SHORT BUT SWEET

Golf courses traditionally are played on 18 holes, but a new crop of exciting shorter courses from top-name designers might just be the big new thing in golf

- JEFF WILLIAMS

Are short courses a sign of the times in golf?

Across the American landscape, a host of par-3 courses, nine-hole tracks and other nontraditional options are popping up, giving golfers a more timefriendly option than simply playing the regulation 18 holes. These courses are often fun and casual, with a less stodgy feel, making them suitable to golfers of all ages and abilities. For serious golfers, these short courses also offer a spot for a player to warm up before a serious round, or a cool-down facility that is mostly about fun and not about a score.

Mike Keiser's grand public facilities at Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Sand Valley in Wisconsin incorporate par-3 courses as part of the menu of appealing and memorable golf. Bill Coore, the design partner of Ben Crenshaw, credits Keiser with igniting a trend in such courses. Coore and Crenshaw have done par-3s at both of Keiser's massive golf buffets.

"It's incredible," says Coore of the recent trend. "Ben and I grew up playing nine-hole courses and some par-3 courses. Years ago we tried to talk owners into building those courses. If they had property that was interesting but not expansive enough for a regulation 18-hole course, we'd talk to them about building a nine-hole or par-3 course. Those conversations always went nowhere. Those were considered 'not proper' golf courses."

Times have changed. "When Mike Keiser called and asked us if we would build what became The Preserve at Bandon, we're like 'Absolutely. That call ultimately led to the 13-hole Preserve, with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and a challenging layout with undulating greens, despite holes as short as only 60 yards.