A HORSE RACE?
What do horses have to do with golf anyway? No, not real horses - and not a real race. It’s a golf horse race - a specific and unique type of group golf game. A game that has the tendency to create instant connection and community within a a group of golfers. Here is an overview of how you can host a horse race at your home course.
With individual golfers, you need one more golfer than number of holes played. So if you’re playing 9 holes, you need 10 players. Same thing with teams - one more team than number of holes played. This past fall we ended the BB Golf league season with a team horserace. We paired up the highest handicap with the lowest, and then paired up each ascending and descending handicap until the middle two handicaps were paired up. (similar to a seeded bracket - except the seeds play with each other not against. We ended up with 7 teams so we made up a cross-country 6-hole loop. If you’re planning this at your own course, it’s important to work with the pro shop staff to reserve some time for your event - late summer evenings are ideal. Our 6-hole team game took about one hour on the course.
So you’re all set and everyone is ready to tee off - and here’s the fun part. The entire group plays each hole together. Each individual or team should write their names on the ball - playing one hole with up to 19 golfers can get confusing around the green. Number your players and start teeing off. In our team format, we played alternate shot and let each team determine who teed off first. The team with the highest score on each hole gets eliminated - so this means if 7 teams start on hole #1, only 6 teams advance to hole #2. In the case of ties, I suggest a blind closest-to-the-hole chip off. Have each team designate a chipper, choose a location, and don’t let the other team watch where the first chip ends up.
For our league, this format meant that players who hadn’t gotten the chance to play in the same group during the season, got to mingle and get to know each other. This format also leads to all kinds of friendly banter, cheering and jeering as each shot has a hearty audience. When players or teams are eliminated it’s nice to encourage them to walk along and watch the rest of the group. And I always suggest a frosty beverage - this is a golf party if there ever was one.
If you have the players and the right course access, give this a shot - message me with any questions. I’m happy to walk you through all the details, tips and tricks. And remember - golf is a game, it’s meant to be fun. And this is a great way to make golf extra fun.