FLOGTON = “Not Golf” spelled backwards.

The rules were made for the average golfer by the Alternative Golf Association. I couldn’t agree with their philosophy more!

From ALTGOLF.ORG:

Golf is one of the greatest games ever developed. It combines power and precision, requires mental acuity and toughness, and fosters a code of ethics unparalleled in any sport.

But golf is also difficult and frustrating to the vast majority of players. No other sport asks you your “handicap” before you play. No other sport plays the same venues and with the same equipment as professionals. 

Baseball has T-ball, Little League and softball. Sailing has monohulls and multihulls of all different classes. Football has pee-wee, flag and touch. Basketball has ball sizes and hoop heights. Think skiing and snowboards. Water skis and wake boards. English and Western horseback riding. 

But golf? Miniature golf through windmills? Clubs and balls being ruled “illegal”?

The mission of the AGA is to promote “Golf for the Rest of Us.” While there are about 200 players in the world who make serious money playing the game, there are about 50 million in the United States alone who have invested time and money learning the game. About 25 million play in any year, but only about 5 million are considered core players. The other 20 million are slowly reducing their play or are leaving the game .

The AGA believes this decline is structural, not just a result of the prolonged economic conditions. Golf is regulated by the USGA, whose goal is to “protect” the game, not grow it. The explosion of the internet, gaming, social networks and other entertainment options has not made consumers look kindly on golf; its difficulty, social rules, time and expense make it a poor value in today’s world. The days when a father would spend a Saturday teaching his son golf, or playing with his son caddying, have given way to organized sports, video games and family fragmentation.

The AGA believes the USGA format and rules are entirely appropriate for those aspiring to be at the pinnacle of the game, just as major league baseball maintains its format and rules at lower levels. But also like baseball, we believe the game of golf should offer alternatives to bring out the best of the game and encourage more play with more enjoyment by allowing different rules and equipment.

So are you ready to check out the rules of FLOGTON? There are more on their website and they include more blah blah blah, but here is what it breaks down to:

•  Players get a mulligan on every hole!
•  The ball can be teed up anywhere, except on the green!
•  The third putt is always good! (My personal favorite)
•  When stuck in a bunker, pick up the ball and toss it onto the edge of the green!
•  A bump is moving the ball six feet away from any hazard or bunker. The only caveat is that the bump cannot put the ball closer to the hole

I started playing the very frustrating sport of golf at age 8. My father bought me multiple sets of clubs, pink balls, lots of lessons, and spent a lot time and cash to create a decent golfer. If I practice and play regularly, I can keep a 16 handicap. I still like, but don’t love love the sport because normally everybody playing around me is full of curses and frustration with their scores, even if they were much better than me. Can’t we just go mess around in a nice park with some sticks and balls? Maybe enjoy drinking ice cold Arnold Palmer while we do it? (Psst, try it with vodka if over 21)

This is why I vote now for FLOGTON, in hopes that it will bring out some new players, reinvigorate some out of gas golfers like me, and get us all outside away from the computer screens for a while!

6-3-15