Play Urban Golf

Too broke to pay for green fees? Too far from a green? Tired of seeing golf courses being carved out of pristine earth and being watered by precious, fast depleting resources? Or do you just want to have some fun in the city with your friends? Urban golf might be just the answer you're looking for. It's a game of golf unrestricted by the usual rules of golf, and able to be played anywhere that there's free space and not too many people about.

Steps

  1. Know the rules. The rules for urban golf aren't set in stone and you can modify golf rules as you wish. The rules that do matter are The Golden Rules. These are:[1]
    • Show respect – Don't play where it harms other people or their property. If you're asked to move away by residents or police, do so without being bothered. Don't spoil urban golf for everyone who is playing it fairly.
    • Everybody sucks – This is a game where anyone can join in and have fun. It's not about competitiveness. If it becomes about competitiveness for you, you're playing the wrong golf.
    • Don't be a control freak – There is no leader, no one person in charge who insists how the game is to be played. All players have a say in the progress and outcome of the game and if you don't handle this so well, again, you're playing the wrong game.
  2. Get your supplies together. You'll need a few basics, some of which will fit neatly tucked into a day pack, golf caddy, or can be easily carried:
    • Get a golf club. Any cheap "Big-Mart" club or a club out of a friend's bag will do. As long as it's fit for hitting the ball, it's worthy of playing urban golf.
    • Find a few balls. Racket balls or tennis balls are the most effective and traditional for urban golf. It's not recommended to use real golf balls because they're hard and can break things. If you are a better player, there are off-course golf balls that don't break windows or dent cars that are new to Urban Golf. Callaway makes a mediocre one, but the best is an almost golf ball. They fly true and out perform racket balls and tennis balls. It's a good idea to mark each ball for each player so that every player knows which balls belong to which player. Have a few extras, in case some end up down a drain pipe or somewhere else you can't retrieve them from. It's a good idea to have at least three balls per player.
    • Make or download a scorecard. To keep scores, either write down the scores as you go on a piece of paper, or use a prepared score sheet.[2] Each player is responsible for keeping a tally of his or her scores; or, ask a player good with numbers to keep the tally. Honesty is essential, you're all friends, and this is not a competition.
    • Pack snacks and drinks. When you get the munchies, take a break and enjoy the snacks together.
  3. Get the players together. Keep the group small, 10 players or less. Large groups become hard to manage, slow down the progress of the game, and can attract negative attention if things get too rowdy or out of hand. Of course, this doesn't mean you can't have a few spectators carrying the clubs and snacks for you! As long as everyone's having fun, watching is fine too.
  4. Find a place to play. This is where it can be interesting, as the places to play can vary from a series of alleys and streets in an industrial section of town, or on the green areas of a city park. Just be sure that the area is not too crowded when you want to play; the tradition is to try to avoid most residential areas unless your play won't annoy residents.
    • Industrial or business areas can be great on weekends when the workers aren't around and the place is deserted.
  5. Pick your target "holes". You're going to need to know what you're aiming for and this should be decided by all players. The holes can be something as simple as just hitting the side of a garbage can, tree, rolling over a manhole, or rolling under a car. Any round ball will roll a long way on pavement or asphalt. It's going to take some getting used to.
    • Space the areas far apart so that there is ample hitting space and it's reasonably difficult to get a "hole-in-one". The size of a standard city block works well as an idea for measurement.
    • Choose any amount of holes that suits your needs; around 9 target holes makes for an even and fun pace.
    • You can also pick spots as you go, especially if you're keen to keep on the move rather than to remain in one area.
    • Make sure everyone in your group is in agreement as to what the holes and course consist of before play commences.
  6. Commence play. While there are no hard and fast rules, there are some basic guidelines to put into action so that the play is enjoyable and action-packed. Here are some suggestions (and you're perfectly entitled to change any of them as long as you keep within The Golden Rules):[3]
    • Select the holes as suggested earlier. Aim for the target hole and hit the tennis ball toward it.
    • Take turns in hitting the ball toward the target hole. After the first Strike a Putt Well, the player with the ball furthest away from the target hits next.
    • A successful hit for a large hole is where the ball hits the target or passes through, under or in it. The larger the hole, the more accuracy required. If it's easy to hit, don't allow for "near enough" hits; make sure they're exact! For example, hitting dumpsters, trucks, and storage sheds means actually hitting them, not rolling close by.
    • A successful hit for a small or narrow hole is where the ball passes within a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} radius or 1 club length of the small target hole. For example, fire hydrants, Avoid Falling Down an Open Man Hole, poles, and mailboxes are harder to hit.
    • Award points. Each normal stroke is one point and a ball has to travel a few feet to be called a stroke. Loss of the ball counts as a 3 point penalty.
  7. Resolve what to do about stuck and lost balls. Stuck and lost balls have the ability to slow down play and make things tedious. The following suggestions will help keep the game flowing fast:
    • Limit the search time for lost balls. This will keep the game moving well.
    • If the ball ends up in a pothole, or somewhere else challenging, each player is allowed to move the ball one club length in any direction to make it easier to make the next hit. The idea behind this is not to hold up the game.
    • Replace a lost ball by a new ball in the place where the other ball went out of bounds. Finding the lost ball means that you can remove 1.5 points from your score.
    • If the ball lands anywhere that could cause damage, the ball must be moved at least 3 club lengths away, or more if needed to avoid harm.
  8. Perfect your shot. Remembering that the aim of the game is to have fun, not be competitive, and to revel in your inability, there is one thing you can do to help yourself keep the game moving. Basically, try to keep your ball low to the ground. High flying balls are more easily lost and have poorly controlled trajectories that could hit something you don't want hit, resulting in damage.



Tips

  • Above all, have some good clean cheap fun.
  • Old tennis balls can be obtained from tennis instructors for free or next-to-nothing. Ask them!
  • Trying to swing a club while wearing a backpack full of balls, food, pop and flashlights could be awkward. Make sure the backpack fits well, or leave it off when taking swings.
  • Dress up and make it even more fun.
  • If you're playing at night, have flashlights or head lamps to help you to retrieve lost balls and see where you're headed.

Warnings

  • Be respectful. If you're not wanted on some property and or didn't get permission move on.
  • The whole idea of this is to have fun. Don't get hung up on petty things.

Things You'll Need

  • A golf club or two
  • A tennis ball or racquetball
  • A bag to carry snacks, balls, flashlights, etc.
  • A group of friends willing to do the same crazy stuff you're doing. It's easier not to get put into a straight jacket if there's more than one of you doing it
  • A place to play! A city park, an industrial park, a maze of neighborhood streets, etc.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.urbangolf.org/what.html
  2. ↑ You can download one from: http://www.urbangolf.org/what.html.
  3. ↑ Urban Golf, Guidelines, http://www.urbangolf.org/what.html

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