Author Topic: Golf ball mortar golf.... (Read 847 times)

gunsonwheels · « **on:** August 07, 2011, 08:33:02 PM »

I know I am at least a little bit nuts but:

In 2007 we sponsored a "sling golf" tourney using slings (David-style of David and Goliath) at our local golf course... traffic is low enough and the club board liberal enough they approved such an event. All shots were slung and on the green the cup was covered with a plywood base of about 16" in diameter with a vertical piece of pipe from which extended a vertical hoop and net about the size of a basketball hoop. When lobbying for the sling event they had me sling a ball out on the driving range. Ice cold and 63 years old I launched one about 225 yards down-range, they cheered and then met to vote and approved the meet. A couple of sidenotes: The fellow who holds the world's record for sling a stone (439 meters) came and threw a ball on the driving range which a couple of board members said was still rising when it crossed the 30 foot high fence out at 300 yards at the end of the driving range and as to force, conditioned slingers regularly can throw a 1" diameter steel ball clear through a 3/4" piece of plywood.

So I cannot help but wonder if we could all pick up our mortars in person, drill the vents in our shop and troop out to the golf course for at least nine holes of "mortar golf". I bet the odds are in our favor the golf club board would approve such an event... A few well measured powder charges to "drive" say 100, 200 and 300 yards would probably do the trick for demostrating mortar golfing. We'd have to work out the green drill and any ancillary accoutraments for that part of the round. The course is about 30 minutes from Cody, Wyoming and Cody is less than an hour from Yellowstone Park so it's not like there aren't other attractions in the area.

Again... just the ramblings of an old and little nuts BPM&C shooter... but I bet it would sure be a blast of fun.

The sling golf was but without the "blast".

George/GOW

Double D · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2011, 02:03:54 AM »

So go for it, and report back with the results...sounds interesting.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #2 on:** August 08, 2011, 02:36:53 AM »

Driving and chipping is easy, but putting will be problematic.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 08, 2011, 07:47:23 AM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer on August 08, 2011, 02:36:53 AM

Driving and chipping is easy, but putting will be problematic.

Putting...... use less powder

GGaskill · « **Reply #4 on:** August 08, 2011, 12:49:34 PM »

For putting, stick a handle in the bore and swing the whole mortar to hit the ball. No powder but more control.

armorer77 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 08, 2011, 01:53:09 PM »

Putting sounds like a good use for Pyrodex , I average 6' per shot .

OK , I only tried once .

flagman1776 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 08, 2011, 01:53:56 PM »

Lay the mortar on it's side & a pinch of powder, try not to skip over the hole.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2011, 03:21:39 PM »

Quote from: armorer77 on August 08, 2011, 01:53:09 PM

Putting sounds like a good use for Pyrodex , I average 6' per shot . OK , I only tried once .

The smoke would go further than the golf-ball!

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2011, 07:00:47 PM »

flagman1776:

Quote

Lay the mortar on it's side & a pinch of powder, try not to skip over the hole.

I like this idea... likely the golf club board will want to know and have demo'd just how we intend to "putt". I'll have to practice it a bit... I remember DD said he got 12" of range from just the fuse..?? Maybe some of the superfast visco fuses would suffice for putting. I have some 4 sec per foot artillery fuse I will also try. GOW/George

GGaskill · « **Reply #9 on:** August 08, 2011, 10:50:41 PM »

We could just concede the hole to whoever is closest to the pin. Seems like that is common in match play.

flagman1776 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2011, 07:10:15 AM »

delete

Zulu · « **Reply #11 on:** August 09, 2011, 09:32:08 AM »

Quote from: flagman1776 on August 09, 2011, 07:10:15 AM

I like it. Scored like horse shoes!

And hand grenades!

Zulu

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #12 on:** August 09, 2011, 10:29:41 AM »

Couple of things for sure... approaching the green I am NOT sure existing powder measures and powder chambers would be small enough for shooting for the cup... so maybe GGaskill is right... besides they (the board) are orders or magnitude more picky about the greens than the fairway.

I very much appreciate the suggestions... like I say I would like to have a clear idea of what the round (specifics for each hole) will consist of before I request another audience for presenting for their approval another round of screwy/obtuse/unusual golf.

Also... there is what I call "Damn Yankee" syndrome... those familiar with the play, movie and several recent spinoffs recall the guy agrees to sell his soul to the Devil in return for making him the "greatest baseball player ever" (Yankees of course)... the Devil wheedles and cajoles about how great it will be and how fantastic his life will be and how he won't have to pay until far and away at the end that life... the play/movie concludes with the Devil there to collect... and unlike some recent spinoffs, he DOES NOT escape payment.

Point of the "syndrome" being... they are far more likely to commit to something in the "distant future" than if I/we were asking for having it next week...

Also the local newspaper did a couple of stories with pictures of the "sling" golf event so both the sport and the club got a bit of "free" publicity. If this does come off, and is in conjunction with a group pour by the folks in Cody, I'm sure the paper would also like to mention of them (yeh... "news" is somewhat hard come by in small town America).

GOW

GGaskill · « **Reply #13 on:** August 09, 2011, 12:46:31 PM »

Actually the hero of Damn Yankees was a Yankee hater and I think he played for the Washington Senators which was perennially the worst team in major league baseball in the days of the show/movie.

flagman1776 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 09, 2011, 12:48:10 PM »

delete

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #15 on:** August 09, 2011, 02:01:09 PM »

GGaskill:

Quote

Actually the hero of Damn Yankees was a Yankee hater and I think he played for the Washington Senators which was perennially the worst team in major league baseball in the days of the show/movie.

well... I got the basic plot right anyway...

1Southpaw · « **Reply #16 on:** August 09, 2011, 03:09:44 PM »

Perhaps putters allowed on the greens . Have to get the ball on the green with mortar to putt ? Be a bit of traditional with BP fun thrown in .

GGaskill · « **Reply #17 on:** August 09, 2011, 03:10:42 PM »

I got the basic plot right anyway.

Quite true and your point was doing it now so it was in the distant future when approved, not anything about the NY Yankees.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #18 on:** August 09, 2011, 04:29:40 PM »

If the blackpowder golf-ball putter is going to be used, it MUST be traditional - with a wooden shaft and leather grip hand forged in Scottland!

gunsonwheels · « **Reply #19 on:** August 09, 2011, 04:46:11 PM »

I wonder if a pole might be in the thing to do among:

1. Ball shot closest to the hole out of the fairway, wins the hole.

2. Get on the green with your mortar and putt out with a putter (or a linstock w/ removable point and use it to shoot the ball like a pool cue (half serious here)).

3. Pinch-a powder-putt out the hole.

About the last one... when we were slinging we went from No. 3 (except slinging at the cup/hoop) to No. 1 because the groups behind us kept "shooting through" as we were too long "messing around" on the green holding up everyone else on the course. With the club's potential concern about us "smoking" their greens and our previous experience, I would vote for one or two but as much as I'd like it... not number three (I hate it when the pragmatist part of me wins out over the have-fun part $:-\$ ).

GOW

flagman1776 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 09, 2011, 05:56:13 PM »

Gives new meaning to "playing through!" Some how "Fore!" seems inadequate...