THere are some things to consider when defining how tough a par 3 is. Length is obvious and the issue at hand, but what about the sea/cliffs along one side (Portmarnock 15th, St Helens Bay 17th, Old Head) and the shot to the green far above (Wood Bridge 4th, Lurgan 11th, Kahn (Hackett) 16th)?
How about a par 3 as the opening hole (Derry City) or the final hole (Killaney Mahoney’s Point, Portumna)? What about yawning crevices (No. 6 at Muskerry, No. 10 at Calne (WAD)) or vast bodies of water (No. 11 at Mt Wolseley)? What about small greens (Kanturk) or large greens (No. 7 at Cork GC)? , No. 17 at St. Patrick’s Links)? There are multiple factors that make it a challenging hole. While the long holes are certainly daunting (e.g. Fota Old 203-yard 17th, Old Konna 236-yard 2nd), many holes have “gentle” relief areas. Therefore, length is not the only important factor. But when you combine all of the above criteria, you can create a par 3 nightmare. There are hundreds of par 3s to consider (a very rough estimate is 1,600), but below are the 40 that I think are the most difficult. These are listed alphabetically, but also include a ranking of the top 10 most difficult par 3s in Ireland. No doubt I’ve left out some of the obvious ones, and people reading this will say “he’s leaving out this or that”, but that’s the nature of personal choice. . Hole measurements are taken from a white (or equivalent) tee.