In the age of 350-yard drives that has greatly reduced the number of “do I go for it?” decisions on par fives, a new, unexpected hero has emerged…the short par four. Short par fours are the most exciting holes to watch in professional golf now that knocking it onto a par five in two is common place. The short par four plants a seed of doubt in the minds of even the longest hitters thanks to clever designs. These holes offer great reward to the big boys but it is not just a case of stepping up and hitting it the required distance. Many drivable par fours carry a threat that is equal to or greater than the reward gained from hitting the perfect shot. We take a look at five of the best short par fours in the game.
1) 10th Hole – The Belfry Brabazon Course
The tenth hole at the Belfry is a pioneer when it comes to tempting the golfer into pulling out the big dog. European Ryder Cup captains Tony Jacklin and Bernard Gallacher set the tee on the 10th at 287 yards in an attempt to tempt players from both sides to have a pop at the green. The strategy was certainly popular with the fans who cheered when players pulled out the driver and booed and hissed in jest when an iron appeared. To this day the 10th at the Belfry has been tempting golfers to have ago and it is a true risk versus reward hole.
2) 17th Hole – TPC Socttsdale
There isn’t a huge amount of trouble short of the green on this short par four but with the lightning fast greens at Scottsdale there is every chance your golf ball will run through into the water lurking at the back of the green. With multiple tee positions, this hole is potentially driveable for a magnitude of golfers.
3) 9th Hole – Harbour Town Links
With towering pines skirting the entire length of the fairway on both sides and sand traps in front of and behind the green this hole is well protected from the long hitters. Some players will feel confident of carrying the front bunkers and others may fancy their chances of getting up and down for a sandy birdie.
4) 15th Hole – Vilamoura Victoria
This hole actually suits the longer hitters because hitting a driver bypasses a lot of the trouble that awaits shorter tee shots. However with a dip and a deep bunker short of the green, going for it may leave a tricky second shot.
5) 10th Hole – Celtic Manor Roman Road
A simple choice is presented to the golfer here. Play for safety towards the corner of the dogleg or take a line over a sea of deep, thick rough and try to carry it onto the green. The difficult thing on this course is to force yourself to aim far enough to the right. Once set up on the correct line it feels as if you are aiming into the next county!
A drivable par four is seriously difficult to resist if you have the length. There are many occasions when the aggressive player will walk onto the next tee thinking “was the juice worth the squeeze?”
For information on golf breaks to the courses featured in this article please visit www.yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644.
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The 10th hole at the Belfry has to be the ultimate short par four! I would stand on that tee and hit ball after ball until I knocked one on!
I have played the Roman Roads course at Celtic Manor and with my better ball partner sitting pretty in the middle of the fairway I decided to go for it. You’re right about how far right you have to aim…I made an educated guess with the course planner and when I hit my shot I blocked it about 30 yards right of where I was already aiming. I got up there expecting to have lost my ball in the rough and to my surprise it was sitting on the green. Then it was just a matter of negotiating an 80 foot putt!
Long live the short par four!