Par-3s may be the shortest holes in golf but they distill the game down to its purest point-and-shoot pin-seeking essence. Players simply choose their angle of attack, plant their tee in the ground, lock in on the target and fire away. Land on the green and a birdie opportunity knocks. Off target but still in the vicinity—par is still doable.
Part of what makes these holes such a blast is the green is reachable in one shot, meaning every time a player steps foot on the tee, there’s a legit chance at golf’s lotto ticket jackpot—a hole-in-one.
Yet, until recently, par-3 courses lacked a unifying voice. Ronan Galvin, CEO of swaggy bag maker Sunday Golf, has filled that void by establishing the Par 3 Golf Association (P3GA).
“I’m more passionate about par-3 golf than I am about full-length golf courses,” he says. “Sometimes it’s viewed as the adopted stepchild of the golf industry and people overlook it. I like to say it’s half the cost, half the time, twice the fun.”
Galvin is a natural advocate for the cause. His company was the first to market a golf bag specifically tailored to par-3 courses. The Loma, the lightweight six-club carry bag that put Sunday Golf on the map, is named after an executive course in San Diego where Sam Snead once served as head pro back when ‘The Slammer’ was serving in the Navy.
“Par-3 courses are a great way for kids to get their start, beginner adults and even really good players to come and work on their short game. Then there are the casual golfers like myself and ‘it scratches the itch’ is what I like to say. So, you have a whole melting pot of people who show up to par-3 courses.”
The idea for the P3GA was a byproduct of his experience selling the Loma bag directly to par-3 golf courses. He established personal relationships with course owners in the fragmented industry—they tend to be mom-and-pop operations rather than corporate concerns.
By banding operators together to network and share best practices ranging from monetizing tournaments to improving merchandising and implementing night golf, Galvin hopes to bolster the overall prospects of the industry.
“The goal is to put all our heads together and get feedback on what we want this association to look like and then act as a buying group to get added vendor discounts from the larger OEMs. And then add on a consumer-facing aspect—promoting par-3 golf and attracting new people who might overlook par-3 courses and typically go to 18-hole courses.”
A master marketer with a knack for generating attention, Sunday Golf has attracted media attention for pushing boundaries. They signed the youngest-ever athlete to a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal, securing the Southern California state champion in the six-and-under bracket. They also scored headlines for adding “Tom Brady” to their ambassador roster—but it wasn’t the one with seven Super Bowl rings.
So, given the track record, one can be forgiven for assuming this initiative has a similar motivation. But it appears, this latest initiative is neither a publicity stunt nor profit-driven.
With more than 40 member clubs on board, a projected goal of reaching 150 by year-end and an annual meet-up on the drawing board, the P3GA is gaining momentum. Membership is free and Galvin hopes to enlist as many courses as possible.
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