Mini Post: My Sheltered Golf Life –
By Wayne Halm –
Three Sundays a month I play with a local golf group. We are not very good golfers, the scores are high … but we have a ton of fun.
I don’t usually blog about these rounds because I don’t want to distract anyone with notes or pictures.
Everyone puts up a small bet and we payout 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place on low net. Also we pay for closest to the pin on the par 3s.
Recently the group vote to change the par 3 payout to be closest to the pin in two.
The hole pictured below is part of the reason … very few of our players can hit this green from the tee.
(Click on the picture for a larger view – then use the browser ‘back’ button.)
The 3rd hole at the Wailua Golf Course … 226 yards from the white tees on this day … I have hit this green, but usually I’m in the bunker on the left.
.
This change greatly increased interest in the par 3s … and added a lot of fun to our rounds. I like it, but it is something new to me. Is it common? Have I just lived a sheltered golf life?
Let me know – then …
Come play golf with me.
Return to Golfing on Kauai Home Page and read about other rounds played
Golfing on Kauai 
Aloha Wayne,
I love a good closest to the pin contest on par 3’s … definitely elevates the focus and more importantly the fun. Pretty common over here. Maybe you have been living a sheltered life, but your shelter is pretty nice over in Kauai, so I wouldn’t change anything if I were you.
Cheers
Josh
Aloha Josh,
Yes, I like the closest to the pin bets, it is usually my only chance of winning something.
And I like our change to the bet. Now rather than paying whoever is on the green and closest to the pin after the tee shot … we pay whoever is closest to the pin after the second shot.
It doesn’t affect the outcome very often, whoever is closest off the tee is usually the closest after the second shot … but it does stretch out the interest and fun.
And no worries, I know I’m spoiled and not about to change anything.
A Hui Hou,
Wayne