A data-driven take from MyGolfSpy suggests the holes we think are easiest might actually be costing us the most shots.
Par-3s should be simple. Pick a club, hit the green, take your par and move on.
But a really interesting piece from Brittany Olizarowicz at MyGolfSpy flips that idea on its head, showing that golfers of every level are consistently losing shots on par-3s, often without realising it.
The headline finding is pretty striking. Nobody averages par on these holes, not even scratch players.
A big part of the problem comes down to where we miss. Most golfers assume going long is the danger, but the data shows the opposite. We overwhelmingly come up short, and that is where the real damage is done.
“The number of golfers that miss long on a par-3 never exceeds 10 percent… miss-short… runs from roughly 1-in-5 for scratch golfers all the way to nearly 1-in-2 for higher handicaps… If you miss the green short… you’re not getting up and down. You’re just trying to avoid double.”
Once you are off the front of the green, the odds of saving par drop off quickly, especially for mid to high handicappers. What feels like a simple chip often turns into a scrambling bogey.
The root cause is something most of us will recognise. Club selection.
We tend to base decisions on our best ever shot with a club, not the one we actually hit most often. The result is predictable. We do not quite get there.
The fix is simple. Take a little more club, swing within yourself, and prioritise covering the distance rather than chasing the perfect strike.
There is plenty more in the full breakdown, and it is well worth a few minutes of your time.
👉 Read more at MyGolfSpy: You’re Playing Par-3s Wrong. Here’s What The Data Says To Do Instead