WTF is Sprolf?

This tournament plays the Amateur bracket: par time is exactly 1:15 on every hole, and every 25 seconds equals 1 stroke. Finish under par time and your score drops. Finish over and it climbs. The timer shows par time on every hole so you always know the number to beat.

The rest clock starts the instant the ball drops in the hole: 2:30 after a par 3, 3:00 after a par 4, 3:30 after a par 5. The app counts it down and beeps for the last 30 seconds so everyone knows it is about to be go time. This tournament is all par 3s, so it is 2:30 every hole. Beat the clock: if the rest period runs out before your team tees off, the next hole starts with a one stroke Late penalty.

Every team carries the official Sprolf Club, and it must be used for at least one shot on every hole. Any player, any shot, your call — but skip it and that is a one-stroke penalty. The caddy tracks Sprolf Club use on every hole.

The chip-in exception: if the hole ends on a shot from off the green — a chip that drops, or a hole-in-one — there is no penalty for skipping the Sprolf Club. Finish in style and the club rule is waived.

On the green: once a putt is on its way, the next teammate must wait for the ball to come to a complete stop before making their attempt. Hitting a moving ball is a one-stroke penalty, every time.

Sprolf is fast, and caddies are human. If the caddy loses track of strokes on a hole, the team records double par for that hole and moves on. No arguing, no re-plays. The caddy's call is final.

Every player gets a Sprolf bracket from their golf handicap and mile time, so weekend warriors are not racing marathoners. A round locks one bracket for every team. This tournament plays Amateur for everyone.

Blowup hole? Just like real golf, the worst score a team can take on any hole is double par — strokes, time, and penalties included. Hit the ceiling and you pick up, take double par, and move on. But greatness has no cap: fly through a hole fast enough and your score goes negative. That is the point.

Every team gets an assigned caddy with the app. The caddy starts the clock on the first shot and stops it when the ball is in the hole, counts strokes, calls penalties, tracks Sprolf Club use, keeps the hitting order honest, and enters the score. The live leaderboard updates as every hole is saved. Caddies must know the rules of golf and commit to scoring honorably.

Entry is $10 per player — pay by Venmo to @RenaissanceRanch with your name and "Sprolf" in the note. Top 3 teams win cash: 1st $250, 2nd $150, 3rd $100 per player.