While the snowbirds are honing their games in the desert or by the beach, the rest of us have had about enough of ball beating at the range. We want the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, just a little competition to break up the winter monotony!
Well, grab your spouse, your buddy, your teen, and play one of these practice games for a beverage. On the right day, you could even play all five for the ultimate Golfolympic bragging rights – no golf course required, but to complete all five you’ll want at least a putting green and a driving range or Trackman.
Shotmaking: “Hit It” is so simple and has endless scoring variations. Warm up at the range or on the Trackman, and then take turns selecting a target at which each player will shoot. Award a point to the closest player at each target, playing a mutually agreed-to number of rounds like 18. This is especially fun when your range has targets that make a lot of noise when struck.
Chipping/putting: I messed around with AI a bit for ideas for this article, and Microsoft’s Copilot suggested “Par 18.” As a short hitter whose only chance to make more pars is to get up and down more often, I like this variation. Just set up two balls at nine stations around a putting green – varying lies and even including a bunker, if there is one. Each player takes a turn attempting to get up and down. Count strokes just the way you do on the golf course – low player wins.
Rules: “Rules Stump” is one you can play on the couch. Each of you is going to create three golf course rules predicaments and take turns presenting them to the opponent in the most detailed, elaborate, embellished way possible. The other player makes a ruling. Wrong? Zero points. Somewhat correct? One point. Nailed it? Two points.
Putting, I: Elena King, president of ExperienceGolf, likes a game she calls “Safety Zone.” Choose a hole on the putting green and place tees in one line at distances of 6, 12, 18 and 24 feet. Lay a club 24 inches behind the hole, perpendicular to the tee line. Each player hits one ball from each distance and scores this way: 2 points for a make, 1 point for getting past the hole but not hitting the club, minus-1 point for a putt that is short or so long that it hits the club past the hole.
Putting, II: This is the most popular offseason pursuit, maybe because so many of us need the practice, so here’s one more option, “Sevens.” You’ll need a putting green with several target holes on it – flip a coin to determine who picks the first target and putts first. Scoring: 2 points for a hole-out, 1 point for closest if neither player holed out, minus-1 point for a three-putt. For a fun twist, if a player goes over 7 points they start over with zero.
Sevens was the suggestion of Trent Wearner, the acclaimed Denver and Westminster instructor who wrote a 230-page book called Golf Scrimmages that lays out the benefits these fun little games can have on anyone’s approach to golf. He goes on to recommend nearly 100 scoring games, any of which promise much more fun than a solitary session of ball beating.
Veteran journalist Susan Fornoff has written about golf for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, ColoradoBiz magazine and her own GottaGoGolf.com. She provides the voice of “Molly McMulligan,” the CGA’s on-course consultant on golf for fun. Mr. McMulligan, Keith DuBay, is also an accomplished journalist and especially enjoys reviewing golf courses. Email the McMulligans at mollymcmulligan@gmail.com.
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