🎲 In Pursuit of Par

Complete Rules & Strategy Guide

TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course Edition (1987)

Game Overview

🏌️ The Challenge

"In Pursuit of Par" is a realistic golf board game that simulates playing the legendary TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. Unlike actual golf, all players have equal ability "swinging the clubs" - success depends entirely on club selection, strategic aim, and dice luck.

🎯 Game Philosophy

The game is designed to simulate golf among players of equal skill. Your strategic decisions matter more than physical ability, making every round a battle of wits and calculated risk-taking.

📊 Game Specifications

  • 👥Players: 1-4 players
  • ⏱️Play Time: 45-60 minutes
  • 🎂Age: 12+ years
  • 🎯Objective: Shoot the lowest score, ideally Par 72 or below
📦

Game Components

🗺️
Game Boards

18 hole golf course laid out on three double-sided game boards

🟢
Green Six-Sided Dice

Primary dice for determining shot distance using Shot Schedule Cards

🟢
Green Twelve-Sided Dice

Direction dice for shot trajectory and accuracy

🔴
Red Six-Sided Dice

"Problem Dice" for shots from hazards, rough, sand traps, and trees

📊
Shot Schedule Cards

Complex tables for Iron Shots, Pitching/Sand Wedge, and Greenside Trap/Putts

📐
Distance/Direction Gauges

Orange triangular gauges: 10°, 20°, and 50 yard measuring tools

✏️
Special Ball Marking Pencils

2 "All Stabilo" pencils for precise ball position marking

📋
Official Score Cards

10 double-sided official score cards for tournament-style scoring

📖
Rules Sheet

Complete description and rules for realistic golf simulation

🔧

Game Setup

🎯 Choose Your Tees

Each hole on TPC Sawgrass offers four different tee options:

  • 🏆Championship Tees (Black): THE PLAYERS Championship distances - maximum challenge!
  • 💙Blue Tees: Advanced amateur level - still very challenging
  • White Tees: Regular men's tees - good for most players
  • 💚Green Tees: Forward tees - shorter distances, more forgiving
💡 Tee Selection Strategy

Choose tees based on your group's skill level. Championship tees provide the ultimate challenge but can be frustrating for beginners. White tees offer a good balance of challenge and playability.

📋 Setup Steps

  1. 1.Set up the course boards in order (Holes 1-18)
  2. 2.Each player chooses a marker color and places it on Hole 1 tee
  3. 3.Give each player a scorecard (or use our digital scorecard!)
  4. 4.Place dice and club reference cards within reach
  5. 5.Determine playing order (lowest handicap player goes first)
🎮

How to Play

🎲 Authentic Dice Mechanics

In Pursuit of Par uses a sophisticated 3-dice system for realistic golf shot simulation:

  1. 🟢Green Six-Sided Dice: Primary distance dice - consult Shot Schedule Cards for yardage based on club selection (Woods 1-8, Irons 3-9, Pitching Wedge, Sand Wedge)
  2. 🟢Green Twelve-Sided Direction Dice: Determines shot direction using 10° and 20° degree gauges. Roll determines if shot travels straight, 10° left/right, or 20° left/right
  3. 🔴Red Problem Dice: Only used for difficult lies - shots from Rough, Fairway Sand Traps, Behind Trees, or Under Trees. Reduces distance and accuracy
  4. 📐Distance/Direction Gauges: Use orange triangular gauges to measure exact shot placement on course boards
  5. ✏️Mark Ball Position: Use special "All Stabilo" pencils to mark precise ball location for next shot
🎯 Shot Sequence

1. Choose club and consult Shot Schedule → 2. Roll Green distance dice → 3. Roll Green direction dice → 4. Apply Red problem dice if in hazard → 5. Measure with gauges → 6. Mark new position

📊 Shot Schedule System

The game uses detailed Shot Schedule Cards for different shot types:

  • Iron Shots Schedule: Woods 1-8, Irons 3-9 with distance ranges from 100-280+ yards based on dice roll
  • 🏌️Pitching/Sand Wedge Schedule: Short game shots 45-100 yards for approach shots
  • 🟢Greenside Trap Shots & Putts: Special schedule for shots around the green including putts, chips, and bunker shots
  • 🔴Problem Shot Schedule: Reduced distances when using Red dice for shots from hazards

🏌️‍♂️ Club Selection Guide

Club Type Best Distance Accuracy When to Use
Driver 220-280 yards ⭐⭐ Tee shots on long holes
Fairway Wood 180-220 yards ⭐⭐⭐ Long shots from fairway
Long Irons 140-180 yards ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Approach shots to green
Short Irons 100-140 yards ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Precision approaches
Wedges 50-100 yards ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Short game around green
Putter On the green ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rolling ball into hole
🎯 Club Selection Strategy

Longer clubs = more distance but less accuracy. Shorter clubs = more precision but less distance. Choose based on your lie, distance to target, and risk tolerance.

⚠️ Authentic Hazard System

The Red Problem Dice system creates realistic golf challenges:

  • 🌾The Rough: Any area outside the Fairway being played. Use Red Problem Dice which significantly reduces shot distance compared to normal Shot Schedule
  • 🏖️Fairway Sand Traps: Any sand traps more than 50 yards from the Green in either Fairway or Rough. Use Red Problem Dice for reduced distance
  • 🌳Behind a Tree: Any shot when a tree is between the ball and intended direction of shot. Severely limits club selection and distance
  • 🌲Under a Tree: Any shot from within tree foliage outline. Most restrictive situation - very limited distance options
  • 💧Water Hazards: Ball must be placed within Rough/Fairway for penalty stroke. Cannot play from water
  • 🟢Greenside Traps & Putts: Special putting schedule applies when on the Green or in greenside bunkers
🔴 Problem Dice Strategy

Red Problem Dice dramatically reduce shot distances. The key is avoiding hazards rather than trying to recover from them. Play conservatively to stay in the Fairway whenever possible!

