What is a par 3 golf course?

A par 3 golf course is one where every hole is a par 3, so a nine-hole course plays to par 27 and an eighteen-hole course to par 54. Par 3 is the shortest hole in golf: the USGA recommends it for holes up to 260 yards for men and up to 220 yards for women. Short holes mean a shorter round, which is why a par 3 course is where many people learn and where regulars go to work on the short game.

Source: USGA Rules of Handicapping, Appendix F: Establishing Par.

How par is set for each hole

Under the USGA's guidelines, par 4 covers holes of 240 to 490 yards for men and 200 to 420 yards for women, and par 5 covers 450 to 710 yards for men and 370 to 600 yards for women. The ranges overlap on purpose: a hole that plays uphill, needs a forced lay-up or faces a prevailing wind can be given the higher par. The guidelines assume a course below 2,000 feet, which matters in parts of Arizona.

Par 3, short and full length

Each course page on this site shows the par the course publishes, so you can tell the three kinds apart at a glance. Of the 151 eighteen-hole courses here with a published par, 19 play to par 66 or under, a mix of par 3 and par 4 holes; the rest are full length.

What we can and cannot tell you

We only list a course's facts when its own website publishes them. As of this page, 19 courses publish a par-3 scorecard. The list below is the shortest eighteen-hole courses we do have, by published par, and the 9 hole golf courses guide has every nine-hole course by city. What a round of golf costs and how long a round takes are in the golf guides. If you run a par 3 course in Texas, Florida or Arizona, claim your listing and it goes on this page.

Questions golfers ask

What is a par 3 golf course?

A course where every hole is a par 3, so nine holes play to par 27 and eighteen to par 54. The USGA recommends par 3 for holes up to 260 yards for men and up to 220 yards for women.

How long is a par 3 hole?

Up to 260 yards for men and up to 220 yards for women, under the USGA's guidelines for setting par. A hole that plays uphill or into a prevailing wind can be rated differently.

Are there par 3 golf courses in Texas, Florida and Arizona?

Yes, but as of this page none of the 453 courses with full details on this site publishes a par-3 scorecard on its own website. The shortest eighteen-hole courses we list are below, and 66 courses here are nine holes.