Looking for unique and exciting putting contest ideas for your next golf event? This article will give you 21 unique ideas to make your event memorable and fun for all participants.
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What Is a Putting Contest?
A putting contest is a distinctive golf event that focuses on the participants’ ability to ‘putt’ or hit the golf ball into the hole. Contrary to the full-scale golf game, a putting contest predominantly concentrates on the player’s finesse, precision, and control.
Putting contests can range from simple ones, where the goal is to put the ball from a fixed distance to more intricate ones involving obstacles, competitive brackets, or timed challenges.
Most notably, these contests offer a unique level of inclusivity. Even those with minimal golfing experience can partake and enjoy, as the emphasis is less on physical strength and more on accuracy and strategy.
Therefore, putting contests are a popular choice for charity events, corporate outings, or social gatherings, serving as a fun and engaging medium to attract diverse participants.
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21 Unique Golf Tournament Putting Contest Ideas
If you are thinking about hosting a putting contest at your next golf event, the below ideas will help you keep the participants engaged.
#1. Blindfold Challenge:
In the Blindfold Challenge, competitors must rely on intuition and muscle memory rather than sight. Before the start of the game, the player’s eyes are covered with a blindfold.
The player is then guided to the start of the putting green. With mental imagery and spatial awareness, the player must attempt to putt the ball into the hole.
#2. Longest Putt Wins:
In the “Longest Putt Wins” challenge, the objective is to sink the longest putt. Participants take turns attempting putts from progressively greater distances.
The initial distance may be relatively short – perhaps just 10 feet – but the putting position is moved further back with each round. The player who successfully makes the longest putt is declared the winner.
#3. Obstacle Course Extravaganza:
The “Obstacle Course Extravaganza” puts an adventurous spin on the traditional putting contest. In this format, various obstacles are strategically placed around the putting green. These might include ramps, tunnels, sand traps, or moving elements.
The participants’ challenge is to navigate these obstacles and sink their putt in as few strokes as possible.
#4. Putt for Prizes:
“Putt for Prizes” contest is an exciting blend of skill and luck that incorporates a prize element to the traditional game of putt-putt golf. In this challenge, different prizes are associated with various holes on the putting green.
Some holes could have small prizes, while others could offer a significant reward, such as a cash prize or a coveted golf item. Participants take turns attempting to putt the ball into the holes of their choice. If a player successfully sinks a putt into a hole, they win the prize associated with that hole.
This fun setup adds an extra layer of strategy as players must decide whether to go for the harder, high-value prizes, or stick with the easier holes and smaller rewards.
#5. Team Relay Putt:
The “Team Relay Putt” is ideal for fostering camaraderie and teamwork among participants. In this challenge, players are grouped into teams with the same number of members.
The game begins with the first member of each team attempting a putt. Once the first player finishes their putt, the next team member takes their turn. This relay continues until all team members have completed their putts. The team with the lowest combined score, representing the least number of putts, is declared the winner.
#6. Around the World Putting:
“Around the World Putting” is a fun and challenging contest that tests participants’ skills in putting from various angles and distances. The putting green is divided into 9 or 18 sections, each corresponding to a specific location on the golf course.
Players take turns attempting putts from these locations, working their way ‘around the world.’ The player with the lowest combined score wins the challenge.
#7. Horse Race Putting:
The “Horse Race Putting” challenge is an exciting and competitive format inspired by horse racing. Players are divided into teams, each with a ‘horse.’ The game begins with all players competing to sink their putt on the first hole.
Those who successfully make their putt continue onto the next hole while the players who miss are ‘eliminated.’ This process continues until only one player remains, and their team’s horse wins the race.
#8. Left-Handed or Right-Handed Only:
A simple yet fun variation of the traditional putting contest is to restrict players to putt using only their left or right hand. For example, if the player is right-handed, they must putt it with their left hand and vice versa.
This challenge adds an unexpected twist, forcing participants to use a different technique than usual. It can also be combined with other challenges, such as “Longest Putt Wins” or “Around the World Putting.”
#9. Putt-Putt Poker:
In “Putt-Putt Poker,” the classic card game meets the putting green for an enthralling contest that blends skill with a touch of luck. Each hole on the putting green is assigned a specific playing card. As participants navigate the course, they collect cards corresponding to each hole where they successfully sink a putt.
By the end of the course, each player has a ‘hand’ of cards. The player whose ‘hand’ forms the best poker combination emerges as the victor. The element of luck in drawing the best poker hand adds an unforeseen thrill to the skill-based game of putting.
#10. Nighttime Glow Putt:
Nighttime Glow Putt takes the putting contest to a novel and exciting level by introducing an element of darkness. As the name suggests, this challenge occurs after dusk, under the stars.
The balls, holes, and sometimes even the putters are equipped with glow-in-the-dark materials. This adds a layer of challenge and fun as players navigate the putting green in the dark.
#11. Precision Putt Challenge:
In the “Precision Putt Challenge,” the focus is on accuracy rather than distance. This contest tests the participants’ control and precision on the greens. It incorporates a setup where several targets are placed on the putting green at varying distances. Each target is assigned a specific point value, with the harder-to-reach targets carrying more points.
