1. The PDGA has established guidelines for par for each course level. These guidelines are based on the Score Average (SA) method of determining par. Those who are advocates of SA Par have a lot of influence in the PDGA from decades of service so their view was the method adopted.
1A. The PDGA continually experiences such growth that even considering alternatives to SA par is so far down on their To-Do list that it never gets any attention.
1B. PDGA Major events follow these established guidelines and are setting an example for others to follow.
2. Many Tournament Directors (TDs) don’t know about the PDGA guidelines, while others ignore them and just use their own system.
3. Among the most prolific course designers who are members of the DG Course Design Group (DGCD) there are predominantly 3 philosophies of par: Score Average (SA) par, Traditional Golf (TG) par, and Close Range (CR) par. There is no consensus about which method is best.
3A. Around the world there are also still many course designers who are not DGCD members and are unfamiliar with the 3 par philosophies. They are encouraged to follow the PDGA guidelines, but they often follow their own understanding of par.
4. For a variety of reasons, at the local level the vast majority of Course Pros do not follow the PDGA Par guidelines. Many do not even know they exist, while others just use whatever they’ve picked.
4A. The prevalent, and erroneous, concept of “Pro Par” and “Rec Par” contributes to the confusion.
4B. Pars listed on tee signs ("sign par") are usually worthless because there is no consistent standard for determining par. This is especially aggravated when "Rec Par" is used. (Rec par is just a meaningless "feel good" concept that should be abolished.)
4B. The vast majority of holes are par 3, no matter which method is used to calculate par. Only par 4s and 5s are affected by which method you use. And in the majority of cases SA Par and CR Par give the same values for par 4s and 5s.
4B.1 Even though the majority of holes are indeed par 3, the "everything is par 3" mentality should not be used. This is a quick score keeping convenience, but it's not about par. There are enough legitimate par 4 and par 5 holes show this idea is erroneous, and that makes those who use it look foolish. Calling every hole a par 3 only adds to the confusion about par.