Doc Searls writes one of the blogs I have listed in my RSS aggregator. He recently wrote about the death of Hunter S. Thompson. In his recent piece, which you can read here, he describes a form of golf that even I might play. Mind you, I hate golf… I’ve tried it, but I don’t have the coordination to hit a little white ball down a long grassy fairway without it going into the woods on either side of said grass. I’ve also found that I don’t have the patience to go tromping through the woods, as I would inevitably, to chase the little white ball down.
The reason I’d probably be able to play Shotgun Golf is simple—I can shoot pretty well. I could probably knock the other guy’s ball into the woods or whatever other hazard was nearby. Besides, from the description, it doesn’t sound like you’re actually aiming for something as small as the cup and pin in regulation golf.
Here’s the excerpt from Doc Searl’s article.
Shotgun Golf will soon take America by storm. I see it as the first truly violent leisure sport. Millions will crave it.
Shotgun Golf was invented in the ominous summer of 2004 AD, right here at the Owl Farm in Woody Creek, Colo. The first game was played between me and Sheriff Bob Braudis, on the ancient Bomb & Shooting Range of the Woody Creek Rod & Gun Club. It was witnessed by many members and other invited guests, and filmed for historical purposes by Dr. Thompson on Super-Beta videotape.
The game consists of one golfer, one shooter and a field judge. The purpose of the game is to shoot your opponent’s high-flying golf ball out of the air with a finely-tuned 12-gauge shotgun, thus preventing him (your opponent) from lofting a 9-iron approach shot onto a distant “green” and making a “hole in one.” Points are scored by blasting your opponent’s shiny new Titleist out of the air and causing his shot to fail miserably. That earns you two points.