Wenham Country Club's Par 3 Gems
A look at the terrific collection of par 3 holes at Wenham Country Club
At first glance at the scorecard, it is not difficult to think that a day at Wenham Country Club in Wenham, Massachusetts would be an easy, straightforward round of golf. The course measures 4546 yards, and is a par 65, with one short par 5 and nine par 4 holes.
Despite this fact, the eight par 3 holes at this feisty short course on the Massachusetts North Shore are its key defense and are as diverse as the landscape the course sits on.
Each of the par 3 holes at this course, which can be played with anything from a wedge to a wood, presents intriguing challenges to the player. This is our summary of these delightful, yet devilish, short holes at Wenham Country Club.
Hole 2, 115 Yards
Perhaps the most well-known hole at Wenham Country Club, the 2nd is the shortest hole on the course, typically playing around 108 to 115 yards. This hole has been featured alongside other short par 3 holes by Mass Golf, and it is a wonderful little challenge.
The hole is surrounded by bunkers, with one to each side and the deepest crossing the entire front of the green, waiting to capture a seemingly perfect shot stifled by a gust of wind. The green, like many of the greens at this course, is very small and sloped, tilting from right to left. Be sure to calculate correctly, not only to carry the cross bunker, but also to not be long. One hop over the back, and you could go out of bounds.
Hole 3, 187 Yards
The 2nd and 3rd holes at Wenham Country Club share a large tee box space together, with the third going out at a 90-degree angle from the second.
This hole immediately takes the player from potentially a wedge to a mid or even a long iron depending on the conditions. If the flag is in the back, the total distance to the hole could push 200 yards away, and it is not uncommon for this green to be surrounded by tricky spots of thick rough.
To make matters a bit more interesting, the entry road to the golf course runs right down the left side of the hole, and the front of the green is preceded by a significant ridge. If this pitched green is not hit, it is best to miss short and up front at all costs.
Hole 5, 200 Yards
If you didn’t find the 3rd hole a big enough challenge, the course is happy to present you with the 5th.
This 200-yard hole plays significantly downhill to a green that is greatly raised up from the surrounding base of the hill it sits on, and the wind here will sometimes be a considerable factor. There is short grass in front of the green, but the grass around the green is a different story.
Anything missed to the left or right here leaves an extremely delicate pitch or even a flop out of a potentially difficult lie. Missing to the front of the green is also no guarantee of an easy up and down, as the green is fronted by an even more severe slope than the 3rd. Being just slightly behind this green is not the end of the world, but be careful, this one slopes quite decently from back to front.
Hole 7, 153 Yards
The 7th hole is another downhill tee shot to a green of medium width and is somewhat deeper than the previous par 3 holes.
The green is built perfectly onto the left to right sloping ground it sits on, so even though a left miss on this hole is clearly better than right, that miss will leave no easy chip or bunker shot. The best miss here is short, and if you miss to the right, the right-side bunker is the best possible result. Behind that bunker is a vicious slope, so long right must be avoided at all costs.
If you can hit the green on this hole, it may be the easiest of the par 3 holes at Wenham, especially compared to those that follow it.
Hole 9, 170 Yards
The 9th hole is the first of consecutive long, uphill par 3 holes, and it is one that requires significant focus to select the right target and make a committed swing.
Any shot hooked left is sure to be forever lost into the thick woods, and if missed right, the raised green requires a difficult high shot over deep bunker that will be extremely difficult to stop quickly. Like many of these holes, the green is fronted by a tricky slope, but nonetheless, short and in front is the preferred miss.
This green is sloped greatly from back to front, so a putt from the back of this green is a true test of nerve. One could easily leave it short or even putt it off the green depending on the hole location and the speed.
Hole 10, 216 Yards
The 10th hole at Wenham Country Club is easily the hardest hole on the golf course and one of the hardest par 3 holes in the greater area.
While the yardage on the card is 216, the hole plays longer due to how massively uphill it is, as well as how the wind often affects the tee shot. Much like the 7th, but even more drastic, a miss to the right will find a sheer slope that could even put the ball on the 18th hole boundary, leaving a near blind, severely elevated pitch back up to the green. Missing left is also nearly all but dead, unless the green-side bunker can be found, due to the woods and the cart path just off the grass.
The hole does reward a shot onto the green with a relatively flat surface to putt on, so if you can reach the green with a faded high long iron, hybrid, or wood, take your time, and make the most satisfying par of your round.
Hole 12, 186 Yards
As uphill as the 10th hole is, the 12th hole is every bit as much downhill.
The tree on the left side of this hole looms as a possible barricade to hitting a fade into this green, and a miss too far right can leave an extremely difficult pitch shot. Any shot hit heavy is in real danger of finding a small creek or even being right behind a small stone wall.
Short and in front continues to be the preferred miss, but make no mistake, the green is guarded by another major slope before the putting surface begins. This green also has two significantly staggered tiers, and if you find yourself on the top tier with the pin on the lower tier, it may be the most difficult putt on the golf course. The second tier is also smaller than the lower and hitting to it can be one of the golf course’s most challenging shots.
Hole 13, 136 Yards
The 13th hole is the final par 3 on the golf course before a stretch of par 4 holes that bring the golfer home, and it is absolutely spectacular.
This hole is much shorter than the previous stretch of par 3 holes but defends itself with a collection of many great obstacles. To reach the green, the player must carry their shot over a small pond, a stone wall, two bunkers, and a final stretch of rough.
Once the putting surface is found, the fun has only started. The first small section of the green has a small gully that is a magnet for shots that just carry on, and this green is one of the most severely sloped on the course from back to front. Being below the hole here is more important than on any other green out here, but lose focus for one second, and this may be the quickest three putt you could ever encounter.
Wenham Country Club is a short golf course that is worthy of every bit of the golfer’s attention and focus. Each green is entirely unique from the one before it, and some are the smallest of targets with the trickiest surfaces. The course is also draped perfectly over the terrain it sits on, and the variety of shots to hit here are as good as any.
Built originally in 1899 and expanded in the following years, Wenham Country Club feels like it has changed in only small ways since, and it is one of the reasons why it is a charming and delightful place to play.
Our best advice: Mind the par 3’s.