Cyprian Keyes Par Three Course (Boylston, MA)

Par three courses have become quite the rage recently and much of it can be attributed to Sand Valley and Bandon Dunes each having one. It should come as no surprise that other courses with a little bit of room are finding time to design their own. 
(The fourth is a lovely dropshot hole with natural wetlands providing both looks and penalty.) 

The key to being a good par three course is having a wide variety of lengths and shots. Most fall into the pitch and putt category where it triples as a short game practice area and a youth golf course, but the new philosophy showcases the natural features of the property and possesses arguably the best one shotters. 

(This neat little green lies where two ridge lines meet.) 

Cyprian Keyes has an extra 40 acres so they decided to put in a nine hole par three course. Much of this land borders the road and has wetlands to contend, basically a great place for a par three course. The lengths range from 100-180 yards. It’s a very popular and pulls in a lot people looking to enjoy a little time on the course. 

I was up in Roscommon Michigan and they’re putting a par three course at Forest Dunes so this trend is continuing at the best golf facilities in the country. I guess the real test will be if more localized courses like Cyprian Keyes move towards it.