American Hole 'n One's Blog

Golf outings can be a true win-win for organizations and participants alike. Organizations can raise substantial amounts of money for excellent causes and participants get to come together for a day of entertainment and friendly competition. While the standards formats are fun and get the job done, consider adding some spice to your next event with some of these unique and creative rulesets.

1. Spin the Wheel

This challenge requires the use of a spinning wheel and each section will be labeled with a different club. Each player spins the wheel, and whichever club they land on is what the player has to use for the entire hole. 

If your organization doesn't have access to a wheel of this type, players could also pick from a hat to determine their club.

This provides a unique challenge as some players will strategize on how to putt with a 7-iron and others will have to figure out how to chip with a 3-wood. You can scale this back to your liking, requiring the selected club to be used only for a tee off or putting, but it will be an entertaining challenge no matter what you choose.

2. Oven Mitts on the Green

Putting is already one of the toughest aspects to the game of golf, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't up the ante in a golf outing. You can make putting even more difficult by requiring players to wear oven mitts while they putt on one specific hole. 

Not only does it look hilarious, but it provides a new obstacle that will uphold variety within the 18-hole outing.

3. Worst Ball Scramble

Most people are familiar with the scramble format of play, where each player tees off and everyone proceeds to hit their next shot from the best drive in the group. 

Instead of choosing the best shot from the group like a typical scramble, you can require teams to select the worst shot from the group and hit from there for an entire hole. 

This can be incredibly fun, as it forces teams to work together and strategize while they get themselves out of tough situations, like behind trees or in bunkers. 

4. Tee Off With a Wooden Driver

If your organization is able to come up with vintage wooden golf clubs, you can require players to use them for their drive on one hole. This is especially fun, as wooden drivers feel completely different from the modern clubs most are used to swinging on a regular basis. Vintage golf clubs are relatively easy to find online, even the left-handed variety, and they can add a new element of challenge for players. 

This challenge could also be applied to putting, where you require players to use old wooden putters. If you can't find wooden putters, you can have players use a hockey stick on the green, making them putt Happy Gilmore style. 

5. Blindfolded Putting

In this challenge, players are allowed to take a look at their upcoming putt on the green, but they must wear a blindfold as soon as they address the ball. For the sake of time, you can implement this rule for just the participants' first putts or you can put a cap on three or four blindfolded putts before they must move on. If time isn't an issue, it can be exciting for players to attempt to get the ball in the hole from start-to-finish without the luxury of sight! 

Everyone loves a good old-fashioned golf outing that raises money for charity, but you can generate more excitement at your next outing by implementing some of these creative rules. It will truly be an event that your participants will never forget. 

No golf outing would be complete without incredible prizes, as those attract high volumes of players. Sadly, big-time prizes often come at big-time costs to the organizations that are hosting charity events. Fortunately, American Hole ‘n One offers prize coverage, allowing nonprofits everywhere to offer up grand prizes without worrying about how they will pay for new SUVs or all-inclusive vacation packages. 

Contact us with inquiries and questions!