You don’t see the par-two all that often on disc golf courses. There might be a pitch-and-putt near your house with some par-two signage, but that’s about it. From where I’m sitting, it’s understandable, as the whole par-two vibe feels the tiniest bit putt-putt-ish. Almost like something you’d encounter at a three-year-old’s birthday party – hardly professional.
Believe it or not, though, the par-two IS an actual thing in disc golf.
It’s backed by the PDGA.
If you’re looking for proof of this, check out the PDGA’s Par Guidelines. A scan will do, but if you’ve got too much time on your hands, the entire document is a good read. You’ll see par-two verbiage all over the place. In it, you’ll also find the PDGA’s definition of what “par” is …
Commit this to memory:
“Par is the score that an expert disc golfer would be expected to make on a given hole with errorless play under ordinary weather conditions.”
Naturally, for each division, what constitutes an “expert” will change. Regardless, amongst others, here are a few different ways the PDGA recommends par be set for sanctioned gigs:
- Tradition.
- Expert opinion.
- Scoring distribution.
- Adjusted by round ratings.
Oddly enough, you’ll notice there’s no “on the green, plus two strokes” formula for setting par, as outlined by the PDGA. Furthermore, the PDGA notes a few possible factors that introduce the par-two as a legitimate option on the right course and for the right field: hole length, density of foliage, the difficulty of the layout and the average score the hole produces, of course.
Ultimately, what the tournament director decides is an appropriate par for each hole is final.
And not subject to appeal, either.
But back to the par-two …
Sure, in a technical sense, it exists. But has it ever made a meaningful appearance in an event that mattered? As far as my research is concerned, no – not really. I did, however, discover that the second hole at the 2014 PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World Championships in St. Paul was a 120-foot par-two dubbed “Teardrop Island.” Seriously, check out the caddie book for yourself.
Yes, it’s an amateur-level tournament, but Am. Worlds is a BIG deal …
And a par-two took center stage.
But that’s merely one instance. And even with a hypothetical team of disc golf researchers by my side, I’m not confident they would’ve found many more – there are a number of reasons for this.
First, there simply aren’t many ultra-short holes in disc golf. Two-hundred feet is a short hole, but not short enough for the “par-two” label. I’m talking sub-150 feet – you don’t see this much.
Next, for as easy as the par-two appears on paper, it’s nearly impossible to score on them. Remember: You’ll need a full-blown ace to (likely) nab a stroke on your cardmates.
Also, though the main purpose of par is to give disc golfers a consistent measuring stick by which to analyze their performance, golf in ANY form is a matter of total strokes. So while it’s fun to know how far under or over par you are, all that matters is that final throws tally of yours.
At the top of the list, though?
The par-two is gimmicky.
Disc golf is serious business, but most of the world doesn’t recognize it as such – people giggle. Let’s avoid introducing the “windmill” or “clown’s mouth” that is the par-two into the mix.
Don’t expect the par-two to become a mainstay of the competitive disc golf experience anytime soon. But if you’re putting on an event, even if it’s sanctioned, throw one in there for funsies.
Worth it.
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That definition of “par” is laughable. So the pro disc golfer can only score on a hole when they throw an exceptional throw rather than an errorless throw? Unless it is referring to the whole field of the pro tour. Otherwise you should rarely see scores under par on the pro tour.
Don’t shoot the messenger!
It might be time to send a message to the PDGA, eh?
The par 2 course (basically puttputt disc golf) in San Marcos Texas is amazing. Flying Armadillo ranch. Worth the trip
From Utah, it’s probably NOT worth the trip …
But I’m originally from Oklahoma, so I’m no stranger to that part of the country.
Should I find myself out that way, you better believe I’ll hit it up.
Thanks for the tip, Dan – appreciate it, man!
“Naturally, for each division, what constitutes an ‘expert’ will change.”
Why? Are you suggesting that “par” might be different for every division? “Pro par for this hole is 3 and am par is 4. Newbie par is 5.” Par is par. Period. “Par is the score that an expert disc golfer would be expected to make on a given hole with errorless play…” It would be a logistical nightmare trying to figure out multiple pars for a course or tournament.
As far as short holes on a PDGA pro event go, everybody knows if you don’t get a deuce (“birdie”) on holes under 400-feet, you’re going to lose a stroke to the leaders. (Yes, I know there are other factors than just distance for setting par.) Due to the fact that “par 2” is shunned, we get these insanely low scores relative to par. For example, Gannon Buhr shot 38 under par for Ledgestone Open. More than half (52.7%) of his 72 holes shot were “birdies.”
I don’t know if the disc golf community will ever come to consensus over establishing par in our sport. IMHO, what we have now is a bit of a joke.
No, I’m not suggesting that par should change, depending on skill level …
That’s why the sentence reads as follows:
“Naturally, for each division, what constitutes an ‘expert’ will change.”
There’s no mention of “par” in there.
However, the level of expertise is largely made manifest through score …
This much is obvious.
Using the example you’ve provided, Buhr shoots -38 at Ledgestone – he’s a pro.
If you and I were to play the exact same tournament, we’d be nowhere near that.
Even the winner of our amateur division (whatever it might be) would be nowhere near that.
Hence, the difference in “expertise,” if you will.
Now with respect to setting par at the Pro Tour level, that’s a tough one …
Could it be that disc golf is (largely) just a “birdie-or-bust” sport?
At the end of the day, it’s total strokes that matter – not birdies.
To me it feels like a moot point, but I’m open to being wrong …
It wouldn’t be the first (or last) time 😉
Regardless, thanks for reading and commenting, Kim – appreciate it!
Talk soon 🙂
“Par is par. Period.”
In an ideal world, this would be true. In reality, MPO and MA1 sometimes warrant a slightly more challenging par than other divisions. I don’t think there should ever be a “newbie” par, but I have seen a few instances of courses listing Pro Par and Am Par.
The best solution is using different tees to change the hole distance to match different skill levels. This is what is often done for FPO on the pro tour.