Pine cone golf

Pine cone golf (PCG) refers to the practice of hitting a pine cone with a golf club (or surrogate), usually for amusement but sometimes for training. Forms of pine cone golf have been documented as taking place across the U.S. and in the UK (see references). PCG is considered an attractive entertainment by some due to the simple fact that it costs nothing and offers a chance to experience a similar open air experience to that of a golf course.

Characteristics of play

Because of the disparities in mass distribution, aerodynamical characteristics, and sample homogeneity in pine cones versus golf balls, achievable drive distances are significantly reduced from those prevalent in golf.

"Serious" pine cone golfers almost invariably use cheap used woods, eschewing other clubs: the ability to hit predictably depends on carefully positioning and addressing the pine cone, and this is difficult in scenarios other than driving. Club breakages are not uncommon, although there is some uncertainty regarding the nature of these equipment failures, e.g. playing environment and "proper use" versus quality of the clubs.

Because of the irregularity of cones, tees are generally infeasible to use. As an alternative, the cone may be placed with its vertex slightly embedded in sand.

There is no accepted method of scoring, as pine cone golf is generally thought of as analogous to practicing on a driving range. This would seem to place PCG squarely into the realm of activity versus sport.

Origins

Localized instances of pine cone golfing are probably spontaneous.

The earliest known reference to pine cone golfing is in a 1971 Time magazine article on Lee Trevino:

Trevino did not win another tournament for 13 months. He abruptly dropped out of the Philadelphia Classic last year and fled with his wife to a mountain cabin in New Mexico for a ten-day rest. After two days, Claudia saw Lee out in the woods hitting pine cones with a broomstick and realized that it was time to get back.

(NB. Trevino famously played golf once with a Coke bottle tied to a tree branch, so this behavior would not be out of character.)

The Pinehurst (NC) Pilot suggests that PCG had a role in developing at least one future pro.

Rather than a form of training, most instances of pine cone golf are likely to be whimsical events, as in e.g., an instance of "chip the cone". (See also
.)
1999 film "GERRY" starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck has a reference on pine cone golfing 28min, 19 seconds into the movie.
Beach pine cone golfing

PCG has also been claimed to take place on ocean beaches: the cones are hit into the ocean, where intertidal zone currents cause the cones to wash ashore quickly and near the player's position, so that the cones can be recovered and reused. Though this style of play might seem attractive, comparatively few areas combine usable beachfront with pine forests.

The Monterey area in northern California represents such a venue: the combination of scenic beaches and (during the months from October to April) closed pine cones are claimed to make beach PCG particularly engaging there. During 2004-2006, PCG games apparently took place routinely on weekends from October to April at Carmel Beach (just south of Pebble Beach). The relative frequency of PCG games has been observed to have declined during the same season in 2006-7, though games have still been observed.

Casuarina fruit, which resemble pine cones, are generally regarded as inferior for "pine cone" golf, although the prevalence of the casuarina in several scenic beach zones (e.g., Kahana Bay Beach Park in Oahu) has caught the interest of pine cone golfers. The optimal conditions for the use of casuarina fruit for this purpose are still unknown.

Instances of golfing on the beach have been common in recent years, e.g., in the Seinfeld episode "The Marine Biologist" (in which Cosmo Kramer hits golf balls into the ocean, one of which becomes lodged in a whale's blowhole as a prelude to the episode's climax) or the movie I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. It seems likely that this cultural phenomenon may be responsible for any instances of beach PCG. The earliest known instance of beach PCG in the Monterey area took place at Monterey State Beach in fall 2003 (this venue is now disused due to its topography and presumed scenic inferiority). Some believe that the Carmel beach PCG activity originated as a gesture intended to simultaneously convey joyful enthusiasm for the area's beauty and spite towards the Pebble Beach golfers. This view is usually discounted as a proto-legend.

Criticisms and etiquette

Pine cone golfers have occasionally been subjected to criticism. Some have claimed that PCG is unsafe in public areas, or that (when played on beaches) it results in environmentally deleterious effects, e.g. on marine life. The latter concern may be regarded by pine cone golfers as a red herring (especially as the use of pine cones versus golf balls might suggest sympathy with environmental concerns) or a veiled reference to the Seinfeld episode; regarding the former, it is considered good form for a pine cone golfer to avoid hitting cones when others may be at risk. Also, it is also considered good form (if not essential) to maintain a friendly demeanor; Carmel PCG players have often invited interested passers-by to engage in their games.

These practices are due to the unusual (and therefore, to some appearances, inherently dangerous) nature of pine cone golf: to counter this, players may seek to present a good public image. This image is at times belied by the occasional spectacle of pine cone golfers drinking alcohol while playing PCG in public. Despite this, local police have witnessed PCG in Carmel while on duty without incident, suggesting that the activity is regarded by most there as not harmful.

On a somber note, there are indications that a pyrotechnic interpretation of traditional PCG is gaining popularity among younger enthusiasts.. Flaming pine cone golf is poised to gain popularity as a night-time alternative to traditional PCG. However, unspoken PCG etiquette dictates this variation only be practiced in a fire-safe environment such as the beach.

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