How To Play Par-3s... Strategy Tips To Lower Your Scores

Often, how you play the par-3s in any given round can be the difference between a good and bad score, so it's worth paying them some extra attention. In the article below, I discuss the common faults I see and the simple fixes that will help lower your scores.

First of all, most golfers should have a good idea of how far each club in their bag goes. The problem when it comes to par-3s is that can often cause players to think only about the yardage of the hole, neglecting the other factors that are going to influence the shot. This is when it helps to know how to calculate distance in the wind, for example, as well as how to play the low punch shot if you've got a strong breeze into your face.

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If you don't, you'll struggle to get the ball pin high consistently and likely find your 'misses' make it hard to get up-and-down and save par. For example, take a hole that measures 136 yards to the pin but there’s a deep bunker guarding the front of the green and a slope on the left that leads into a stream.

Firing at this flag is a risk you don’t need to take unless you’re feeling extremely confident or are up against it in a match. In most instances, I would club up, aim for the middle-right section of the green and be happy with a 25-footer. It's obviously easier said than done but even if you tend to pull iron shots, the margin for error you've given yourself means you've still got a chance of finding the putting surface.

In contrast, if there's a pin right at the back of a par-3 green and long is the worst place to miss it, take a club you can hit with absolute confidence knowing it has no chance of going too far. For example, if it's playing 170 yards to the back edge, I might hit my 7-iron, which goes 165 yards at most. This will allow me to fully commit to the shot at hand.

Always think about where the worst place is to leave your tee shot and plan accordingly. If you use a strokesaver when you play, mark this location with a red cross that stands out.

One final point – don’t tee the ball up too high. I see a lot of amateurs doing this but it will only cause you to strike the ball too high on the face and lose distance. Teeing it down will encourage you to compress your iron shots for crisper and more consistent strikes.