Par-3 golf courses are popping up everywhere, and long-time golf analyst and teacher Peter Kostis thinks we need even more.

In the latest episode of the “Kostis & McCord: Off Their Rockers” podcast, a GOLF production, the veteran TV broadcasters touched on the emergence of par-3 courses and their importance to growing the game.

The podcast was recorded at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., which hosted the 2024 U.S. Open a couple of months earlier. The Cradle, the resort’s rollicking short course, was used as a driving range that week.

“You can go out and beat your brains in on Pinehurst No. 2, go in have a cocktail, come out and play The Cradle with your buddies and tell jokes and laugh and have fun,” Kostis said. “It’s a great way to grow the game and great for starting golfers and kids.

“Mom or dad want to play with their kids, and kids can’t hit it far, so what better place to take them than a par-3,” he continued. “I honestly think par-3s are going to grow in popularity and they are the way to truly grow the game because you get the next generation of golfers coming up.”

Kostis also said they are perfect for keeping older golfers engaged in competitive matches (without needing a handicap).

“We can’t go to the back tee at Whisper Rock and compete against any of the tour players, but from 150 yards and in, we can still compete and we don’t need [strokes],” he said. “So now you are going to find that competition actually gets better and the age difference becomes less problematic.”

You can check out the full episode of “Kostis & McCord: Off Their Rockers” below.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.