PubGolf is a drinking game that roughly applies the rules of Golf to a pub crawl. A round of PubGolf consists of 9 "holes", or bars. The game most likely originated in the U.K. but it is gaining popularity in the United States. Downtown Davis is a great place to play PubGolf due to the large number of drinking establishments located within easy walking distance of one another. There are two major variations on the game. One variation tests an athlete's drinking stamina while the other tests an athlete's ability to chug.
Stamina Game
Prior to beginning the competition, the layout of the course must be determined. This consists of selecting 9 drinking establishments and a beverage for each hole. This task can be undertaken either by the competitors in a consensus or by an impartial third party, such as a referee. For this version of the game, it is essential to have at least two referees for the purposes of timekeeping, scorekeeping, and rule enforcement.
Rules
* Every hole is allotted 30 minutes of drinking time, beginning when the referee keeping time sets foot in the bar. Drinking one of the assigned beverages is worth par, or 3 strokes. Drinking two assigned beverages is worth two strokes and drinking three is a hole in one.
* If an athlete claims to have consumed a beverage and a referee did not see it, it did not happen. Any beverages not completely finished by the end of 30 minutes do not count. Beverage completion is at the discretion of the refs.
* Athletes are allowed to drink beverages other than those assigned, but these beverages are worth nothing.
* It is impossible to improve upon a score of hole in one.
* The maximum score per hole is 6. This score is assigned if an athlete does not take part in a hole, meaning he or she drinks zero assigned beverages. If an athlete is not allowed to enter a bar by a bouncer, the full score is applied to that hole and the athlete must wait 30 minutes outside of the bar if he or she wishes to remain in the competition.
* Holes 3 and 6 are water hazards. To urinate at a water hole costs one stroke.
* Getting removed from a bar by a bouncer results in a one stroke penalty, unless it occurs before the completion of a single assigned beverage. Then the maximum score is assigned.
* There is no stroke penalty for being cutoff by a bartender, unless this occurs before any assigned beverages are consumed. Then the maximum score is assigned.
* Vomiting, self induced or otherwise, costs one stroke.
* Falling asleep for any duration of time costs one stroke.
* Getting into a physical fight with anyone results in immediate disqualification from the competition.
* There is no limit on the amount of food or nonalcoholic beverages that the athletes can consume throughout the competition.
* After nine holes, the competitor with the lowest score wins!
Sample Course
This is a course that was played in September, 2007 in Davis.
Hole 1: Bar Bernardo. Hole 2: Soga's. Hole 3: Sophia's. Hole 4: Bistro 33. Hole 5: Little Prague. Hole 6: Fuji Sushi Hole 7: Woodstocks. Hole 8: Froggy's. Hole 9: G Street Pub.
Strategy and Disclaimer
The initial of reaction of people who learn of this game is almost always "27 drinks, holy crap". This game is not designed to encourage people to drink 27 beverages in 4.5 hours. Any competitor attempting this feat, or anything approaching it, will not only lose but will almost certainly get very sick and make an embarrassing spectacle of him or herself. While a high drinking tolerance is certainly beneficial in this game, this game requires a great deal of strategy and pacing on the part of competitors.
Chug Game
This version of the game is much simpler. As with the Stamina Game, 9 holes and beverages must be assigned prior to beginning the competition. In this variation, every competitor has one beverage per hole. Each time a competitor touches his or her lips to the glass or straw of a beverage counts as a stroke. Therefore downing a beverage in one long chug counts as a hole in one and there is no stroke ceiling. Once each athlete has finished his or her beverage, it's on to the next hole.
