Golf Unfiltered®

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Urban Golf (or, WHY DON'T I DO THIS??!?)

There are many things I have encountered in my life that I can't help but ask "Why didn't I think of that?".  Consider this #1 on my list. Urban Golf is, according to the sport's official website, "a game played on a large outdoor course located in a non-residential section of a city, with a series of targets spaced far apart, the object being to propel a tennis ball with the use of various clubs toward each target in as few strokes as possible".

In other words, this is exactly what 95% of golfers did as children in their backyards, parks, or alleyways.  And now there is an official organization dedicated to it.  AWESOME.

The rules of Urban Golf are simple:

#1 SHOW RESPECT

Respect your neighbors' privacy and property. Pick your course away from populated areas. If the police ask you to leave a certain area, do so. Avoid altercations and do not give Urban Golf a bad reputation.

Vandalism, destruction of property and general rude behavior are for punk-ass kids and do not belong in this sport.

DON'T SCREW THIS UP FOR THE REST OF US.

#2 EVERYBODY SUCKS

The worse you play, the more fun you have. And that's what this game is about. Having fun, not winning. Leave your competitiveness on the PGA tour. Boasting and other petty bullshit does not belong on the urban course.

If you can't check yourself, put on your plaid pants, hop in your SUV and take it to Pebble Beach.

#3 DON'T BE A CONTROL FREAK

There is no one person in charge. You are not the leader of the group. Get over yourself. All decisions and adjustments to the game should be agreed upon by the golfers present.

If you have a god complex, move to the mountains, start a cult, and stay the hell out of the way.

It just doesn't get much easier and clear-cut to understand than that, my friends.  Started by golf fanatic Brian "Bman" Jerome Patterson in the spring of 1999, the spot of Urban Golf was created as a means to overcome boredom during Patterson's charity trip in Arizona.  Essentially, someone donated a set of golf clubs and a couple tennis balls, which Patterson scooped up immediately, and with the help of a friend decided to hit tennis balls all over the damn place.  Their story can be read on the "History" portion of the Urban Golf website, and it includes a prison, security guards, and an angry car owner.