Cascade Golfer’s Favorite Par 3s in the State
Nothing beats playing a picturesque but challenging par 3, right? Lucky for us, Washington is absolutely full of them. The 10 we’ve listed are not necessarily the best, the most difficult or even the most beautiful. They’re just our favorites.
18th at Echo Falls
Snohomish • 97-151 Yards
Having a par 3 to finish isn’t ideal, but when the hole is as distinctive and dramatic as this one, it’s no problem. Normally, a 151-yarder wouldn’t cause much stress, but with its 5,900-square-foot green totally surrounded by water, it’s usual for players to start thinking about the hole long before they arrive on the tee box. “It gets inside people’s heads early,” says head pro Caleb Kraus, who often watches as players hit five or six balls into the drink “It’s sort of a Tin Cup mentality. People feel they have just got to hit that green.”
12th at Coal Creek (Newcastle)
Newcastle • 125-180 Yards
Wedged into a hillside between the 11th fairway and Newcastle Coal Creek Road below you and to the right, the 12th plays slightly downhill to a narrow green that’s 37 feet deep. Two fairly deep bunkers on the right aren’t the ideal target but at least they may stop your slice from bounding down the hill and into the shrubbery. For the less accomplished player, aiming at the bank on the left and letting the ball rebound towards the green is the sensible play.
2nd at Port Ludlow (Trail)
Port Ludlow • 108-176 Yards
It’s hard to know which hole in Washington is photographed more often, Apple Tree’s 17th or this little charmer at Port Ludlow’s Trail Course. For sheer beauty, nothing beats it, a slightly downhill mid-iron that plays toward Ludlow Bay and Mt. Baker in the background. The real difficulty of the hole is the wind and fast changing conditions. “The weather can change in an instant,” says assistant professional Robert Davies. “I’ve started the hole in thick fog and putted out in bright sunshine and vice versa.”
3rd at West Seattle
Seattle • 115-121 Yards
“Short pitch par 3s were very popular a long time ago, holes like the Postage Stamp 8th at Royal Troon and the 7th at Pebble Beach,” says head pro Colin Gants. “It’s a shame but not many of them are built nowadays.” The 3rd at West Seattle has changed very little in the 72 years since H. Chandler Egan designed the course. Two bunkers short and left protect the crowned, perfectly circular green. It may be just a pitching wedge but take your three and move on.
17th at Apple Tree
Yakima • 106-180 Yards
If a whole state can have a signature hole, then this is Washington’s. With its acre-large island green in the shape of an apple with a bunker as the leaf, the 17th is a hole you just can’t not think about before you play it. You should have no trouble finding the fairly substantial green, provided you hit from the most appropriate of the nine tee boxes. “It doesn’t bother me much any more,” says Matt Crocker, who’s worked in the pro shop for years repairing clubs. “But I suspect high handicappers worry about it all the way round.”
8th at Indian Canyon
Spokane • 164-224 Yards
H. Chandler Egan’s second hole on our list is an entirely different animal than the first. The 8th at Indian Canyon is a narrow, tree-lined 224-yard ordeal with OB right and a slope on the left that feeds down into a large bunker. Ben Hogan aced it in the 1945 Esmeralda Open, which Byron Nelson won, one of Lord Byron’s 18 victories that year. The hole is only moderately difficult when the pin is front left, as most shots landing on the green tend to feed down to that hole location.
12th at Trilogy Redmond Ridge
Redmond • 102-175 Yards
Named “Augusta”, this hole might not feature a famous creek and stone bridge like the 12th at the Masters’ home, but it is a pretty picture when the hibiscus, azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom. A six or seven iron from the back tee to the two-tiered green, a U-shaped bunker prevents a run up shot, while the back trap hurts those who take too much club. Any hook will flirt with water on the left. “I’ve been here a year and heard of 10 holes in one, but none of them have come at the 12th,” says assistant professional Jason Sears.
17th at Horn Rapids
Richland • 102-203 Yards
The two nines at Horn Rapids were flipped in January, creating a stronger finish to the round. With four par 3s of 200 yards or more, Horn Rapids’ short holes may lack variety but there’s no denying the strength of the 17th. Squeezed between a bunker on the right and a deep hollow on the left, the front of the green is extremely narrow so shots aimed at a front pin need to be Fred Funk accurate.
17th at Chambers Bay
University Place • 92-218 Yards
One of a memorable quartet of short holes at the just opened Chambers Bay (some might be surprised we didn’t include the equally spectacular 15th), “Derailed” hugs the BNSF train tracks with Puget Sound lapping against the shore just the other side. We prefer the sand tee at 142 yards; the hole is 60 yards shorter than the back and the view is truly awesome. The green is typically contoured for a links-style course, which means finding it with your tee shot is no guarantee of a par.
3rd at Druids Glen
Kent • 117-231 Yards
Druids Glen’s 6th is perhaps the most demanding and the downhill 12th the best known, but the 3rd gets our vote for its compelling combination of good looks and strategy. The long, narrow green is angled from front right to back left with water all the way down its left side. When the pin is back, you need to hit a shot of 220 yards over water to get close, but of course the wise play is to hit to the center of the green. Only when the pin is in the front should you entertain thoughts of taking dead aim.