Tyrone PE teachers have always been quick to incorporate new sports trends into their curriculum. Students at Tyrone have been playing backyard favorites like spike ball, corn hole, and nitro ball in Phys Ed class for years, and this fall, they added another new sport to the curriculum.
“We were looking over the summer for a new game to incorporate, and Mr. Bondi came across bucket golf,” Tyrone Middle and High School Phys Ed teacher Tom Coleman said.
Like spike ball and nitro ball, bucket golf is a fairly new sport. Invented in 2016 by a former lacrosse player, bucket golf exploded in popularity last year after being pitched on the popular TV show Shark Tank.
The goal of bucket golf is to hit large, wiffle-like balls into specific buckets or targets, with a penalty or bonus stroke for landing in the bucket.
Unlike regular golf, which is played on a permanent 18-hole course, bucket golf is designed to be played anywhere, and setting up the course is sometimes just as fun as playing the game.
The larger wiffle-like balls are softer than a traditional golf ball, and the custom clubs are easier to hit than a standard golf club.
Coleman thinks it’s a great addition to the Phys Ed curriculum because, like regular golf, it’s challenging, but it’s not too hard for beginners.
It also encourages students to be active, and unlike many team sports, it’s social, which the students love.
“I think it’s good socially, and, of course, it’s an activity that you have to walk around to the different holes, so it’s active,” said Coleman.
At first, students seemed reluctant to try it, but with a little encouragement from the PE faculty, it has quickly become a gym class favorite.
“Once Mr. Bondi and I jumped in and demonstrated, it started catching on,” Coleman said. “It’s becoming one of those activities like Nitro Ball, which we introduced 15 years ago. Once the students tried it, they enjoyed it.”
Junior Mason Emigh said he likes the new activity.
“I was excited to be able to do something different,” Emigh said. “Other sports are physical, but bucket golf is just relaxing.”
When asked if he would like to see it become a regular part of the gym rotation, Emigh said, “Yes. One hundred percent.”
Coleman says the game is also popular among his middle school students, many of whom have never played golf before.
“If they like bucket golf, they can build their skill level up, and once they get into ninth grade, they could join Mr. Funicelli’s golf team,” Coleman said.
