You can hardly swing a sand wedge these days without knocking up against a par-3 course.
The proliferation of these pint-size layouts owes to factors ranging from maintenance costs and lifestyle shifts to an industry push to make the game more user-friendly. It turns out par-3 courses are good business, and golf resorts are fully onboard.
A wave that began forming in 2012, when Bandon Dunes cut the ribbon on the Preserve, a 13-hole par-3 course on the Oregon coast, has swept across the country, bringing Mini-Me additions to such marquee resorts as Pinehurst, Cabot, Kohler, Sand Valley and beyond.
The latest property to join to ledger is Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, a popular destination in southeastern Wisconsin, which this week announced plans for a 10-hole par-3 course called Wee Nip, set to open in 2026. Designed by Matt Dusenberry of Dusenberry Design, the layout, which takes its name for the Scottish phrase for a quick sip (usually of whiskey) has been conceived with easy-going golf in mind, with holes that average 90 yards in length and rounds expected to take some 90 minutes to complete. Music speakers around the course will provide a backing soundtrack to the play, and a viewing area, replete with food and beverage service, will overlook the grounds.
Already home to two 18-holes courses—the Brute, an aptly named track that ranks among the tougher resort courses in the state, and the Highlands, a links-inspired, Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus collaboration that was renovated by Bob Cupp—Grand Geneva is expanding its golf offerings on other fronts as well. This June, the resort plans to unveil a new practice facility, with a short game area and an expansive driving range.
The changes come at a time of flux in the recreational game, with growing participation, shifting demographics and evolving interests that often call for golf in non-traditional forms. In a broader reflection of this trend, courses as short as 750 yards for 9 holes have been folded into the World Handicap System, a change that went into place at the start of last year—which means that you can now play relaxed rounds with little more than a pitching wedge and putter, and post a score toward your handicap.
