How To Play Prison Golf
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-How To Play Prison Golf-
"Prison Golf" is fun. Like really fun. It actually feels like regular/real golf to me.
Here is how we play it in federal prison.
(Set Up)
While we wait in our cells the correctional officer will go set up our "golf course." He will place 9 buckets/holes all around "The Yard." After he does that he puts "rope/teeboxes" about 40 to 60 yards from the buckets/holes. This distance per hole means every player needs to take full swings to successfully complete the course.
(Equipment)
We hit a "special" neon wiffle ball that typically goes about 20 to 40 yards if you hit it perfect. We also have a total of 6 pitching wedges on our prison compound that we all take turns sharing. Players only need 1 pitching wedge to play Prison Golf.
(Course Layout/Hazards)
Personally I think the best part of "Prison Golf" is the course layout and the hazards that exist throughout the course. Our correctional officer does a truly incredible job setting up a new and challenging "golf course" every single time we play. He made a rule that ALL cement is a "water hazard." That means if a players ball even touches the cement it is a 1 stroke penalty. So most the holes we play have some sort of cement surrounding the bucket. The hazards make every shot feel intense. I also love the "long" distances on every hole. It typically takes me about two solid swings to get near the bucket.
(Putting In Prison Golf)
There is NO PUTTING in Prison Golf. If my "Prison Ball" hits any part of the bucket I have successfully completed the hole. For example if it took three strokes for my "prison ball" to hit anywhere on the bucket I would score a 3 on that hole. However, I could choose to take a riskier shot. Instead of just "hitting" the bucket, I could try and "chip" my ball into the top of the bucket. If I can successfully "chip" my ball into the bucket, I get to deduct one stroke from my score for that hole. For example if I shoot a 3 on that hole I get to score it as 2. Chips are VERY risky in Prison Golf. They feel amazing when you make it but heart breaking when you miss.
(Real Golf vs. Prison Golf)
I have played a lot of "backyard" golf games in my life. They are fun but NONE of them actually feel like REAL golf. When I'm out on "The Yard" playing "Prison Golf" I feel the same level of excitement that I used to get when I was out in the regular world playing a fun round of golf.
In my humble federal prisoner opinion the coolest part of "Prison Golf" is the fact total beginners and lifelong golfers can play together. All of the men/prisoners I play with are brand new to "golf" and they do amazing. I think that is a beautiful thing. All of us "Prison Golfers" get to spend hours together each week out on the "Prison Golf Course." We get to talk about life, the pain of prison, and our hopes for the future. It is very rare to do any of this inside our housing unit and prison cells.
(Prison Golf Breaks Down Barriers)
All the men I play "Prison Golf" with have had pretty intense lives. Most men have been in prison for many years and it shows. Prison kind of sucks the soul out of a person. It destroys hope and shrinks your world down to nothing. Yes we are criminals and convicts. But, we are also fathers, husbands, brothers, uncles, and sons. Before "Prison Golf" none of us talked to each other. We never spent time talking about life, our families, and the future. For some VERY strange reason "Prison Golf" opened up this opportunity. It is a strange common bond between all of us. We all love "Prison Golf" so much we asked our correctional officer if we could start the first ever Prison Golf League. Luckily our officer LOVES golf so he said yes. Within minutes of us opening up sign ups to our New Prison Golf League ALL the spots filled up. We actually had so many prisoners/men wanting to play that we had to create a waiting list. It was a surreal feeling.
I think it is safe to say that the "Prison Golf Bug" has officially hit FMC Rochester. I'm very excited to see what God does with it. I mean C'MON!!! I'm in a freakin golf league while serving a federal prison sentence. You just can't make this stuff up. I have a very strong feeling lives will be transformed in the process. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to play "Prison Golf."
Sincerely,
Tiger Hoods (Brett)