High Country: Loosen up on the links with Puffingtons, creators of “Cannagolf”

A round of golf isn’t supposed to be that stressful (swearing at yourself when you shank a shot aside). With “frustrations high at Aspen Golf Course as COVID-19 pushes more play, demand,” as recently reported in The Aspen Times, one way players can combat the chaos of crowded clubs is by getting high. 

Since its 2018 start, Puffingtons has put the fore in 4/20 with a lifestyle and accessories collection geared toward ganja-friendly golfers. Team Puffingtons, based in Los Angeles and Dallas, was inspired by “Caddyshack,” their “all-time favorite movie” for “championing rebellious spirits and defying the establishment.”

“At our core, Puffingtons is about challenging the elitist world of stuffy, private country clubs that will let you openly drink on the course but won’t let you puff,” explained Puffingtons co-founder Jesse Nicely. “Turns out, there are a lot of golfers out there that smoke [cannabis] while they play. Our hope is to change the conversation around cannabis consumption.”

At golf courses across Colorado (or any legal state), consuming cannabis out in the open could still get you kicked out (all while cigars and cigarettes are rarely frowned upon). But thanks to Puffingtons’ discreetly designed tools, you can sneak in a quick hit in between holes without catching the course marshal’s eagle eye. 

Puffingtons Pitch-N-Puff Hole In One Hitter Golf Tee ($10) fits perfectly into the pencil holder of most golf carts with the accompanying Bent Grass Ball Stash ($5) to secretly store your greens inside. Add Puffingtons’ custom-made, four-piece Kushwood Herb Grinder ($25) to complete your kit. Currently sold in more than 250 retailers nationwide, Puffingtons also stocks branded ball markers, snap back lids and golf socks with a loungewear line on the way in 2021.

“Everyone who receives Puffingtons products always laughs, so we like to think of ourselves as also being in the business of bringing smiles to peoples faces,” said Nicely. “We keep finding ourselves in hilarious situations that would have never happened without this project — from our first sale ever to Snoop Dogg to being embraced by Samuel L. Jackson and George Lopez to seeing Tommy Chong wearing a Pitch-N-Puff as a necklace.”

As Chevy Chase’s Ty Webb encourages in “Caddyshack,” “I’m going to give you a little advice. There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.” 

Cannabis can help. 

Nicely added: “Staying relaxed and getting in the zone is key to doing well when you’re on the course. We see cannabis as a perfect performance enhancer for helping to fine tune your game.”

Katie Shapiro can be reached at katie@katieshapiromedia.com and followed on Twitter @bykatieshapiro.