-My First Day of Prison Golf-

I’m not gonna lie—the first day I walked out to play “golf” on The Yard, my entire body was physically shaking. The Yard is the outside recreation area where prisoners work out and play different sports. It is also the most territorial place in our prison.

This is where different “groups” hang out and claim their spots. Since I did NOT join any group in prison, I’m technically “solo.” That means I have ZERO protection if something bad happens while I’m out on The Yard.

As I walked past each group, I could feel my heart beating in my chest and their eyes staring straight through me. It took about two minutes to walk across The Yard so I could get in line for my first round of Prison Golf. While standing in line, I heard a correctional officer yell, “Hey, let’s go, it’s your shot.” My body went numb as I realized he was talking to me. It was my turn to approach the tee box and take my very first Prison Golf shot.

The officer handed me my “prison golf club” and pointed to hole #1. Cautiously, I walked up to the tee box, which was right next to the outside weight set. Every single prisoner stopped lifting weights to watch my first shot. I immediately regretted my decision to come outside and play. Unfortunately, there was no doing the walk of shame back to my cell.

I took a deep breath, gripped the club, and looked down at my prison golf ball. After a few more long breaths, I positioned my feet, started my backswing, and—WHACK! I hit the perfect 40-yard shot right next to the pin. In the background, I heard several prisoners holler, “What the f**k was that? This guy must be a pro or something!”

From that moment on, I became known as Tiger Hoods on this compound. Receiving a nickname in prison is like being officially accepted into the club. It meant I could continue coming out to The Yard whenever I wanted and play Prison Golf without worrying about something bad happening.

I had officially proven myself to my new “golf buddies.” Little did I know that one swing would be the start of something incredible. My life—and the lives of these other men—would be changed forever because of Prison Golf.

Yours truly,
Brett
A.K.A. Tiger Hoods