What is Pasture Pool?

​​“You don’t need a membership or fancy clubs. You just need some open ground — and a willingness to laugh when your ball lands in a cow pie.”

— Dale Hendershot, Shelby County, Indiana

 

 

The Sound of Swings and Songbirds

 

Somewhere between the hum of tractors and the chatter of meadowlarks, a soft thwack echoes across an open field. A dimpled white golf ball arcs over a fence post, narrowly missing a curious cow. This isn’t Pebble Beach — it’s a hayfield in Indiana — and the players call it pasture pool golf.

 

For generations, rural communities have reimagined the world’s most buttoned-up sport with a heavy dose of humor and ingenuity. No dress codes. No greens fees. Just a few friends, a wide-open field, and the kind of laughter that carries on the wind.

 

 

Golf Meets the Great Outdoors

 

Pasture pool is golf stripped down to its simplest joy: swinging a club in open country. The “course” might be a pasture behind the barn or an unused corner of farmland. The “holes” could be tin cans, feed buckets, or anything handy enough to mark a target.

 

“We’ve got a few homemade holes out back,” says Sarah Miller, a rancher from Nebraska. “Every spring, after planting season, the neighbors come over. We grill, play a few rounds, and let the kids drive the carts. It’s our version of a country club barbecue.”

 

Trees, fences, and livestock double as natural hazards, and the fairways are as uneven as they come. But that’s exactly the point — it’s golf without pretense, played on the land people know best.

 

 

A Folk Sport with Deep Roots

 

The phrase pasture pool has been rural slang for golf for decades — often said with a grin by farmers who preferred a good laugh to a good score. Over time, it evolved into a genuine pastime, passed from one generation to the next.

 

In small towns across the Midwest, weekend games have become community rituals — a chance to relax after harvest, catch up with neighbors, and remember that leisure doesn’t have to cost a dime.

 

“It’s a sport born of practicality and pride,” says Hendershot. “You take what you’ve got — land, friends, and a few old clubs — and you make your own kind of game.”

 

 

No Rules, Just Respect for the Land

 

There’s no official rulebook for pasture pool. Players often tee off from whatever’s handy — a patch of dirt, an overturned shovel, or the flat bed of a pickup. Par is optional, and scorekeeping is more of a suggestion.

 

What is required, though, is a respect for the land. Players know where not to drive and how to avoid damaging crops or disturbing animals. “It’s about enjoying the land, not tearing it up,” says Miller. “We’re guests out there, even when it’s our own pasture.”

 

 

More Than a Game

 

Pasture pool golf reflects something deeper — a love of open space, community, and laughter. It’s a small-town reminder that recreation doesn’t have to be refined to be rewarding.

 

Where others see fences and fields, rural golfers see fairways. And in that, there’s a quiet kind of poetry — the idea that joy grows best when it’s homegrown.

 

“It’s our version of country club life,” says Miller, “but our clubhouse serves sweet tea instead of martinis.”

 

 

The Future

 

While you won’t find pasture pool tournaments on ESPN, the tradition lives on in fundraisers, town fairs, and weekend gatherings. In some areas, local “Pasture Pool Classics” have even become annual charity events — proof that the heart of golf beats strong in the countryside.

 

For those who’ve played it, pasture pool isn’t just a pastime. It’s a celebration of simplicity — and a reminder that you don’t need velvet greens or caddies in pressed khakis to have a good time. All you need is a field, a few friends, and maybe a cow or two.

​

 

"Are You Still Playing

That Pasture Pool???"

​

The idea behind Pasture Pool started with a simple conversation. One day, a longtime manager at the agricultural company where I work asked me, “Are you still playing that Pasture Pool?” I’d never heard the phrase before—and certainly never heard golf called that. Curious, I looked it up and couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes,” I told him, “I’m still playing that Pasture Pool, and I absolutely love it.”

 

That lighthearted exchange sparked an idea. Why not turn that funny old phrase into something meaningful—a brand that celebrates the game we love and gives back to the golfing community?

 

At Pasture Pool, we’re passionate about the courses where the game truly lives—our local municipal and public golf courses. They’re the heart of the sport, where players of all backgrounds come together for friendly competition, connection, and fun. Our goal is to honor that spirit through a relaxed line of shirts, hats, and gear that proudly feature the Pasture Pool name and logo.

 

But our mission doesn’t stop there. We’re also working on charitable initiatives to support the game of golf—helping to grow and sustain the courses, communities, and people who make Pasture Pool what it is.

 

Because for us, it’s more than just a round of golf—it’s about the people, the places, and the passion that keep us coming back.

 

 

How to Play Pasture Pool

 

Equipment: A few clubs, some old balls (you will lose them), and something to mark the holes — like a bucket or tire rim.

Location: A safe, open area free of hazards (except the natural kind).

Rules: There are none — or as many as you make up.

Pro Tip: If the cows are lying down, it might mean rain. Plan accordingly.