I’m fired up for one of the most intriguing golf tournament formats I’ve ever seen.
The Grass League Summer Grind, taking place Sept. 4-6 at Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, Calif., is combining pros and content creators in a two-person scramble competition. The high-stakes 36-hole par-3 tournament has 11 franchises participating, each with two teams on the docket.
You can expect to see creators such as Paige Spiranac, Chazzy, Mr. Short Game, Chad Mumm and MyGolfSpy’s very own Andrew Zanzig (aka The Mayor, who is playing a home game at Goat Hill) as they team up with the pros to try to win part of the $125,000 purse. Sunday’s final round will be broadcast live on Golf Channel at 6:30 p.m. ET.
But there are two other parts of this event I am ecstatic about.
The first is the Grass League Showcase that takes place Friday afternoon prior to the official tournament rounds on Saturday and Sunday. This is an 18-hole shootout where two-person scramble teams aim for a winner-take-all $10,000.
Aim at every flag and try to birdie every hole because this one is a sprint to the finish.
Another element here—and this is my favorite part of the whole weekend—is the Saturday night Ace Race that takes place following the first round.
The 44 players will all head to the 18th hole for a $100,000 hole-in-one pot and $40,000 closest-to-the-pin contest. You can watch the Ace Race live on the Grass League YouTube channel.
How your team finishes in the Grass League Showcase determines how many shots you get in the Ace Race so that is another reason to go low on Friday afternoon.
Is this the greatest closest-to-the-pin contest ever? I would say so. Talk about serious pressure. I can’t even parallel park with a teenager watching me so it’s hard to imagine trying to hit a tight approach shot with a ton of talented golfers and well-lubricated fans hanging around the tee box.
An intro to Grass League
For those unfamiliar with Grass League, you’ll want to revisit our deep dive into the high-stakes par-3 tournament concept.
The idea is simple: two-person scramble golf on a par-3 course allows anyone to compete.
Get some great players, put them under the lights and get the competitive juices flowing. What could be better?
Back in April, the MyGolfSpy team tried to qualify for the Grass Clippings Open in Arizona, coming dangerously close to making the field. Zanzig and yours truly shot 4-under in the 18-hole qualifier and missed the cut by two strokes.
When MGS was in the desert, we saw the Grass League concept up close. It works for a couple of reasons, in my opinion.
The first is the format. Two half-decent golfers can cobble together a score (and even catch some lightning in a bottle). Two great golfers still need to hit the shots. It’s fun, interesting, challenging and accessible.
The second is the environment. When you pull up to a Grass League practice round, you’ll find some guys and gals drinking beers while others are grinding on the practice green like they are in the Masters.
That’s the beauty of this kind of golf—it’s whatever you want it to be. It’s serious competition but everyone is here to have a good time. The scene around the tournament is one big party. It’s a celebration of everything golf can be.
If you’re in Southern California, you should definitely check it out. Or make sure to watch the final round on Golf Channel.
Have you seen Grass League? What do you think? Let me know below in the comments.
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