Is Harris Park the Golf Model of the Future?

Almost on a weekly basis, golf provides a story that will put a smile on your face. It’s one of the main reasons I love the game. Yesterday, No Laying Up posted the video below to their YouTube page. The man featured in the video designed and built Harris Park. Harris Park is a free to play pitch putt golf course right in the middle of a neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri.

As you will see in the video below, Harris Park is a free to play, three hole short course. Which got me thinking. Are short courses like Harris Park, the future of golf?

Harris Park: Presented by No Laying Up

Golf needs more guys like Chris Harris

Look, getting started in the game of golf definitely has its challenges. To play golf, you need a lot of time, a lot of money, and the right equipment. Once you nail all of those things down, you have to learn the rules, and the dress code. Sounds like a tall task doesn’t it?

For a while now, the game of golf has been looking for a ways to loosen up the top button; to make the game more inviting. In my opinion, the way to do that, is to strip out all the bullshit.

Harris Park is a perfect example of how to do just that. You want more people to play golf? Make it free, make it easy, and make it fun.

Golf doesn’t need a dress code. Golf doesn’t need to take six hours, and golf doesn’t need to be so damn difficult.

If the golf community were to provide more places like Harris Park, I think a lot more people would be playing the game.

Why short courses are the way of the future

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog describing what playing golf is like as a new dad (If you would like to read that post, it is linked here -> #dadgolf). As a father to a five month old, finding the time to go play 18 holes of golf is very difficult. Leaving my wife alone with the baby for six hours, is a tough sell.

However, if golf was only going to take a couple of hours, I would be back in business. That is why I think short courses are the future of golf.

Most people just don’t have the time to play 18 holes. They probably only have time for half that many holes and realistically maybe even less than that. Golf needs more 3 hole courses, 6 hole courses, and 9 hole courses to give people the opportunity to play golf in the small amount of time they have available.

Built it and they will come

If the golf community is serious about growing the game, we need more people like Chris Harris. We need more Harris Parks.

No Laying Up

Big shoutout to No Laying Up for sharing this story. It is one of those inspirational stories that makes you want to get off your ass and go give back to your community.

On a side note, No Laying Up has less than 60,000 subscribers on YouTube and I think that is a damn shame. These guys pump out fantastic golf content on all aspects of the game. If you enjoyed the video above, please go over to their YouTube page and subscribe to the channel. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

To subscribe, follow this link to head over to the No Laying Up YouTube page.

Until next time,

Enjoy the chase!