“Putt and Putt” is a new game I invented.

I think I just invented a new game.

I was out at Harvard Gulch Golf Course yesterday, playing some pitch and putt golf (known to some of you as par-3 golf). I like going there for a few reasons:

• Close to my house
• Only 9 holes, so it takes 60-80 minutes to play a round
• It’s pretty easy – holes are anywhere from 60-130 yards
• I get to work on my short game
• It’s just long enough for my short attention span

I like the commitment of only a couple hours, not the 5-hour 18-hole ordeals of a real golf course. But it’s not all that tough a course, so I find myself getting bored at the end. Yesterday, I had a pretty good round going (a birdie, lots of pars), but then had a double-bogey > triple-bogey on the 7th and 8th holes (respectively). The 9th hole is 65 yards of gentle downsloping angle. I’ve always contended that I could make a par by hitting my putter off the tee. I’ve tried a few times to do this and failed miserably. The excitement that I could reach a green by using a putter off the tee was too much to contain, resulting in some dreadful mis-hit.

But not this time. I knocked a ball with my putter 65 yards straight at the hole. The ball rolled past it, and came to rest just barely on the fringe of the green. I two-putted from there to make par (or was it a 3-putt?). All who were in attendance rejoiced!

So basically I invented a new game called “Putt and Putt” where you can play on a par-3 course, but at some point you have to use a putter for an entire hole. I understand that not all courses and holes are conducive to this, so you will have to use your best judgment. But it’s a new spin on a very old game. I’ve enjoyed this, and am thinking about using a special heavier putter just for this hole at Harvard Gulch.

Have a hankering for a little Putt and Putt? Let me know about your experiences in the comments below!