⛳ Circles on Green & Putting

The Green features special circles for realistic putting mechanics:

  • Large Black Circle: Anywhere on the Green outside the black circle - determine exact putting distance to rest inside the large black circle on the Green
  • Small White Circle: For shots coming to rest inside the large black circle on the Green, use the Greenside Trap Shots & Putts Schedule to determine if putt goes in hole
  • 🎯Putting System: The next shot is a "gimme" (only one putt required) if shot "holed" in small circle. Normal rules of golf apply for penalty shots
  • 🟢Green Direction Dice: Must indicate the number of putts required once ball is on the Green
Putting Strategy

Getting inside the large black circle with your approach shot is crucial - it sets up easier putts using the Greenside schedule. Shots that land in the small white circle can result in one-putt "gimmes"!

✏️ Special Ball Marking System

The game includes precision ball marking for tournament-level accuracy:

  • 🖊️"All Stabilo" Pencils: Two special pencils included for marking golf ball positions. These pencils have proven to be the only acceptable ball marking device for this game
  • ⚠️Marking Guidelines: Mark lightly - do not press the pencil point into the game boards. Use one colored pencil and two should use one colored pencil each
  • 🧽Cleaning Tips: A slightly damp cloth (terry cloth preferred) should be used to remove pencil marks from the boards immediately when play on a particular hole is complete
  • 📏Precision Marking: Do not use the "All Stabilo" pencils to mark score cards - use normal pen or pencil. Reserve the special pencils only for ball position marking
🎯 Pencil Care Instructions

Important: If used only as intended, the two "All Stabilo" pencils should allow many rounds of "In Pursuit of Par" before replacement would be required. Defective parts will be replaced free of charge by contacting Pursuit of Par Enterprises in Panama City Beach, FL.

📊

Scoring System

🏆 Standard Golf Scoring

Score Name Strokes vs Par Example Difficulty
Ace/Hole-in-One 1 stroke total 1 on par 3 Extremely Rare
Albatross -3 strokes 2 on par 5 Very Rare
Eagle -2 strokes 3 on par 5 Rare
Birdie -1 stroke 3 on par 4 Good Score
Par Even 4 on par 4 Expected Score
Bogey +1 stroke 5 on par 4 Acceptable
Double Bogey +2 strokes 6 on par 4 Difficult Hole

🎯 Winning the Game

  • 🏆Lowest Total Score Wins: Player with the fewest total strokes after 18 holes
  • 🎖️Par 72 Goal: Shooting par (72) or under is considered excellent
  • ⚖️Tiebreaker: If tied, compare back-nine scores, then final holes
📈 Score Expectations

Championship Level: 70-75 | Advanced: 75-80 | Intermediate: 80-90 | Beginner: 90-100

🧠

Strategy Guide

🎯 Course Management

TPC Sawgrass is famous for punishing aggressive play. Smart course management is key:

  • 🔍Study Hole Difficulty: Use the difficulty rankings (1-18) to identify the toughest holes and play them conservatively
  • 📊Know the Averages: Compare your target scores to the tournament scoring averages for each hole
  • Risk vs Reward: Par 5s offer eagle opportunities but also water hazard dangers
  • 🎯Aim for Center: TPC Sawgrass punishes missed shots - accuracy over distance

🏆 Hole-by-Hole Strategy

🌊 Hole 5 - Hardest on Course

Par 4, 471 yards, Difficulty #1: The toughest hole at TPC Sawgrass. Play for bogey and be happy with par. Use conservative club selection off the tee.

Hole 8 - Long Par 3

Par 3, 237 yards, Difficulty #2: Long carry over water. Club up and aim for center of green. Par is an excellent score here.

🏝️ Hole 17 - Island Green

Par 3, 137 yards, Difficulty #12: Golf's most famous hole! The green is completely surrounded by water. Aim for the center and take your par. Aggressive pin-hunting often leads to water balls.

😌 Hole 12 - Scoring Opportunity

Par 4, 358 yards, Difficulty #18: The easiest hole on the course. This is your birdie opportunity! Aggressive play is rewarded here.

🎲 Dice Strategy Tips

  • 🎯Play the Percentages: Choose clubs with higher accuracy ratings for crucial shots
  • 🔄Avoid Big Numbers: Better to make bogey than risk double bogey or worse
  • 💪Take Your Medicine: If in trouble, play safe rather than attempting hero shots
  • 📍Pin Position Matters: Aim for center of green when pin is tucked behind hazards
🎲

Game Variants

🏌️ Match Play

Instead of stroke play, compete hole-by-hole:

  • ⚔️Win individual holes to gain points
  • 🏆Player who wins most holes wins the match
  • 🤝Tied holes are "halved" (no point to either player)

⚡ Speed Golf

Fast-paced variant for quicker games:

  • ⏱️Set a time limit per hole (e.g., 3 minutes)
  • 🚀Quick decisions on club selection and aim
  • 📦Play only 9 holes for shorter sessions

🎯 Skills Challenge

Practice specific aspects of the game:

  • 🎯Putting Contest: Play only the putting portion of each hole
  • 💥Driving Range: See who can hit the longest/most accurate drives
  • 🏝️Island Green Challenge: Play only Hole 17 repeatedly
🎲 Ready to Play?

Now that you know the rules, head over to our digital scorecard to track your round at TPC Sawgrass! The scorecard automatically calculates your scores, tracks statistics, and lets you export professional tournament-style scorecards.

🏌️ Start Your Round
🏌️ Digital Scorecard