When Mark Twain spoke of golf, he clearly hadn’t encountered bucket golf.
Unlike its 18-hole counterpart, bucket golf is a no-pressure, relaxing, get-out-to-meet-your-neighbor walk in a local park, just ask the folks at Delco Bucket Golf.
Richard Butts decided to create the group in March and is looking to create a fall league for those interested in getting some light exercise in a fun, enjoyable way while getting out in nature for a short time.
“At the time, I was 63 and starting to look for things to do into retirement,” he said. “I saw the game.”
Delco Bucket Golf organizer Richard Butts said they use natural challenges like trees and bridges in the places they play bucket golf. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Its Facebook group now includes more than 200 members, although most games average six to 10 players. Butts said he’d like to get a steady two dozen or so at each outing.
The Delco version of bucket golf has collapsible vinyl buckets set up throughout a venue. On Saturday, it was seven buckets at Rolling Green Park in Springfield.
Special clubs are used that do not create divots on a greened surface and the balls are plastic with holes in them.
“We have all the equipment,” Butts said. “Nobody needs to buy anything: equipment, balls, everything we need.”
He spoke about the gear.
“You can see the balls. They’re basically pickleballs,” Butts said. “We like to call them the wiffle ball version of golf.
“And then, the clubs are specially designed so that they can’t leave divots,” he said. “That’s important to note. We’re not damaging anything … We are very respectful of the park. We don’t want be kicked out.”
Ben Joyce takes a shot at Saturday’s Delco Bucket Golf game at Rolling Green Park. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Rounds, he explained, usually take about an hour and the goal is for the ball to touch the bucket. Players are welcome to try to get the ball into the bucket for what would count as a negative stroke but the main goal is to have the ball tap the bucket.
“It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s noncompetitive,” Butts said, adding, “It’s very casual. We would love to form a mini-fall league.”
He said there is no catch, there is no cost to play and they’re not even affiliated with the bucket golf manufacturer.
“In my opinion, this is how our parents did things,” Butts said. “They just got together and played.”
Plus, he said, “What’s great is it leaves absolutely zero footprint. Not a blade of grass is destroyed. We play away from children.”
He said they can set it up at any length but they set it up so most holes are between 15 and 30 yards and are par 3. As they set up the course, it can and does change every time and they use natural elements such as trees as course obstacles.
Butts said he’s thinking about bringing tarps to serve as water elements and fake fur for a sand trap.
He did say that the game is weather-permitting.
The balls used in the Delco Bucket Golf events are more like wiffle balls: plastic with holes in them. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Anyone who comes out to a Delco Bucket Golf meet-up are welcome and encouraged to use the equipment Butts provides for free and there’s also no charge to play.
“It’s completely free,” Butts said.
It’s also open to all genders and abilities. While it’s mostly for adults, the group has family days so that children can join in the fun too.
“Anybody can come out at any time,” participant Meg Meehan said. “Husband-and-wife teams come out just as something to do. It’s free. It’s a nice day.”
Butts agreed.
“We have a lot of women,” he said. “We have men. We have seniors. Our ‘youngest’ seniors are 84 and 82.”
Meehan explained that games are played as individuals unless there’s a larger amount of people.
“If we have a large crowd, we’ll do two teams, depending on how many people show up,” she said. “And then, we’ll just split up and they’ll start ahead of us and then, we’ll just follow up 10 minutes later.”
The participants shared the love of their sport.
“It helps get your extra steps in,” Butts said. “It’s a nice way to meet people … It’s not physically demanding so anybody could play.”
Meehan said she likes that she gets to meet people she didn’t know in the community.
“You don’t need any skills for this,” she added. “No experience necessary.”
Faith Peoples takes her shot towards the bucket at Saturday’s Delco Bucket Golf game at Rolling Green Park. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Faith Peoples, in fact, had never golfed before joining the Delco Bucket Golf group.
“It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and get some face-to-face activity,” she said. “That’s going to the wayside. After COVID, we don’t have any community meet-ups. There’s no face-to-face interaction … so getting out here is a way of kind of decompress, de-stress.”
“Get off electronics,” Meehan added.
“And just meet your neighbors,” Peoples said.
Butts also noted that it’s so little commitment of cost and time.
“An hour, hour and a half, you’re back home,” he said. “So, it’s good to get out of the house. We always say, ‘bring a friend.’ “
Ben Joyce, on the other hand, does play golf and he likes both versions.
“I like to golf regularly,” he said. “But that’s a four-hour commitment, $50 to $70 in greens fees. This is just you’re here, you’re an hour, hour and a half, and you’re back. For someone who even likes regular golf, if you just want to get out and hit a quick few …”
Plus, he liked the pace of it.
“It’s just casual,” he said of bucket golf. “There’s no pressure on it. You’re just going out, hitting and talking … It’s very informal.
Usually he comes with his 11-year-old daughter who loves it, he said Saturday.
While on Saturday, they were playing at Rolling Green Park, they also play at Merry Place in Havertown, the Veterans Memorial Park in Broomall and Drexel Lodge Park in Newtown. They’d love to play at Delaware County Community College and Rose Tree Park.
Anyone interested in playing a game or having a one-hole demo, they can reach out to Butts directly at richard.butts@gmail.com or visit the Delco Bucket Group page on Facebook.
They are hoping to start fall leagues and are looking for a volunteer to handle their social media.