Professional Putt Putt was just on SportsCenter

ppabart · Mar 9, 2014

That's awesome. I know it's a big joke to some but for those of us that have played the game competitively, it's a big deal to see it get some coverage.

Back in 2011, the third perfect 18 in history was shot. Someone took the time to make a mini documentary about it and it's well done. I'll try to find a link to it and share. I know every one of the guys that are in the video.

I plan on getting back out there this year and playing in some tournaments. These guys are incredibly good at what they do. The money that we play for isn't much (lack of sponsors).....but it's about loving a niche sport. I think people within the organization once hoped that it would catch on somewhere and explode to where the money was significantly more. Unfortunately that just hasn't happened. The national Championship is being played in Lake Charles, LA this year.....total purse is $50,000....with $10,000 going to first place. That's one of the bigger payouts I've ever heard of. The only one I participated in that was more was during the 50th anniversary of Putt-Putt. The home office placed the Nationals in Fayetteville, NC (the birthplace of Putt Putt) and the total purse was $100,000....with $50,000 going to first place. I came in 4th place in that tournament (won $7,000).

Regardless of what you think about competitive mini golf, it's worth the time to watch the video. I'd love to hear what people think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYvXUMVeQo

Another Steve · Mar 9, 2014

Nice, I have been in the crowd at one...haven't played in years. May need to go to our local for a round, lways choose the RED ball.

Nole · Mar 9, 2014

So are the courses the same nationwide? I swear, the holes they showed him playing were identical to the course here.

That one guy said he made the first 16 and missed 17 and he was concerned that guy would have trouble there as well. I'm sure it was a different course?

Just curious?

Good luck going back out there Bart!

When we play, I get an automatic 2-putt if I find the green. It's only fair.

:toast:

MadJack · Mar 9, 2014

I'll try to find a link to it and share.

:0003

ppabart · Mar 9, 2014

MadJack said:
:0003

I found it and put it all in the first post. Sue me

:SIB

ppabart · Mar 9, 2014

Nole said:
So are the courses the same nationwide? I swear, the holes they showed him playing were identical to the course here.

That one guy said he made the first 16 and missed 17 and he was concerned that guy would have trouble there as well. I'm sure it was a different course?

Just curious?

Good luck going back out there Bart!

When we play, I get an automatic 2-putt if I find the green. It's only fair.

:toast:

Daryl Freeman was actually talking about making the first 16 holes of the exact same course in Richmond, VA. Putt putt has about 144 standard hole designs that it uses so any franchised course may have holes that look identical but they all behave differently. It really depends in how the concrete is laid under the carpet.

If jack laid the concrete, there's no way in hell anyone could even break par.

opcorn2

Old School · Mar 9, 2014

thanks bart..

will check it out..

real shame it didn't catch on..

great sport

JOSHNAUDI · Mar 9, 2014

I think we'd all like to hear the VH1 behind the Putt Putt version from Bart

Were there Groupies & did Std's make there way around the circuit?

Any late night Coke/Drinking binges to celebrate or forget defeat.

Avoiding the yips

Travel

Gamesmanship

Gambling

Unless you are working on a tell all book,

THE KOD · Mar 9, 2014

putt putt seems to be a game of geometry and proper english

:0008

ppabart · Mar 9, 2014

THE KOD said:
putt putt seems to be a game of geometry and proper english

:0008

Definitely huge components.

Sportsaholic · Mar 9, 2014

Lack of Sponsors, BS......Put me down for $25.....:0008

Another Steve · Mar 9, 2014

http://www.proputters.org/

JOSHNAUDI · Mar 9, 2014

Takes a real man to take home the Charleston Open

Of note this was the first Charleston Open after the death of Tupac Shakur

http://www.proputters.com/history/1990s/1997/charleston_open_97.htm

<iframe width="920" height="1315" src="http://www.proputters.com/history/1990s/1997/charleston_open_97.htm" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

