How we play
Rules of the yard
Short enough to explain on the porch, specific enough to settle an argument on hole 9.
The idea
Bucket golf is a backyard chipping game. You pitch a ball into a bucket. Georgia Bucket Golf plays it as a team sport on Thursday nights.
A night of league
Nine holes, best-ball stroke play. Two-player teams. On each hole the team keeps the lower of the two scores. You are playing one other team. Lower team total wins the match.
Best ball
Both players chip every hole. The hole is not finished until both scores are written down. If you are waiting on your partner, the leaderboard will not count that hole yet.
Pars and the pickup
The commissioner sets each hole at par 2 or par 3 before the night. The most you can take is 6. Pick the ball up, write 6, and move to the next bucket.
Points and standings
A win is 2 points, a tie is 1, a loss is 0. Standings sort by points. If points are level, the team with fewer total best-ball strokes is ahead. A live night hits the standings when the commissioner marks it final.
The eight weeks
Weeks 1 through 6 are regular play, each with a theme and its own set of pars. Week 7 is the playoff semis. Week 8 is championship night.
Playoffs
The top four teams after week 6 play. Seed 1 meets seed 4, seed 2 meets seed 3. The winners play for the season. The other semi plays for third, so nobody sits out the last night. A playoff tie goes to the better ball on hole 9, then 8, back to 1. If the cards are still identical, the higher seed advances.
Fees
$65 a player for the season, paid at check-in. A one-night drop-in is $10. Card checkout is off until Stripe is configured. The commissioner takes payment on Thursday and marks it in the desk.
Free agents, subs, and drop-ins
No partner yet? Register as a free agent and the commissioner will pair you. A drop-in plays the night they pick if there is room. Subs are a commissioner decision and should be arranged before the first tee.
Pace and the yard
Keep it moving. Two balls in the bucket, write the scores, walk to the next hole. The dog near hole 3 has the right of way. Be decent to the host's grass, the other team, and anyone who just put one in the flowerbed.
Weather
If the yard is unplayable, the commissioner moves the night and says so on the schedule. Points are not awarded for a night that never happens.