What Does Obstacle Golf Mean?
If you’ve ever played a round of golf, you know it’s a sport that requires a good amount of skill and practice to learn.
The past few years have seen a lot of new golfing ideas that have improved the game for every golfer. The ball goes farther; the greens are faster, and there are more options for customization. One of the newer ideas is obstacle golf.
Obstacle golf is a sport where players use golf clubs to navigate around obstacles on a course. It’s played indoors using an indoor driving range.
The game was invented in the 1970s by two brothers who were avid golfers. They wanted to play golf without having to deal with the elements of weather, wind, etc.
Today, obstacle golf is a popular game among people who want to improve their golf game. If you’re interested in learning more about the history of obstacle golf, keep reading.
How does it work?
There are many ways to make obstacle courses fun for those practicing or competing.
For example: You can create your own obstacle course at home with some old tires. You may also find commercial obstacle courses online.
There are even programs available through colleges and universities that teach students how to build obstacle courses.
Obstacles can include anything from large concrete blocks to small pieces of wood. Some obstacle golf courses will allow you to place whatever objects you like on the path of your drive.
In addition, different types of obstacles present different challenges when trying to hit a shot.
Some obstacles require precision to get close enough to hit them, while others might be best avoided altogether if not properly trained.
You’ll need to consider all these factors before choosing what obstacles you’d like to put in your obstacle course.
Examples of obstacle golf courses
Here are type of golf obstacle courses being used today:
1. Golf ball maze – This maze features five holes made up of various obstacles, like pipes, rocks, boulders, trees, and other items. The goal is to get as far down each hole as possible.
2. Hole-in-one challenge – This course has four sets of 18 holes separated by three levels. Each level contains its own set of unique obstacles.
At the end of the first level, competitors must pass through a gate to reach the second level. Then they must go back through another gate to move onto the third level.
They travel across the finish line after completing the final level.
3. Paintball course – In this version of obstacle golf, the competition comprises hitting targets painted on either side of the playing field
These are just a handful of examples of obstacle golf courses out there. There are plenty more! Here is one video that shows obstacle golf in action:
Obstacle golf equipment
When building your own obstacle course, remember to take safety precautions. Several injuries occur because of collisions between bodies of golf balls and obstacles.
It is recommended that you wear protective gear, including goggles, ear protection, and gloves. You should try to avoid putting yourself directly over any moving parts of the obstacle course.
For instance, don’t stand next to a swinging chain saw. And never walk under any part of the structure.
Also, pay attention to the space behind you. Always look both left and right when driving off an elevated tee box, so you aren’t surprised by something coming towards you unexpectedly.
What is the difference between obstacle golf and traditional golf?
The main difference between obstacle golf and regular type of golf lies within the rules. Many obstacle golf courses do not have specific rules governing play except to say “no fairways”.
That means anyone can use any type of terrain to play on. Normal golf requires players to abide by certain standards.
These standards include using only golf club approved by USGA along with specified distances and angles to measure shots.
This distinction makes obstacle golf much less restrictive than regular golf.