Hole 3 at La Costa Resort & Spa (North course)

Carlsbad, California
Par
3
Yardage
186 yds
Stroke index
15
Hazards
3 bunkers
Hole 3 aerial at La Costa Resort & Spa (North course)

Aerial source not provided

Green size: 30 yds deep × 28 yds wide

Scorecard yardage is for I tees. The aerial shows its labeled reference position; distance rings measure to the green.

I tees · Par 3 · 186 yards

The plan for No. 3

The first par 3 asks for a landing target beyond the chain of bunkers along the left approach. The scorecard ranges from 186 to 78 yards, so the same green can call for very different shots.

Off the tee

Work from the actual markers and the front edge of the green. The nearer bunkers can distort depth: choose a club for the putting surface, not the first patch of sand in view.

Approach & recovery

If you miss short, assess whether the next shot can use the open approach on the right. From sand, prioritize getting onto the putting surface instead of trying to recover the tee shot in one stroke.

On the green

The green has enough shape that a middle target is more useful than automatically chasing a left flag beside the bunker. Read the final putt from the ground; the map is a terrain overview.

Watch for

  • Bunkers in succession down the left approach
  • Left-front greenside bunker

Hole 3 Green Complex

Mapped green boundary

Green Surface

Green size: 3,901 sq ft

Dimensions
30y Deep × 28y Wide
Mapped green boundary
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Frequently asked questions

Yardage reference: I tees · 186 yards.

What club should I use on this par 3?

↓

At 183 yards, most golfers will need a long iron or hybrid (5-iron to 6-iron) to reach this green. Adjust for elevation, wind, and pin position.

How difficult is hole 3?

↓

This hole is a good scoring opportunity for most golfers.

Research notes

  • Current official card: par 3, I tee 186 yards and VI tee 78 yards. (10/24 scorecard, hole 3)[1]
  • Cameron Young discusses a long par 3 with generous space short and a demanding back hole location, illustrating why the target and miss matter alongside the headline yardage. — Cameron Young (24:43–25:08)[2]
  • Fields explains the Hanse redesign in the context of making La Costa a championship home for college golf. — John Fields (17:20–17:46)[3]
  • The North Course reopened June 1, 2024 after the Gil Hanse renovation. (North Course introduction)[4]
  • The redesign reworked bunkering and greens and restored barranca and native landscape character. (Hanse redesign overview)[5]
  • The terrain used for the 18 contour previews was collected November 8 through December 1, 2024, after the North Course reopened. (Project report acquisition dates; CA_SanDiegoCo_1_D24 OPR tile metadata)[6]

Sources

  1. North Course official scorecard — 10/24 — Omni Hotels & Resortshttps://www.omnihotels.com/-/media/images/hotels/sanrst/golf/pdf/sanrst-north-golf-course-scorecard.pdf
  2. Alternate Shot with Cam Young at Omni La Costa North — No Laying Uphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za65q2PSlrk
  3. John Fields on NCAAs, the La Costa Redesign, and Coaching Spieth and Scheffler — Fried Egg Golfhttps://www.thefriedegg.com/fried-egg-podcast/john-fields-on-ncaas-the-la-costa-redesign-and-coaching-spieth-and-scheffler/
  4. Omni La Costa North Course — Omni Hotels & Resortshttps://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego-la-costa/golf/north-course
  5. Hanse Golf Course Design — La Costa redesign — College World Golf Championships Foundationhttps://cwgcf.com/sports/2024/6/17/hanse-golf-course-design.aspx
  6. USGS CA San Diego County D24 project report — USGShttps://rockyweb.usgs.gov/vdelivery/Datasets/Staged/Elevation/metadata/CA_SanDiegoCo_D24/USGS_CA_SanDiegoCo_D24_Project_Report.pdf