History of Golf on a snooker table?

[J SCHWARZ]

Saw this thread over on the other site with little to no info. Anyone know where golf on a snooker table originated or who invented it/ helped spread it around the country. Always loved the game but was only able to play it a few times. Not too many snooker tables around my neck of the woods.

 

[cincy_kid]

I am sure Hendy and others will go back further, but for me personally, the first time I saw or played it was late 80's around 1989. Up at Beechmont Billiards, they had a 9 ball tournament every Saturday that was always pretty full and during the entire day, golf games were going on over on the snooker table. I usually played in the tournament but when knocked out or on other days, I loved playing some golf!

 

[gulfportdoc]

We used to play it damn near every day in the late '60s in the rec room at the old Hollywood Musician's Union on Vine St. It was only on a 5 x 10, but we'd often have 8 guys in the game. It kept me in pocket dough between gigs...

~Doc

 

[jrhendy]

I started playing golf on 5 x 10s in the mid 50’s in and around Los Angeles, and on 6 x 12’s in the 60’s. Many of the bowling alleys had pool rooms in them and golf was a popular game, especially for the house since it ran all day with multiple players.

They still play some golf at CA Billiards in a Fremont on a 6 x 12 and there is a 5 x 10 in Fresno they play on, but other than that, it has pretty much died out in Northern CA, and from what I hear it is not much better in SoCal.

 

[cincy_kid]

wow the 50's and 60's, didn't realize it went back quite that far!

 

[Skin]

I first encountered it when I was learning to play pool in the late 60s in Dallas. There was a small pool room w/in walking distance (important for a kid w/o a license!). The old timers played from opening to closing. They were dead serious about it, too. They got me thrown out one time while practicing for knocking a ball off the table onto the linoleum floor. No music, no TV, and no NOISE!

That was the same time I first played 3 cushion b/c that room also had a billiards table. It was one of those great little gems of a room that you could find back then but disappeared long ago.

There usually is a daily game here in my town on the only snooker table in use - donated to, of all places, the senior citizens center. Old road players and scuffs mainly, playing with pool balls instead of snooker balls.

 

[NH Steve]

I suspect it is old. We have a popular local game called "Around the World" which is loosely based on golf that has had a league going continuously for 75 years now!!

Old thread here on onepocket.org: http://onepocket.org/forum/index.php?threads/golf-on-a-pool-snooker-table.4677/

 

[baby huey]

The game is much older than me, for sure. But I think the origins must have come from small rooms where few tables were available. How to get a bunch of players on one table.........Golf. And, on pool tables pea pool.

 

[powerball]

I watched that game being played in 1960 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Jerry Priest owned the poolroom and they had a pretty sporty game going with serious betting for the times. I had to leave school having spent too many nights sweating the action into the wee hours of the morning. Spent the next 8 years of my life in the poolroom before going to work for a living.

 

[jrhendy]

A great game for the house since it was usually played in daytime. I traveled around the Western US in the early 80’s With my old friend Poker Paul from San Jose, pretty much only playing golf since it was my best game. Like one pocket, you can win without showing too much. You are going to have trouble with the best players for a day or so before you get the rules and the table down. I got stuck pretty good in Alb, New Mexico playing a guy named Al but finally won the $ back.

Denver was a great golf town with games at Family Fun Center and Colfax Billiards. Family, like many golf rooms had ring games on two tables, an ’A’ game and a ‘B‘ game. I booked my only loser there to a guy named Sam who was always chewing on a cigar. He kicked in anything that was near the side pocket. I beat two or three of the other better players and he asked me to put up $1,000 and play some $100/10. He had me stuck around $800 of the $1,000 when I got it down to around $300 when they closed.

We left town the next day and headed to Cheyenne Pete’s room in Wyoming. We won a little $ there (Not off Pete) and headed to Salt Lake City where there was also some golf action.

 

[cincy_kid]

The game is much older than me, for sure. But I think the origins must have come from small rooms where few tables were available. How to get a bunch of players on one table.........Golf. And, on pool tables pea pool.

I don't know if this is what you were referring to Jerry but we used to play "pill" pool on the 9 footers. Each player draws out 2 pills and the winner is whoever has their 2 balls drop first. All losers pay the winner just like golf. You can win a lot of money fast in that game if you shoot ok and get a little lucky.

 

[BrookelandBilly]

I played at LeCue in Houston in the 60’s with a group that was usually put together by Red Perry who had all kinds of one liners. One of his favorites was when he was coaxing his ball in the pocket “in the joint Judy”. The rest I can’t post in mixed company.