Indoor putting league

[Chanbearguy]

I heard of the idea on a podcast didnt know if it's ever been talke about here.

I think it would be awesome to rent out a local gym or "event" center and setup 18 putting situations every week there different and just have a league throughout the winter

Might be a high price to rent it but maybe entry fee to cover that and prize

 

[scarpfish]

Probably not as grand a venue as you're suggesting, and likely not 18 stations, but the basic idea is already a reality.

 

[Chanbearguy]

I coup only watch the first one but yea pretty much lol I was thinking about putting a little but more money into it but working with what you got obviously works lol

 

[b-mart]

We've discussed the possibility around here too, but the logistics seem pretty difficult. Plus in the great Pacific Northwest we can play year round without worrying about freezing. We just get wet. If we were to do it, we'd have to do it at a bar like they do in the second video, and that one just doesn't look as fun or challenging. Although I guess the point of doing it at a bar would be to get hammered...

 

[mattc]

i really like the obstacles in the first one

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I held an indoor putting competition last night as part of a tournament. The rec hall on property is about 50' from corner to corner, 2 baskets, 6 stations at each, including hoola hoop mandos, tight corridor shots through the dividers/divider door/stacks of chairs, christmas wreath mando, christmas tree obstacle, ranging from 15 to 50', with 2 of them outside the circle. A card of 6 and a card of 7 - 3 putts at each station, make all 3 get a bonus for a total of 4 points per station and a bonus 2 putts at a 5' basketball hoop for a total of 50 points possible. Had a ton of fun

 

[stratedge]

I held an indoor putting competition last night as part of a tournament. The rec hall on property is about 50' from corner to corner, 2 baskets, 6 stations at each, including hoola hoop mandos, tight corridor shots through the dividers/divider door/stacks of chairs, christmas wreath mando, christmas tree obstacle, ranging from 15 to 50', with 2 of them outside the circle. A card of 6 and a card of 7 - 3 putts at each station, make all 3 get a bonus for a total of 4 points per station and a bonus 2 putts at a 5' basketball hoop for a total of 50 points possible. Had a ton of fun

Hey Martin,

Thanks for the awesome info. I'm in the process of organizing something in my area (tournament format, league later if it works) and had a few questions. How long was the whole thing (and how long was the setup process)? Did everyone compete individually or did you make teams? Did everyone use their own putters? What about people who only had 1 putter, did they go fetch it after each shot before the next shot?

Basically looking for advice in the details of how to organize things to keep it fun and keep it moving.

TIA.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

Setup took me a couple hours I suppose, as I scoped out possible lines and tried different variations, now that I have the layout I could setup and take down in 15 minutes probably (especially assuming I can leave the marks on the floor). The putting event I don't remember the exact time, but I'd guess an hour to 1.5 hours. Each person competed individually against the field. Most everyone used their own putters (I loaned a couple out to new players that didn't have their own). If somebody only had one putter that they wanted to use they had somebody shag for them (stand near the basket and toss it back). I also had 2 industrial fans set up at one basket to simulate some wind, but those suckers are loud. I'll see if I can pull up some pictures.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

This may or may not work...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100380532741589
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100380532936199

 

[Royal Hill]

If I was tasked with setting up an indoor putting league I would likely approach it's development this way with these general parameters: (my personal prefs I guess)

I would be designing for:
Teams of four, competing for the team and allowing a roster of maybe six or seven (accounting for member Attendance conflicts)
Have those teams self assemble and sign up/comit as a group with a team buy in if there is one (either for cost covering, or payout if so inclined)
The teams split their costs any way they want, but submit a roster and the cash to get committed for "the season"

The set up: I would be brainstorming for mini games that the teams could compete ideally in a match up way with another team, even if the points or scores were being applied against the whole field. Some time compressed frenzy, and some more measured with stress.

Goal would be to have more people involved at any given moment (at least two teams actively doing something, which would be at least 8 people involved and watching)

I would insist upon each player having four self supplied putters for use in the league (not all mini games will require all four each time)

I would want to come up with the mini games to utilize two portable baskets only, and plan for the space of maybe half court basketball equivalent. I would plan on using tape on the ground for some set ups, but hopefully not rely on a lot of heavy objects. The reasoning is to keep the hardware manageable, and set up times easier and take down even easier than set up.

