Some of the best golf holes in the world are short par 3s: Augusta National’s 12th, the Postage Stamp eighth at Royal Troon, Pine Valley’s fearsome 10th, the stunning 15th at Cypress Point—all are under 150 yards.
But none of them are uphill and blind. The 11th hole at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on New York’s Long Island, both blind from the tee and uphill, is one of the greatest short par 3s in the world.
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Carlos Amoedo
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It’s also one of the hardest despite coming in at under 150 yards for members and a little over 150 yards for the professionals during this month’s U.S. Open.
In this video we’re going to explore what makes Shinnecock’s 11th one of the most elusive and infuriating par 3s in golf. But to understand why it’s so challenging to even the world’s greatest players, we need to dig into its architecture and trace how the hole came into being.
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A historical look at the par-3 11th, cut into the saddle of a high ridge line.
Shinnecock Hills, the long-running No. 4-ranked course on America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, has a long, complex history going back to 1891. We’ll explain how its evolution culminated in the creation of the mini but mighty par-3 11th.
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Watch our video about the origins of Shinnecock Hills’ 11th hole below:
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Dom Furore
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Copyright USGA/John Mummert
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Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Dom Furore
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Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Photo by Dom Furore
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Generally considered to be the earliest links in America, heavily remodeled by C.B. Macdonald, then replaced (except for three holes) by William S. Flynn in the early 1930s, it’s so sublime that its architecture hasn’t really been altered for nearly 60 years. Stands of trees that once framed many holes have been removed, and in 2012, the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw did make a few changes, mostly greens and fairways expansions and new mowing patterns, though those were modified in preparation for the 2018 U.S. Open, won by Brooks Koepka. Shinnecock will again host the U.S. Open in 2026. Explore our full review
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