My First Day Of Prison Golf

-My First Day of Prison Golf-

I'm not gonna lie. The first day I walked out to play "golf" on "The Yard" my entire body was physically shaking. "The Yard" is the outside recreation area where prisoners workout and play different sports. It is also THE MOST territorial place at our prison. 

This is where different "groups" hang out and claim their spots. Since I did NOT join any "group" in prison, I'm technically "solo." That just means I have ZERO protection if something "bad" happened to me while I was out on "The Yard." 

As I walked past each "group" I could feel my heart beating in my chest and their eyes staring through my soul. It took me about 2 minutes to walk across "The Yard" so I could get in line for my first round of "Prison Golf." While standing in line I heard the correctional officer yell, "Hey let's go, it's your shot." I felt my body go numb because I realized he was talking to me. It was my turn to approach the "tee box" and take my very first "Prison Golf" shot. 

The officer handed me my "prison golf club" and pointed to "hole #1." Cautiously I walked up to the "tee box" which was right by the outside weight set. Every single prisoner stopped lifting their weights so they could see my first shot. I immediately regretted my decision to come outside and play "prison golf." Unfortunately, I could not do the the walk of shame back to my cell. 

I took a deep breath, gripped the "prison club," and looked down at my "prison golf ball."After taking a few long breaths, I gently positioned my feet, started my backswing, and WHACK!!! I hit the perfect 40yd shot right next to the pin/hole. In the background I heard several prisoners hollering "what the f**K was that? This guy must be a pro or something." From that point on I became known as "Tiger Hoods" on this prison compound. Receiving a nickname in prison is like being "officially" accepted into the club. This meant I could continue coming out to "The Yard" whenever I wanted and play "Prison Golf" without ever worrying about something "bad" happening. I had officially proven myself to my new "golf buddies." Little did I know that one swing would be the start of something incredible. My life and the lives of these other men in prison would be changed forever because of "Prison Golf." 

Yours truly, 

Brett

A.K.A "Tiger Hoods"