I would consider having 4-6 favored mini games and variants, and not play them all every week. Keep it fresh and mix it up with variations. Some mini games would be hits, some might be duds. Adapt, adjust, re try.

Perhaps the end result is in gaining seeded match ups for "the finals" on the last week of the defined season. Ie team seed 1 v 2 , 3v4 etc.

In all, my personal goal would be to avoid a waiting list to single play scoring. I wouldn't want a team of four to show up at the putting league night only be told that "you guys are the Putt Masters, right? Ok, I have you guys after the Chaincrashers. Right now the second member of team No Low Putts has just started his sequence. So... You your first player will be on in about... Say... 90 minutes"

 

[Horsman]

Probably not as grand a venue as you're suggesting, and likely not 18 stations, but the basic idea is already a reality.

I was a frequent at this putting league and it was a lot of fun.

You get 4 putts at the course per round and 3 rounds per match to try and get as many points as you can, payout to the top few. Pro and Am Divisions, basicially cash and non cash.

7 or so baskets all worth different points, from 1 point to 10 points, and usually one mini basket.

3 putting zones worth single double and triple points.

Usually one basket was a negitive basket.

We put up trash cans that were water hazards, that you lose a disc if you land in it.

It was held at a local VFW so there was an attached bar that loved us because we made them a lot of money.

We had anywhere from 15 to 40ish people per night.

It truely was a lot of fun with a lot of good competition and amazingly messed up shots.

 

[sgamerp]

I know Todd Wiley tried making one in Northern Michigan and no one showed up. Honestly, I think people who would go to a putting league would more likely go to an actual league and putt on there own time. At least that's me. I would rather go to a winter league then indoor putting with random people.

 

[Gonnagal]

Our weekly putting league, averages around 60 people, is played like horse shoes. We pair people up based on ability. Pros with newer people, and middle of the roads pair up.

We have 10 baskets, or five courts, you make one putt it's one point make two its three points. First to 15 wins, but you have to win by two. Play 4 games then the teams with the most wins and most points won by make the playoffs, which is another 4 games.

 

[Royal Hill]

Gonnagal,

I like the flavor of that set up. More social interactive and that amount of attenders leads me to think its doing something the people like.

Intested in the details. From the description I am imagining that each court means two baskets opposing each other. How far apart? The best skill testing/skill gaining zone for DG is incrementally from 25 to 40 ft I feel. Beyond that most will be sending prayer shots from downtown.

I like that it's kind of like dubs with the pairs. So... Each court would have two "ends" (one next to each basket) ? Would each End have one pair/two pair and/or are partners opposite each other? (4 people per court vs 8 per court).

It sounds like each player is holding two putters? Are they throwing from a defined throw area/box like in your horseshoe reference? Essentially the distance of the basket separation? One throw zone, or one closer, one further away? Throw the two, or alternate with their end opponent? Then switch ends (makes sense since you would have to retrieve discs anyway)

It is interesting, I'd love to see it diagrammed out. I've thought of some variants to this set up, perhaps where league players also have a set number of minis, which could be used to claim spots on a taped out grid if they make it. If you were in south Florida, maybe you take over a shuffleboard complex and have to "blank out" all the scoring zones with your minis.

Or go really overboard and have a game of Battleship, where you putt from your side grid, and IF you make it the opposing side scores your battleship hit or miss. Ha.

 

[dtuba]

I'd def check this out if there was one nearby. Winter in Seattle = not just rain, it's also dark at 4 in the freaking afternoon.

 

[MrFixIt]

All of this sounds very interesting!

 

[chainhunter]

just wondering whats the rule on types of discs used? I myself use a dx Cro to putt with. I really wanna get something going in my area.

 

[wake_rider]

just wondering whats the rule on types of discs used? I myself use a dx Cro to putt with. I really wanna get something going in my area.

Nothing metal, or above 17 speed...

No man, just putt with whatever you play with. I don't see PDGA getting involved with standardized specifications for putting league play. If it's PDGA legal and it's what you prefer, putt it in the basket.

 

[oneupmshrm]

Our weekly putting league, averages around 60 people, is played like horse shoes. We pair people up based on ability. Pros with newer people, and middle of the roads pair up.

We have 10 baskets, or five courts, you make one putt it's one point make two its three points. First to 15 wins, but you have to win by two. Play 4 games then the teams with the most wins and most points won by make the playoffs, which is another 4 games.

Sunnybrook?