The top par 69 courses in the world!

The top par 69 courses around the world!  Here's the top 6!

Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC.  We conduct 1, 2, and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993.  We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.

Golf Blog by the Mel Sole Golf School.

"Why in heaven's name did the travel agent suggest this course?"

When I traveled to Scotland in 2014, one of the courses suggested by our travel agent was Crail's Balcomie Links.  When we arrived on a sunny but blustery day and looked over the course (see picture below), I thought, "What a boring-looking course."  When I looked at the scorecard and saw that it was only 5861 yards, I thought, "Why in heaven's name did the travel agent suggest this course? We are not going to enjoy this."  

Wow, was I wrong?  It was an extremely challenging course, and as my group said afterward in the pub, "Thank god it wasn't any longer, we would never have finished!"  The 4th hole curving alongside the North Sea is all the par 4 you would ever want!  I hit a perfect drive down the left-hand side (avoiding the North Sea on the right) followed it up with a stinging 3 wood that still left me 50 yards short of the green.  A perfect pitch to 5 feet and a good putt gave me a 4 that I will remember for the rest of my life!  

The par 3 6th at stroke 17 has to be the hardest stroke 17 on the planet.  Here is an interesting list of other "short" courses for your enjoyment.  Thanks to Tim Gavrich (whose father I enjoyed having recently in a 3-day school) from golfinsider.com for a fascinating article written in May 2015! 

The top par 69 courses in the world!

Did you hear about the PGA Tour playing a par-69 golf course this past weekend?

Tournament officials were forced to shorten the par-4, 14th hole of the par-70 TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas to a 100-yard par-3 due to the rains that have assaulted Texas for weeks now.

Courses with a par lower than 70 often get a bad reputation among golfers. They’re generally dismissed as “short” golf courses – too easy or boring to be worth playing.

This could not be more wrong, in my opinion.

The “standard” par of 72 is a relatively new invention in golf, birthed by the American-driven obsession with the notion of a “championship course,” despite that 99% of all golfers will never play well enough to play national- or world-scale championship golf.

There are many wonderful golf courses that adhere to the standardized 4/10/4 par-3/par-4/par-5 configuration. But there are just as many – if not more – great courses that are less formulaic.

Some even weigh in at a par of less than 70. But you’d best not underestimate these apparent flyweights of the golf world. They tend to punch well above their weight with long par threes and fours that make them play much longer than their scorecards seem to indicate.

Wannamoisett Country Club.

Perhaps the most famous of these courses in the private realm is the par-69 Wannamoisett Country Club outside of Providence. It hosts the Northeast Amateur every year, a tournament of only slightly lower prestige than the likes of the U.S. Amateur. Past Northeast Amateur Champions include Ben Crenshaw, Hal Sutton, David Duval, Luke Donald (twice) and Dustin Johnson.

Likewise, there are a number of public courses of par-69 or less that you can and should play. Most of them are in the British Isles and are more than a century old. Here are our nominations for The top par 69 courses in the world!

Crail Golfing Society (Balcomie Links) – Anstruther, Scotland

The top par 69 courses in the world!

Crail was first founded in 1786 and proudly trumpets its status as the seventh-oldest club in the world. The par-69, 5,861-yard Balcomie Links is the shorter and older of Crail’s two courses, but offers constant views of the North Sea making for an unforgettable experience. Its much younger sister, the Gil Hanse-designed Craighead course, is also worth a play. Should you fall in love with the club when you visit (many do), overseas club membership costs less than £500.

Cranwell Resort – Lenox, Massachusetts

The top par 69 courses in the world!

The Berkshires in western Massachusetts is a terrific area to visit for leaf-peepers, as well as fans of classic golf course architecture. The Wayne Stiles/John Van Kleek course opened in 1926. At a par of 69 and 5,991 yards from the tips, it is undersized but long on character. In spite of the diminutive course, Cranwell’s golf practice facilities are extensive – perfect for an autumn game-honing retreat. For those who want a “bigger ballpark,” the superb Taconic Golf Club is a scenic 30-mile drive north.

Cape Arundel Golf Club – Kennebunkport, Maine.

The top par 69 courses in the world!

This semi-private club, which dates to 1896, is a par-69 course and measures less than 6,000 yards from the tips. But it’s been compelling enough to host rounds by presidents such as Nixon, both Bushes, and Clinton over the years, and it’s worth your visit, too. It was designed by Walter Travis, whose designs are some of the most old-school found in the United States.

To see the other 3 "Short Courses" that are fun to play, click here.

Source: golfinsider.com  Tim Gavrich  Mel Sole Golf School

Pictures: Crail Golfing Society   Cranwell Resort  Sandy Stevenson

Thanks for reading - The top par 69 courses in the world!  I've played Crail, and it's no pushover!

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