The Korn Ferry Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital tournament put a booze-filled twist on the 13th hole of the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Credit: Liv Rinaldi | Sports Editor
Cooper Dossey lined up his putter, took one last glance at his target and rolled in a birdie.
As he retrieved his ball from the hole, he turned to the crowd and gave a small salute.
At that moment, Dossey knew: He was the hero of the crowd at Pub 13–at least until the next golfer birdied.
The Korn Ferry Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital tournament put a booze-filled twist on the 13th hole of the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Every time a player completed the par-3 hole in two or less strokes, red numbers atop the bar began a 13-minute countdown signaling the time for $1 beers.
“This is like my Super Bowl,” Rieker Goetz, a spectator who has attended the tournament for three years now, said. “We put it on the calendar about a year ago.”
For fans, the beer-soaked 13th hole is as much about ritual as golf. Some spectators plant themselves at a table in Pub 13 all day, eyes fixed on the green, waiting for the next ball to drop.
“You just watch one hole all day,” Goetz said. “You can’t even see them tee off. You just stare at this, wait until a ball comes in.”
The routine is simple.
Once the putt drops below par, the crowd roars and a wave of fans jog–or even sprint–towards the bar.
While the sounds coming from the course’s other holes feature rustling leaves, the chirp of a bird and polite applause from spectators, hole 13 features cheering, sipping and groans of despair when a golfer shoots par or over.
Part of the excitement comes from the fact that birdies aren’t guaranteed. Pin placements change daily, shifting the hole from 160 to over 200 yards.
“This golf course is probably one of the hardest golf courses in the state,” spectator Ryan Sympson said. “For the Korn Ferry guys, I think it’s one of the hardest courses they play all year.”
It isn’t just the booze that fuels the energy. Occasionally, players toss T-shirts and hats inscribed with Pub 13 into the crowd, causing mini scrums.
Sympson’s father, Ken Sympson proudly sports his brand new Pub 13 hat while he sips his beer.
“I had to throw a few elbows to the kids [to get one],” he said with a wink. “But that’s all right.”
While fans sit back and enjoy the day, staff behind the bar work at lightning speed to keep up with demand. Sometimes the clock doesn’t run out before another birdie is recorded.
“[If] someone gets another birdie in the middle of a birdie that will just reset the timer,” Lanay Stroud, a bartender at Pub 13, said.
Stroud estimated the bar served around 700 $1 beers over the four-day tournament.
“I’ve literally seen eight [beers] per person,” Stroud said.
By Sunday, the crowd had found its rhythm. Cheers erupted with every ball on the green, and groans came with missed putts.
For the players, each birdie came with an extra perk: instant adoration.
At the 13th hole of the Scarlet Course, legends don’t last forever. They last exactly 13 minutes.
