The Best Par 3 Courses in the World
The short course has become the soul of the modern golf resort, an hour of pure shotmaking with a drink in hand and no scorecard pressure. We rank the eight best in the game, from Gil Hanse's beloved Cradle at Pinehurst to the dune playgrounds of Sand Valley and Bandon, with the verdict on each and where the public can play.
Photograph: The Cradle Short Course, The Cradle Short Course, via Google
How we ranked them
For decades the par 3 course was an afterthought, a pitch and putt for the family. The Cradle changed that in 2017, and the great resorts have raced to build short courses that stand alongside their championship layouts as a reason to visit in their own right. We weight the quality and creativity of the holes, the setting, the atmosphere they generate, and how easy they are to play, walk on, in a group, at the end of a long day. The American destination resorts lead the world here, so this ranking leans toward Pinehurst, the sand belt of Wisconsin and the Oregon coast, with one private legend that everyone knows from television.
The ranking
The Cradle, Pinehurst Resort
The course that started the renaissance, a nine hole Gil Hanse design on the sandy ground where Pinehurst golf began, with holes from 56 to 127 yards. Music plays, drinks flow and you can go round twice in an hour, but the holes are real, tumbling over natural sand and firm Sandhills turf. The most fun stretch of golf in America and the model every resort has since chased. Walk on, in any combination of clubs you like.
Indicative 2026 fee around $60 to $75, replay often free. Always confirm directly before booking.The Sandbox, Sand Valley
A seventeen hole Coore and Crenshaw short course routed through a restored sand prairie in central Wisconsin, with holes from inside 50 yards to around 150. Wildly varied, with punchbowls, biarritz greens and blowout bunkers, it rewards imagination over power and is the perfect end to a day at Sand Valley. The most architecturally rich short course in the game, and a destination in its own right.
Indicative 2026 fee around $75 to $100 for resort guests. Always confirm directly before booking.Bandon Preserve, Bandon Dunes
Thirteen short holes laid out by Coore and Crenshaw on a headland high above the Pacific at Bandon Dunes, with ocean views from nearly every tee. The original modern short course at a destination resort, and still one of the most beautiful, with profits going to the Wild Rivers Coast conservation fund. The ideal evening loop after a day on the big courses, ideally walked into the sunset.
Indicative 2026 fee around $100 to $130, proceeds to conservation. Always confirm directly before booking.Augusta National Par 3 Course
The most famous par 3 course on earth, opened in 1958 and the stage for the Par 3 Contest each Masters Wednesday, when the world's best play alongside their children and grandchildren around DeSoto and Ike's ponds. As lovely as anything at Augusta and steeped in tradition. The single caveat is access, it is private and there is no public play, so most of us will only ever watch it on television.
Private. Plays publicly only as the Masters Par 3 Contest. Not bookable.The Hay, Pebble Beach
Tiger Woods's reimagining of the historic Peter Hay course, opened in 2021 in the heart of the Pebble Beach resort with holes from 47 to 106 yards, including an exact replica of Pebble's iconic seventh green. Compact, beautifully built and endlessly replayable, with each hole's yardage nodding to a moment in Pebble history. The most accessible great golf on the Monterey Peninsula, steps from the lodge.
Indicative 2026 fee around $60 to $75. Always confirm directly before booking.Threetops, Treetops Resort
The course that proved a par 3 layout could be a headline act, a 1992 Rick Smith design tumbling down a forested northern Michigan hillside that hosted ESPN's televised Par 3 Shootout for eight years. The holes drop dramatically from elevated tees over ravines to greens far below, a genuine test with a championship pedigree. The original destination par 3 course and still one of the most awarded.
Indicative 2026 fee around $50 to $80. Always confirm directly before booking.Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge
A Jack Nicklaus par 3 course perched above Table Rock Lake in the Missouri Ozarks, dramatic enough to have hosted a PGA Tour Champions event. Waterfalls, stone bridges and lake views frame holes that play far longer and more seriously than most short courses, finishing with a clifftop par 3 over the water. The most scenic short course in the American heartland, and the anchor of a fine resort.
Indicative 2026 fee around $120 to $160. Always confirm directly before booking.The short course renaissance, worldwide
Behind the headline seven sits a growing field worth a detour, the ten hole Nest at Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, the playful loops at St Andrews and the new short courses appearing at the great links and desert resorts. Every serious golf destination is now building one, and on a planning trip they are the best value hour in golf. Tell us where you are headed and we will fold the right one into the itinerary.
Fees vary by resort. Often walk on for resort guests. Always confirm directly before booking.Designers, opening years and yardages verified June 2026. Green fees are indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Augusta National's par 3 course is private and not open to visitors. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
Check tee time availability Best courses in the United States
Indicative green fees at a glance
| Course | Indicative 2026 fee | Access |
|---|---|---|
| The Cradle, Pinehurst | Around $60 to $75 | Resort and public |
| The Sandbox, Sand Valley | Around $75 to $100 | Resort guests |
| Bandon Preserve | Around $100 to $130 | Resort guests |
| The Hay, Pebble Beach | Around $60 to $75 | Resort and public |
| Augusta National Par 3 | Not bookable | Private, Masters week only |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. Twilight and replay rates are often lower. Always confirm directly before booking.
Plan a trip built around the best short courses
Tell us the resorts you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Par 3 course questions
What is the best par 3 course in the world?
The Cradle at Pinehurst, a nine hole Gil Hanse design from 2017 with holes from 56 to 127 yards, is the most loved short course in golf and widely rated the best par 3 course in the world. Augusta National's par 3 course is the most famous, but it is private and plays publicly only as the Par 3 Contest before the Masters.
Can the public play these par 3 courses?
Most of them, yes. The Cradle, The Sandbox, Bandon Preserve, The Hay, Threetops and Top of the Rock all welcome resort and public play, usually for a modest fee and often on a walk on basis. The Augusta National par 3 course is private and is not open to visitors. Always confirm directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play a par 3 course?
Indicative 2026 green fees on the leading public par 3 courses run roughly 50 to 160 US dollars, far less than the resort championship courses they sit beside, with several offering replay or twilight rates. Prices change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
The best short courses, the great resorts and the trips worth taking. Every other week.