yards into the mix and it's no wonder the course enjoys a sterling 4.8 rating across 87 all-time reviews on GolfPass. "Course looks straight forward, but is anything but," wrote one enthusiastic golfer after a round last fall. "If there is a strong wind watch out!" I enjoyed my round at Gullane's championship-level No. 1 course in 2019, but on my next visit, I will definitely be playing No. 3.
Pitlochry Golf Club - Pitlochry, Scotland
It takes a lot to convince a golfer to retreat from the coast during a golf trip to Scotland, but GolfPass Managing Editor Jason Scott Deegan swears by this 1908 Willie Fernie design about 80 minutes northwest of Carnoustie. At 5,692 yards, par 69, it trades seaside scenery for mountain views and exciting elevation changes as well as zero par 5s and three par 3s mixed into a slew of eclectic par 4s.
Comments (1)
Thank you for pointing out that features other than length are critical in golf course design; in fact, length is a greatly overestimated feature. Tom Doak pointed that out, way back in 1992, more than once in his "Anatomy of a Golf Course."
It's almost always low-handicappers who champion the significance of length, but their perceptions are (perhaps understandably) biased.
The courses you've highlighted here show an appreciation for variety, playability, good hole proportions, and originality. Courses with those qualities beat a long, boring track every single time.