Powerplay Golf is giving a very old sport a couple of new twists.

Hoping to change the face of a sport often considered to be staid and boring, organizers of the three-event series are looking to bring in new fans by offering a faster pace and more excitement with two pins per green and only nine holes in a round.

"Stand by for something very special," Scotland's Colin Montgomerie said in a statement Wednesday. "Golf around the world is about to discover a new dimension."

Montgomerie will be joined by U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell in a 12-player field that also includes former major winners Gary Player, John Daly and Ian Woosnam in a PowerPlay tournament in May at Celtic Manor.

In PowerPlay Golf, players can score different point totals depending on which of the two cups they go for on each green. The game is scored using a nine-hole "variation on golf's Stableford points scoring system," PowerPlay Golf said on its website.

Each player will get limited opportunities to putt to the black flag, which would be placed in a more difficult part of the green. If a player makes a birdie into that hole, more points are awarded.

On the final hole, all players can go for the black flag, where organizers said a "birdie wins points galore, and possibly the tournament ... but failure to make par spells disaster."

Player, a nine-time major winner, described the game's appeal by thinking back to his days at the Masters, a tournament he won three times.

"You are standing in the middle of the 18th fairway at Augusta National tied for the lead. What do you do? Do you go for the pin? If you it hit it right you make birdie and win. If you don't, you make bogey and lose," Player said. "Risk versus reward - one of the toughest decisions a champion has to make."

The event at Celtic Manor in Wales on May 30 is the inaugural tournament in the series, and the list of participants is likely to draw fans of the traditional game as as well as the newer version. The field also includes Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Paula Creamer and Helen Alfredsson.

The game is meant to "increase golf's appeal to a wider sporting TV audience," PowerPlay Golf said. The winner of the tournament at Celtic Manor will receive $163,000.



Read more: http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/art ... z1JRwXDPeU

It's a tough one, will it ever become big time?

Let's take practice. There is a place in the western suburbs of Chicago called Top Golf. You walk in and it looks and feels like a driving range, but it is so much more. (www. topgolf.com) It's target "practice" golf at it's best. You buy "games" (20 balls a game) and play 1 out of 5 top golf games or just choose practice. The golf balls have little micro chips in them that are tied to your name and game history. You have your stall, which is made for up to four people. There is your mat, table and chairs (frinks and food are served) and a computer. You feed a ball through the contraption that drops the ball onto the mat. Your ball is now in play. You have a full length driving range (275 yards deep and about 150 yards wide) Throughout the range there are many so called greens, even though they are not conventionel greens. They are greens with scoring pods. You try to land the ball in your pod that you are going for based on the type of game you chose on the computer. Each green has 5 rings with 6 scoring pods in each ring. The closer ring that you get in towards the center of the green were the flag is, the more points you get. The most advanced and challenging game has you hit into specific pods within a certain ring. I never tired that one, since that it way beyond my golfing level. After you hit a few of the correct tartetgs in a row, they may give you double points on the next target (if hit). I have never had so much fun practicing and never had so much quality practice at a range hitting specific targets.
It's to the point now that I travel 35-40 minutes to get practice in versus going a 1/2 mile to the driving range by my house. It's also great for getting together with friends, especially in the evening when it's dark and real golf is not an option. It's open during the winter also ans the stalls have 2 overhead heaters. I see this place (triple tiered range) crowded all year long. People are really into the scoring aspect of a driving range. I bring this Topgolf thing up because I see how people love it, so just maybe the type of golf you mention in this post may have a chance.

There is a golf course by me, that has 27 holes, 9 of those holes have double pin placements. You choose before you tee off your round, if you're playing the white pins (easier pin placements) or the blue pins (harder pin placements). It's nice to have the option to choose which pins you're playing. It sucks when you land your ball on the green and your mishit is a few feet from the wrong pin. lol I like the risk and reward of what this concept has. It also gives someone who is behind in scoring, some real options to try and get back into the game.
I look forward to seeing what kind of reaction it's gets from the pros playing in this event.

Where does the "faster pace" come in ? Is there a huge group of prospective "fans" out there that would be interested in golf if only they would play just nine holes ? Why not play three holes with six hole placements on every green ? That way ; people could tune in and watch real quick like and then ...like... go back to watching.... like... some chick....like.... eat worms , or.... like.... fat people losing..... like.... weight or.... like.... something.



Why not just play on the computer ? They could just have the players come to a "studio" and plug in all the aspects of a perfectly designed course right down to weather and firmness. The greenies will get ahold of this and make us all play golf on Roy's practice tee , or indoors. Let's just go virtual. No need for all that time , water , weather , grass , bad lies , bugs , and money. Put a microchip in your fricken noggin that will "simulate" an outdoor experience. Most players are riding carts and using some kind of electronic devices to play the game now. This will be perfect for all those fat lazy American golfers with precious little time to play an archaic game such as golf. They could be texting somebody all damn day , or selling time shares to unsuspecting pensioners with all that extra time.
But it sounds good ........really good......i look forward to this streamlining of an obviously ponderous and out of step with modern society game ; such as golf. I hope it will include lots of yelling and chestbeating on the greens and tees....another direction i really like.

Glad to see it got some reactions;-)