What is a Pitch and Putt?

Pitch and putt golf is a quicker and arguably more enjoyable way to play the game of golf than a traditional full-length 18 hole golf course. If you are short on time, low on money, don’t hit your driver well or simply want to practice your irons from the tee, your chips from the fringe/rough or putts on the green, you will have a blast playing pitch and putt.

This style of golf is best described as an amateur sports stemming from golf in which players play comparably short holes. This type of golf typically requires a mere two to three clubs. The origins of pitch and putt stem back to 1929 in Ireland. The game was subsequently developed in the 40s. Today, pitch and putt is fairly popular across the world. Surf the internet for “pitch and putt golf courses near me” and you will likely find at least a couple such courses within driving range of your home. Give it a try and you will likely be hooked right from the get-go. Pitch and putt is fun, just challenging enough and doesn’t chew up an entire afternoon or morning as is often the case with regular, full-length golf courses.

What clubs do you need for a pitch and putt?

You don’t need many clubs for pitch and putt golf. You can play an entire course with two to three clubs so be sure to carefully select your clubs before heading out to the course. In general, you simply need a putter, an iron and a wedge to play. However, it is possible to play pitch and putt with a putter and an iron. The putter is clearly the most important club in your bag when playing pitch and putt as it plays a major role in your score, ensuring your putts come close to the hole or fall into the tin cup for a birdie or par. An iron or wedge is used to tee off from the tee box. However, you don’t need a high iron as it is too similar to wedges. Instead, consider bringing a comparably low iron, especially if you don’t have considerable distance from the tee. A wedge will be necessary to play short shots from the fairway and rough.

The relatively few number of clubs necessary to play pitch and putt even sets the stage for some golfers to play this unique type of course without a golf bag. Look closely at the players around you the next time you are on the golf course and you just might find someone holding two or three golf clubs grouped together instead of lugging around a heavy golf bag. Or you may see folks using one of these skinny light bags.

How do you play a pitch and putt?

Pitch and putt is a fairly simple game to play. The game is played on a comparably small golf course with three holes that are quite short. Pitch and putt is referred to as such as you merely need to pitch the golf ball and then putt it in the hole. Players hit their initial pitch toward the hole, hopefully land their ball on the green and putt it in for a birdie or a par. The length of the golf hole hinges on the course designer. Some holes are in excess of 100 yards though most are shorter than 100. In fact, some pitch and putt holes are as short as a mere 45 or 35 yards. Furthermore, some pitch and putt golf courses are nine holes while others are 18. Plenty of these courses are added to larger spaces including driving ranges while others feature bunker practice spaces and putting greens.

What is par in pitch and putt?

Pitch and putt holes are par-3 holes. This means if you sink your golf ball in three shots, you will have scored par. If the course has 18 holes, par for the course is 54 shots. However, you should not expect to shoot par on a pitch and putt course simply because it is a short course. Plenty of pitch and putt golf courses are dotted with sand traps. Add in the fact that some have additional hazards along with undulating greens and the challenge of shooting par becomes even more difficult.

Pitch and putt vs golf

Pitch and putt is similar to regular golf yet it is not exactly the same. Regular golf courses have holes of varying lengths, meaning they have different par scores on each respective hole. An entire bag of golf clubs, including drivers and a wide array of irons are used to play golf holes on regular golf courses. However, pitch and putt holes are so short that you merely need a wedge and a putter to play these comparably small holes. At most, you will need an iron along with a wedge and a putter to play pitch and putt holes.

Pitch and putt vs par 3

There is a common misconception that pitch and putt is exactly the same as par-3 golf. However, these two types of courses are not exactly the same. Pitch and putt golf courses are shorter than par-3 golf courses. Pitch and putt holes also have the potential to be 9 holes as opposed to 18. In general, the holes on pitch and putt courses are 100 yards and dotted with sand traps to provide golfers with the opportunity to practice their pitch shots. Alternatively, par-3 golf courses typically have comparably long holes that measure 100 yards to 250 yards.

Pitch and putt golf course

Pitch and putt golf courses are perfect for beginning golfers, intermediate golfers and those who are focused on having fun with their friends while outdoors instead of taking the game of golf uber-seriously. Also known as approach courses, this variety of golf course provides the perfect opportunity to practice wedge shots and putts. Perhaps the best part of pitch and putt golf courses is they do not take 5+ hours to play as is often the case with traditional golf courses with comparably long holes.

If you have kids in your family or if you are new to the game of golf, you should head on out to your local pitch and putt course without hesitation. Here, you will find holes typically around 100 yards or less in length, so you’ll still need your golf rangefinder. There might even be a hole that measures a mere 30 yards in length. Furthermore, even if you are an advanced golfer, you should consider practicing at a pitch and putt course as many have their fair share of sand traps. This is your chance to practice hitting your ball out of the sand, an opportunity that does not always arise at other courses. After all, there are plenty of regulation size golf courses that do not have sand traps and bunkers.

Pitch and putt is also beneficial for golfers of all skill levels who want to improve their short game. Head on out to your local pitch and putt and you will have the opportunity to practice all different types of putts without a lengthy delay between those putting strokes. You can easily finish an entire pitch and putt golf course in as little as an hour or two, getting in some helpful chipping and putting practice without spending an entire day on the course.

Travis
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