San Diego Padres transform ballpark into a 9-hole golf course

 By 
Megan Specia
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Baseball season is officially over, and while the Kansas City Royals are busy reveling in their glory, ballparks across the country are locking up for the season.

But the San Diego Padres have found a novel way to keep their stadium lively in the off-season by creating a nine-hole golf course on the field.

Petco Park has been transformed into a fully functioning golf course, with sandtraps dotting the outfield of the Padres' home turf, dubbed the Links at Petco.

Visitors can play the nine-hole, par-three golf course created by Callaway Golf from now through Nov. 9 for a $50 entry fee.

Posting a number at #LinksAtPetco! #EvenPar Photo Credits to @AJVoelpelCG and @chrisotsencg pic.twitter.com/uECxiFNsHu— Ethan Ganot (@EthanatorCG) November 4, 2015

The course utilizes the entirety of Petco Park, not just the field. Golfers tee off from home plate and wind through other unique locations around the 40,000-seat stadium.

"It's totally a natural," Dave Neville, senior director of marketing for Callaway Golf told ESPN. "I go to Padres games all the time. And when you see people at the park, people say, 'I wish I could hit from home plate.' Now you can."

On the 7th hole, golfers have the choice to tee off with a hockey stick, "Happy Gilmore" style.

Good times at hole 7. Happy Gilmore sighting, Carl the groundskeeper. #LinksAtPetco pic.twitter.com/hU4Vu0HZxy— Kirsten Everett (@KirstenECG) November 4, 2015

It was a great first day at #TheLinksatPetco. Check out some of the sights from today: https://t.co/DIKJOWjtto— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 5, 2015

About 1,600 golfers are expected to play over the course of the event. It has been so popular that there are already 1,000 on a waiting list.

Holes are being cut in the outfield. Things are getting REAL. https://t.co/G2B53Beon8 #LinksAtPetco pic.twitter.com/sv9dk7us4F— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) November 3, 2015

See how the team from Callaway got the course up and running in this timelapse of the build.

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