They've created a Monster

Have you ever witnessed a group of students wandering around campus with oversized golf clubs in hand? Perhaps you've spotted a mysterious flying object that seemed to resemble an abnormally large golf ball?

If so, you have some experience with the new craze of Monster Golf. But you may not understand the intricacies of this game or its origins and evolution. This article will not only teach you the basics, but also quell any fears or concerns that you — the inhabitants of this great university — may have about Monster Golf's presence on campus.

The introduction of Monster Golf to the Princeton student body is accredited to Reid Joseph and Evan Pasion, senior teammates on the men's volleyball team who share an affinity for creative, time-consuming activities. The two were strolling the aisles of the local Target store earlier this semester when they came across the toy — in the children's section, no less — that changed their lives.

"Reid and I noticed the plastic golf set and were immediately captivated by its potential," Pasion said. "We didn't know much about golf at the time, but we knew we could have some fun with these things."

The Monster Golf set, produced by Sportcraft, is a mere $10 at your local Target. Contents include an oversized plastic wedge, complete with grooves and rounded flange, an oversized, inflatable, rubber golf ball — harmless, really — which measures about eight inches in diameter, and a quality-made pump. When struck well, the ball flies roughly 80 yards.

"The curious thing about the wedge," senior golf co-captain Brent Herlihy said, "is that it is intended, according to the packaging, for children ages 5 to 13, yet this club is twice as heavy as any club I have ever swung. I don't know how they expect a young child to play with this thing."

Though Joseph and Pasion discovered the necessary equipment, seniors Matthew Kireker and Douglas Coombs — both of whom played competitive golf in their glory days — are responsible for the creation of the game as it is played today.

The residents of 040 Patton Hall initially established preliminary targets and eventually devised a course throughout campus.

The official Monster Golf course, a signature Kireker design, is a 12-hole layout that measures 2,162 yards from the championship tees and plays to a par 54. The signature hole is the par-four ninth, which begins at the top of Blair arch and stretches down through the gate at the end of the junior slums, between 1901 Hall and Henry Hall.

"It's tough to label one particular hole as my favorite," Kireker said. "I was fortunate to have some wonderful terrain to work with. The ninth may be the most picturesque, and given its deceptive challenge, par is a very good score."

Kireker and Coombs also established some preliminary rules to govern play. All curbed pavement, as well as shrubbery, is played as a water hazard, and relief must be taken under a penalty of one shot.

Players are required to take relief from potentially dangerous areas — such as buildings, cars or heavy pedestrian traffic — free of penalty.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Monster Golf received a boost in popularity and legitimacy in early November, when members of the men's golf team, who had just completed their fall season, embraced the game.

"I actually bought my own Monster wedge back home in Boise," said freshman Jake Skinner, a top recruit who is known as one of the longest hitters in the Monster game, "but I have never seen it played like this. The boys of 040 Patton have taken it to another level."

Herlihy is one of Monster Golf's strongest supporters, both because of the enjoyment that it affords and the benefits that have carried over into his real golf game.

"I have a tendency to get quick from the top," Herlihy said. "The overweight Monster wedge prevents me from doing that. You have to drop the club to the inside on the downswing if you want to avoid the dreaded slice. I have actually been very pleased with what the Monster wedge has done for my real swing."

Herlihy has enjoyed tremendous success on the Monster course, earning the reputation as perhaps the strongest player on the circuit. He set the course record earlier in the semester, registering a five-under-par 19 on the front side en route to a six-under 48.

"I have put a lot of hard work into this game, and I am glad to see it paying off," Herlihy said. "I hope the confidence I build out here will carry over into our spring tournaments."

The beauty of the game is in both its simplicity and absurdity. Anyone can get a set, and as long as he's strong enough to lift the club, he can probably make contact. In Monster Golf, you need not fear the dreaded whiff.

"As soon as I saw the club and ball, I said to myself, 'This is something I want to be a part of,' " Kireker said. "I had no idea that Princeton's campus, with its wide corridors, would be such a place for the birth of this eye-catching sport."