So different, so important

Nine holes were designed on flat land abutting a four-lane road in 1973. The holes are open to all. They border an 18-hole course open to all. An airfield, tennis courts and playground surround the urban golf facility. Thousands have learned how to hit drivers or honed their wedge game on the site’s 9-hole tract. Current scorecard yardage: 1,070.

Nine holes were constructed inside one of golf’s most exclusive spots in 1958. The holes are seen by millions on a Wednesday afternoon every April. Only a select few have played shots into its slippery bentgrass greens. Current scorecard yardage: 1,055.

The par-3 courses at Reeves Golf Course and Augusta National Golf Club are separated by 15 years and 15 yards on paper. They fulfill contrasting purposes amid contrasting settings. They are equally important to the game.

The Reeves par-3 course resides inside the Cincinnati city limits. Trash tossed by poor-mannered motorists covers the ground under a thicket separating the course from Ohio State Route 32. The course costs $9 to play. And you thought Masters concessions were affordable. Originally designed by Ohioan Jack Kidwell, the Reeves par-3 course doubles as a FootGolf venue. Big cups front the nine greens. Humming cars and roaring planes incite auditory curiosity.

Augusta National’s par-3 course is ultra-private, hilly, calm and dotted by carefully planted trees and ornamentals. On sunny days, trees reflect off DeSoto Springs and Ike’s ponds. No price can grant somebody access to the course. Originally designed by Georgian George Cobb, the course has been tweaked over the years, including in preparation for the 2023 Masters Par 3 Contest.

Both courses embody the allure and practicality of shorter, faster options in an era of increasing consumer expectations and operator costs. I experienced the Ohio grit and observed the Georgia beauty during an eight-day stretch earlier this spring.

I dropped $9 to play Reeves alone on a gray, windy afternoon. I hit a mix of solid and wretched shots — at least none landed in the FootGolf cups! — as I admired the quality surfaces produced by superintendent Scott Caparso and team. Reeves is owned by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and managed by Troon. I took notes before and after playing every hole. Standing on No. 9 tee, I scribbled: Large green with hump in middle. Native area/higher grasses surrounding tee. Maintenance facility behind the green. Busy road on right.

The Reeves par-3 course boasts replicable ease-of-maintenance. Holes are parallel. Nos. 1-4 play away from the clubhouse; holes 5-9 play back to the clubhouse. Each hole has one tee box and no bunkers. A short cut of rough connects tee boxes with modest approaches and collars. Triplex-mowed greens possess interesting contours. Reeves has five decades of evidence demonstrating how facilities with spare land can expand revenue by adding a simple par-3 course.

Four other people were on the course the afternoon I contributed to Reeves’s coffers. A golfer in the back nine of his career played as a single; a father carrying two bags walked alongside his young daughter and son.

The human surroundings epitomize why layouts such as the Reeves par-3 course are critical to the game. Short courses extend the careers of aging golfers and offer affordable, non-threatening entry for beginners and children. Good luck finding many newer parents who can devote five hours to playing 18 with their buddies once per week. But cut that time by four hours … and bring the kids. That just might be doable … and the game has engaged two generations.

Augusta National is highly secretive in matters such as membership, finances and operations. But it’s likely some of its members originated from modest golf beginnings. Even somebody with a green jacket needed a welcoming spot to learn the game.

I first walked Augusta National’s par-3 course during the Wednesday of the 2022 Masters. A year later, I returned to a different course. The club rerouted the first five holes to make DeSoto Springs Pond more of a focal point and expand Par 3 Contest patron viewing points. I didn’t watch a shot of the 2023 Par 3 Contest. Carrying a notebook (call me the par-3 geek!), I studied the changes and turf conditions before the event commenced.

Seven greens now hug ponds. The rerouted first hole plays downhill and the green is one of five along DeSoto Springs Pond. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth greens also flank the pond. The eighth and ninth remain parallel holes with carries over Ike’s Pond.

I’m confident I will never receive the opportunity to hit a shot over either pond. I imagine the setting produces abundant serenity and evokes memories of learning and loving the game while temporarily removing the hustle from packed lives.

I can only imagine the complexity-of-maintenance necessary to produce what the world witnesses during the Par 3 Contest. The crisp bunker edges, subtle mowing lines, precisely pruned trees and ornamentals, glistening waters, tidy pine straw, and verdant ryegrass and bentgrass playing surfaces mirror what superintendent Brad Owen and team create on the course’s famed neighbor. Despite undergoing a major renovation, the par-3 course lacked noticeable surgery scars. Trash was non-existent.

Private clubs must provide unmatched amenities to flourish, and a pristine par-3 course on interesting land further separates Augusta National. Considering thousands of clubs futilely attempt to emulate aspects of Augusta National, it’s surprising more private golf facilities haven’t constructed short courses. Less than 4 percent of America’s private golf facilities offer a par-3 course, according to National Golf Foundation data. Coincidentally, the country’s second-most revered club, Pine Valley Golf Club, also has a par-3 course. I live in a state, Ohio, where only one private club offers a par-3 course to its membership.

Augusta National and Pine Valley are anomalies. Neither club has a shortage of land, revenue or prospective members. But both clubs are visionary, with numerous management and maintenance practices stemming from unyielding quests to exceed expectations. Awesome par-3 courses help both clubs fulfill lofty goals.

The experience on the Reeves par-3 course also exceeded expectations. I had fun for less than $10 and witnessed golfers from multiple generations smile and laugh.

I was equally inspired by both places.