Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2025 ranking of the top par-3, short and non-traditional private golf courses in the United States. To acknowledge a recent and rapid rise in short courses, Golfweek’s Best introduced a ranking of these layouts in 2023. In 2024 we broke the category into two: public-access courses and private layouts.
Basically, they all fit the bill of not being a traditional-length, traditional-par course. And just like the best short courses, we threw out some of the rules used for rating traditional courses and asked our raters to submit one overall score for each course based on how much they enjoyed the design and the environment. Those individual ratings were then combined to form one average rating. Each course had to receive a minimum number of 10 votes.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor this list, we included each private course’s average rating on a points scale of 1 to 10. We also included each course's 2024 ranking if applicable, its location, the designers, the year it opened, the number of holes, the total length and the par. An asterisk indicates a course that is new or returning to the list.
1. Pine Valley (Short Course)
2024 ranking: (1)
Average rating: 8.80
Location: Pine Valley, NJ
Architect(s): Tom Fazio
Year opened: 1992
Details: 10 holes, 2,006 yards, par 31
2. Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins)
2024 ranking: (3)
Average rating: 8.02
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Architect(s): William H. Tucker, Keith Foster, Kevin Hargrave
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYear opened: (1895)
Details: Nine holes, 2,617 yards, par 35
3. Augusta National Golf Club (Par 3 Course)
Augusta National Golf Club's Par 3 Course is packed with spectators for the Par 3 Contest in the lead-up to the 2023 Masters.2024 ranking: (2)
Average rating: 7.98
Location: Augusta, GA
Architect(s): George Cobb, Clifford Roberts
Year opened: (1958)
Details: Nine holes, 1,115 yards, par 27
4. Oakwood Country Club (Short)
2024 ranking: (12)
Average rating: 7.71
Location: Kansas City, MO
Architect(s): Todd Clark, Ron Whitten
Year opened: (2023)
Details: Nine holes, 1,100 yards, par 27
5. Hamilton Farms (Hickory)
2024 ranking: (7)
Average rating: 7.69
Location: Far Hills, NJ
Architect(s): Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan
Year opened: (1998)
Details: 18 holes, 3,080 yards, par 54
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement6. Headwaters
2024 ranking: 5
Average rating: 7.68
Location: Cashiers, NC
Architect(s): Tom Fazio
Year opened: (1999)
Details: Nine holes, 1,450 yards, par 27
7. La Quinta The Quarry (Short Course)
2024 ranking: (9)
Average rating: 7.66
Location: La Quinta, CA
Architect(s): Tom Fazio
Year opened: (2002)
Details: 10 holes, 1,653 yards, par 30
8. Whispering Pines (The Needler)
2024 ranking: (8)
Average rating: 7.63
Location: Trinity, TX
Architect(s): Chet Williams, Cole Sanders
Year opened: (2013)
Details: Nine holes, 1,682 yards, par 27
T9. Shelter Harbor (Par 3 Course)
2024 ranking: (11)
Average rating: 7.60
Location: Charlestown, RI
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArchitect(s): Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan
Year opened: (2005)
Details: Nine holes, 1,206 yards, par 27
T9. Scottsdale National (Bad Little 9)
2024 ranking: (14)
Average rating: 7.60
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Architect(s): Jackson Kahn Design
Year opened: (2016)
Details: Nine holes, 972 yards, par 27
11. Ballyneal (Mulligan)
2024 ranking: (10)
Average rating: 7.57
Location: Holyoke, CO
Architect(s): Tom Doak
Year opened: (2017)
Details: 12 holes, informal distance, par 36
12. Olympic Club (Cliffs)
2024 ranking: (13)
Average rating: 7.37
Location: San Francisco, CA
Architect(s): Tom Weiskopf, Jay Morrish
Year opened: (1994)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDetails: Nine holes, 1,432 yards, par 27
T13. Desert Mountain (No. 7)
2024 ranking: (6)
Average rating: 7.36
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Architect(s): Wendell Pickett, Bill Brownlee
Year opened: (2019)
Details: 18 holes, 3,114 yards, par 54
T13. Crossroads*
Average rating: 7.36
Location: Palmetto Bluffs, SC
Architect(s): Tad King, Rob Collins
Year opened: (2024)
Details: Reversible nine holes, 1,000-3,100 yards, par 27
T13. Old Barnwell (Kid’s Course)*
Average rating: 7.36
Location: Aiken, SC
Architect(s): Brian Schneider, Blake Conant
Year opened: (2024)
Details: 15 holes, 2,190 yards, no formal par
16. Colorado GC (Short Course)
2024 ranking: (15)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAverage rating: 7.05
Location: Parker, CO
Architect(s): Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw
Year opened: (2006)
Details: Nine holes, 1,103 yards, par 27
17. The Concession (The Gimme)
The World Champions Cup trophy at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.2024 ranking: (17)
Average rating: 6.99
Location: Bradenton, FL
Architect(s): Chris Cochran
Year opened: (2019)
Details: Nine holes, 1,088 yards, par 27
18. Shady Oaks (Little Nine)
2024 ranking: (22)
Average rating: 6.90
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Architect(s): Robert Trent Jones Sr., Michael Clayton, Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking, Ashley Mead
Year opened: (1958)
Details: Nine holes, 1,228 yards, par 28
19. Olde Farm (Orchard)
2024 ranking: (19)
Average rating: 6.78
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLocation: Bristol, VA
Architect(s): Bobby Weed
Year opened: (2011)
Details: Eight holes, informal distance, par 24
20. Eagle Point (Short)
2024 ranking: (24)
Average rating: 6.70
Location: Wilmington, NC
Architect(s): Tom Fazio
Year opened: (2023)
Details: Nine holes, 1,427 yards, par 27
21. Sutton Bay (Short Course)
2024 ranking: (20)
Average rating: 6.60
Location: Agar, SD
Architect(s): Graham Marsh
Year opened: (2003)
Details: Nine holes, 1,244 yards, par 27
22. University of Texas GC (Spieth Lower 40)
2024 ranking: (21)
Average rating: 6.50
Location: Austin, TX
Architect(s): Roy Bechtol, Jordan Spieth
Year opened: (2017)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDetails: Six holes, 532 yards, par 18
T23. Bluejack National (The Playgrounds)*
Average rating: 6.32
Location: Montgomery, TX
Architect(s): Tiger Woods
Year opened: (2016)
Details: 10 holes, 747 yards, par 30
T24. Wickenburg Ranch (Li’l Wick)
2024 ranking: (25)
Average rating: 6.14
Location: Wickenburg, AZ
Architect(s): Wendell Pickett, Bill Brownlee
Year opened: (2016)
Details: Nine holes, 1,240 yards, par 27
T24. Colleton River Club (Borland par 3 Course)*
Average rating: 6.14
Location: Bluffton, SC
Architect(s): Bruce Borland
Year opened: (1991)
Details: Six holes, 556 yards, par 18
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best par-3 private golf courses include The Concession, Bradenton
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