- Wild Golf
- Posts
- Tuesday Quick Tip: 5 Strategies to Avoid Big Numbers on Par 3s!
Tuesday Quick Tip: 5 Strategies to Avoid Big Numbers on Par 3s!
Plus, in Trivia: Which Scotsman below believed putting was the ultimate weapon to stay in contention?
Wild Golf
February 18, 2025
Happy Tuesday all- Have you ever walked up to the tee on a par 3 thinking “this is my perfect hole-in-one yardage”, and when you walk off the green you think “wow I can’t believe I just made triple!”? We can’t exactly help you make more hole-in-one’s, but we do have 5 strategies here that will help you avoid the triple bogeys!
Let’s get into it!
TIPS & DRILLS
Five Par 3 Strategies to Avoid Those Big Numbers
Solid strategies for your approach shots from @wickedsmartgolf
To Recap…
On the surface, par 3s appear to be the easiest holes on the course - it’s only a single iron shot onto the green, right? Well, not quite. Golf courses have clever ways of making things a bit more difficult - bunkers all around the green, water hazards lurking on the side, and length can all make things so much harder than they need to be. Taking the danger out of play as much as possible is key for avoiding big numbers, and these strategies help with that!
-STRATEGY #1: Know your carry distance - If you are hitting a club on a par 3 and you HOPE it goes the right distance, you are asking for a world of trouble. Spend some time on the range or when you are practicing and learn how far each club goes IN THE AIR (without rollout). Trust us, this helps a lot!
-STRATEGY #2: Club up - Most approach shots hit by players are left short (roughly 70%), so when you hit a shot on a par 3, it rarely hurts to take one extra club to make sure you get there.
-STRATEGY #3: Aim away from bunkers - If there is a big bunker with a giant lip just off the right of the green, you should probably aim for the center of the green or the left side to avoid trying to get up and down from the death trap - your scorecard will thank you.
-STRATEGY #4: Play one shot shape - Unless your name is Tiger Woods (if you are reading this, then HELLO!), you shouldn’t be trying to hit every shot shape under the sun. Picking one shot shape, whether that is a draw or a fade, makes your decisions way easier and makes your shots far more predictable.
-STRATEGY #5: Add 5-7 yards to front pins - If you have a front pin on a par 3, one of the things you don’t want to do is miss short. Short-sided chip shots are statistically the hardest shots to get up-and-down, so we want to avoid these like the plague. Add a few extra yards to your tee shot and make the birdie putt coming back.
PRO TIP: PGA Tour professional Zac Blair was once asked if he fires at flags on par 3s, and he responded “In an entire PGA Tour season, I probably aim at five flags. I always play to the center of the green because par is a good score on par 3’s.” You see, even the pros think aiming at the center of the green is an optimal strategy.
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a BirdieBall 3’x12’ Indoor Putting Mat
(1 winner chosen on 2/28/25 across all February trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)
  |  |
Who famously said "A good player who is a great putter is a match for any golfer. A great hitter who cannot putt is a match for no one"?Hint: He is a Scottish player! |
LIKE THIS EDITION?
Forward it to a friend! —> —>
SPONSORSHIPS
Feature Your Brand in this Newsletter!
We have a growing audience of 20K+ loyal readers and an additional 23K Facebook + 21K Instagram followers. If you’d like to promote your brand or course to our audience, click the button below!
How did you like today's newsletter? |