Participants take turns attempting to putt their ball as close to or into these targets as possible. The challenge lies in the player’s ability to accurately gauge the distance and direction, ensuring their putt lands near the designated targets.
At the end of the round, the player who has accumulated the most points is declared the winner.
#12. Historical Putt Tour:
The “Historical Putt Tour” integrates fun, competition, and a touch of history into the putting contest. Each hole on the putting green is named after a famous golf tournament or a golfing legend and carries a unique challenge or trivia related to its namesake.
For instance, a hole named after the U.S. Open could have a tough setup mimicking a famous U.S. Open course condition, while a hole named after a golfing great like Jack Nicklaus might come with a trivia question about his career. The player with the lowest score and potentially the most correct trivia answers emerges as the winner.
#13. Multi-Ball Madness:
“Multi-Ball Madness” is a super exciting and high-energy putting contest that keeps you on your toes. In this challenge, each player gets multiple balls to putt simultaneously.
The cool part is you gotta try to sink all the balls with as few putts as possible. It’s all about strategy – figuring out the best order and direction to putt for maximum success.
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#14. Time Trial Tension:
In “Time Trial Tension,” the focus is on speed and accuracy. This challenge involves a timer set for a specific period, usually 60 seconds. Players take turns putting as many balls as possible into various targets within the time limit.
The player with the most successful putts within the designated time frame wins. Players can be given specific rules to make the game more difficult, such as only using their non-dominant hand or being blindfolded for a portion of the time.
#15. Putt Through the Ages:
“Putt Through the Ages” adds a historical twist to the traditional putting contest. In this challenge, each hole represents a different era of golf, from its origins in 15th-century Scotland to the modern PGA Tour.
Players move through these chronological holes, encountering challenges and trivia questions relating to each historical period. The player who can best handle the diverse challenges and correctly answer the most trivia questions takes home the victory.
#16. Costume Putt Party:
“Costume Putt Party” introduces a festive and light-hearted spin to golf. This fun-filled challenge invites participants to dress up in their favorite or most outrageous costumes, adding an element of surprise and laughter to the competition.
Whether it’s superheroes, historical figures, or imaginative creations, the spectrum of costume possibilities is endless.
Amidst the laughter and camaraderie, participants try to sink their putts, often hindered by their extravagant outfits, adding to the hilarity and challenge. The winner is judged not only on their putting skills but also their creativity and spirit in their costume choice.
Read also: Costume contest ideas
#17. One-Club Wonder:
The “One-Club Wonder” challenge is a unique test of versatility and adaptability. In this contest, each player can use only one club for all their putts, demanding a display of diverse skill sets with a single tool.
Whether it’s a driver, iron, or putter, the participant chooses. This constraint forces the players to think creatively, strategize effectively, and execute a range of shots with precision and control, using just the one club they choose. The player who can best adapt to this limitation and score the lowest number of strokes is crowned the “One-Club Wonder.”
#18. The Trick Shot Challenge:
“The Trick Shot Challenge” is a unique and exciting twist on traditional putting. In this thrilling contest, participants are tasked with executing trick shots to sink their putts. These shots can range from putting while balancing on one leg to making blindfolded putts or even executing intricate ricochets.
Participants need skill, creativity, and a touch of luck to succeed in this unconventional challenge. The player who completes the most trick shots with the fewest attempts will earn the title “Trick Shot Champion.”
#19. Rising Star Putt:
“The Rising Star Putt” is designed to showcase the talents of emerging golfers. Participants can demonstrate their skills in a supportive yet competitive setting.
Each hole represents a milestone in a golfer’s journey toward mastery, covering various aspects such as grip, stance, swing, and the mental game. Participants earn points based on their performance at each stage, and the player with the highest overall score is recognized as the “Rising Star.”
#20. Putt-a-Song:
“Putt-a-Song” brings an artistic flair to the golfing green by integrating music into the putting contest. In this unique challenge, each hole is associated with a specific song. Participants must putt in rhythm with the song playing, adding a new layer of complexity and fun to the game.
The diversity of songs, ranging from slow-paced classics to upbeat pop hits, tests players’ adaptability, timing, and coordination. Scoring is based on the number of successful putts and how well players manage to stay in sync with the music. The player who can master this harmonious blend of golf and music emerges as the winner.
#21. Reverse Putting:
“Reverse Putting” flips the traditional putting game on its head. Participants putt from behind the hole instead of in front, creating new challenges and skills to master.
The difficulty level increases as the holes get longer, and participants are forced to adapt their stance, grip, and swing accordingly. The player navigating this unconventional setup with the most precision and finesse takes home the victory.
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Want to know, how a putting contest can help you raise more money at your golf event? Check out the video-
Conclusion:
Golf is a game that has stood the test of time, continuously evolving and innovating to stay relevant and engaging. As demonstrated in these 21 creative putting contests, there are no limits to how golf can be enjoyed.
From adding twists to traditional formats to introducing entirely new concepts, these challenges prove that with some imagination and creativity, golf can be an incredibly fun and dynamic sport. So next time you hit the green, try incorporating one of these putting contests into your game and see how it adds a whole new level of excitement.