JOSHNAUDI · Mar 9, 2014

And the State Championship of 99 
 
http://www.proputters.com/history/1990s/1999/north_carolina/nc_state_championship_99.htm <blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><div align="center"><table border="0" style="width: 650px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="table1"><tbody><tr><td><blockquote>Bart Bason Wins 1999 North Carolina State Championship in Sudden Death over Michael Hitt</blockquote>Durham, NC - October 17, 1999 - Last year, <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/bart_bason.htm">Bart Bason</a> needed 26 extra holes to lose to <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/greg_ward.htm">Greg Ward</a> for second place in the playoff. On Sunday, he was in the predicament once again, this time playing off with<a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/michael_hitt.htm">Michael Hitt</a> for the 1999 North Carolina State Championship. Bason had to come from five strokes down with three rounds to play to get into the playoff.Bason shot three rounds of a total of 79 to force the playoff with Hitt, who shot 82 on Sunday. The playoff began with Hitt making the first three holes and Bason taking a double bogey on the third hole to fall four back after three. Bason charged back by making holes 7-10 in succession while Hitt missed six in a row from 5-11 to pull the match back even.The two young players went back and forth until Hitt made 15 & 16 to lead by two, 7-under to 5-under, with two to play. Hitt left 17 short, opening the door for Bason to make the last two. Bason made 17 to pull to within one of Hitt. Then, Bason, with pressure mounting, went for 18 and made it dead in the cup to tie Hitt. Hitt decided to lay up the ace putt, leaving him about five feet for his deuce putt, which he made forcing the first sudden death playoff this year.Both players shot 1-under after the first four holes. Heading to hole 5, Bason played the left rail shot before the triangle, and made it front door. Hitt proceeded to play the left rail shot behind the triangle, but missed the hole to the right, thus giving the 22-year-old college student from Gibsonville, North Carolina, his first major state championship of his career.Ray Guthrie held off a fierce charge from Tommy Hutchinson and Jimmy Comer, winning his first state title in the APA Division when Comer bogeyed the automatic hole 16 while Guthrie aced it to win by one. Guthrie, who has declared he will turn pro in 2000, fired the final two round total of 58 to finish at 172. Hutchinson and Comer finished at 173. Both players went to a playoff for second where Hutchinson won that playoff.Other players with a good show this weekend in the Pro Division were, <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/gary_hester.htm">Gary Hester</a>, Saturday's leader at the break and fired a fifth round 22 to take lead on Saturday, finishing third at 217; <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/randy_reeves.htm">Randy Reeves</a>, with a fifth round 21 finished fourth at 218, and a three-way tie for fifth involving <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/andy_coradini.htm">Andy Coradini</a>, <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/bob_haizlip.htm">Bob Haizlip</a>, and<a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/rusty_taylor.htm">Rusty Taylor</a>, the youngest player in the championship, all at 220.The biggest jump of the day went to Haizlip going from a tie of 24th to a tie of 5th. Best score of the day went to Bason and Haizlip, each shooting 79 on this rain soaked day.A light shower early Sunday did not dampen the play from the tournament as Hurricane Irene was slowly approaching the East Coast. However, the rain started intensifying toward the final round and well into the playoff.The tournament contained a $9,000.00 purse in which Bason was getting $800.00 for the win and Hitt receiving $650.00 for second. The playoff between Bason and Hitt was the first in the state championship for first place since Bill Kirby faced off Barry Wyatt in 1994 held in Gastonia.Awards were presented at a banquet held at Torero's Mexican Restaurant in Durham. <a href="http://www.proputters.com/players/pros/greg_newport.htm">Greg Newport</a>received his NCPPA Player of the Year award while Guthrie received the honor for the APA. Hester and Hitt received the award for the Team of the Year. The sportsmanship award went to Durham local Fred Hallaman. And, lastly, the naming of the 2000 NCPPA Committee was given out. Among those who made the committee were Bart Bason, Rick Baird, Chris Bunting, Bill Kirby, Larry Simpson, Greg Newport, and Rick Rybaczek.Special thanks was also given to Phil McCarson, owner and operator of the Durham Putt-Putt, for having the tour come for the weekend and also with the great food he provided.The North Carolina tour has officially completed its 1999 season and will be sending ten players to the Clayton Cup to Wilmington next weekend. The players that will be going are captain Chris Bunting, Greg Newport, Rick Baird, Andy Coradini, Bart Bason, Opie Roberts, Bill Kirby, C. L. Jones, Bob Haizlip, and Rick Rybaczek. The quest for the cup begins October 23 in Wilmington starting at 10am.<blockquote>Tournament recap and scores courtesy of Opie Roberts</blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote><big>Professional Scores from the 1999 North Carolina State Championship</big> <big>(16-17 October 1999)</big><div align="center" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><center><center></center><table border="0" style="width: 675px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="30" align="center"></td><td width="132"></td><td width="144"></td><td colspan="8" width="264">Round</td><td width="53"></td><td align="center" width="77">Prize</td></tr><tr><td width="30" align="center"></td><td width="132">Player</td><td width="144">Hometown</td><td width="33">1</td><td width="33">2</td><td width="33">3</td><td width="33">4</td><td width="33">5</td><td width="33">6</td><td width="33">7</td><td width="33">8</td><td width="53">Total</td><td align="center" width="77">Money</td></tr><tr><td width="30" align="center">1</td><td width="132">Bart Bason</td><td width="144">Gibsonville NC</td><td width="33">29</td><td width="33">24</td><td width="33">28</td><td width="33">25</td><td width="33">30</td><td width="33">25</td><td width="33">27</td><td width="33">27</td><td width="53">215</td><td width="77">$800.00</td></tr><tr><td width="30" align="center">2</td><td width="132">Michael Hitt</td><td width="144">Greensboro NC</td><td width="33">28</td><td width="33">26</td><td width="33">25</td><td width="33">29</td><td width="33">25</td><td width="33">26</td><td width="33">26</td><td width="33">30</td><td width="53">215</td><td width="77">$650.00</td></tr></tbody></table></center></div>

ppabart · Mar 9, 2014

Look at Josh. Finding two of my career highlights.

Charleston WV was my first career pro victory
Durham NC was a great win. I got so hammered Thursday night that I couldn't even practice on Friday. Turns out, my strategy worked.

smurphy · Mar 9, 2014

ppabart said:
mini documentary

Is anything regular sized?

Sportsaholic · Mar 9, 2014

ppabart said:
Look at Josh. Finding two of my career highlights.

Charleston WV was my first career pro victory
Durham NC was a great win. I got so hammered Thursday night that I couldn't even practice on Friday. Turns out, my strategy worked.

Getting hammered before competition....:shrug:....I withdraw my $25 sponsorship.....:0003

smurphy · Mar 9, 2014

Sportsaholic said:
Getting hammered before competition....:shrug:....I withdraw my $25 sponsorship.....:0003

I will double mine.

Jinxbreaker · Mar 9, 2014

Bart that's a small world as 2 Vendors that have same stores as me play in all the tourneys here in NC and I think Tenn and MB. We were just talking a couple of weeks ago about 3 guys that have had 18's. They are probably on that list from 99

ppabart · Mar 10, 2014

Jinxbreaker said:
Bart that's a small world as 2 Vendors that have same stores as me play in all the tourneys here in NC and I think Tenn and MB. We were just talking a couple of weeks ago about 3 guys that have had 18's. They are probably on that list from 99

What are their names? Any idea?

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