Tiger Hood

Tiger Hood (born as Patrick Q.F. Barr c. 1963–1965) is an American street golfer and photographer based in New York City recognized for popularizing street golf. His improvised form of golf using milk cartons has been documented in multiple media outlets and featured in the 2019 short film Neighborhood Golf Association. He has documented New York City life through photography from the late 1990s through the 2000s, selling his photographs on the streets. His photographic archive includes candid shots of celebrities such as comedian Dave Chappelle and musician James Brown, as well as images of the New York City skyline before the September 11 attacks. Having always wanted to try golf but lacking access to traditional courses, he began hitting objects on city streets. Hood collects empty milk containers from a school recycling program in Little Italy, soaks them to remove residual milk, dries them, and stuffs them with newspaper before wrapping them in packing tape to create his golf balls. He sets up his driving range on city streets, hitting milk cartons into plastic crates placed as targets. Hood emphasizes safety and situational awareness as core principles, stating that players must be respectful of people around them. The style of play that Hood has developed involves hitting fades and draws similar to traditional golf, and he experiences comparable challenges with wind affecting his milk carton projectiles. He has also created variations of street golf, including a game called Balls on the Walls, where he hits a foam ball against a wall and attempts to catch it before it hits the ground. In 2016, Hood was the subject of a 30 for 30 mini-documentary by ESPN. In 2019, Heller released a 12-minute documentary titled Neighborhood Golf Association, which explores Hood's life, his photographic archive, and street golf practice. The film features appearances by comedians Jeff Garlin and Artie Lange, to whom Hood gives golf lessons.

Hood describes himself as a news junkie and activist who uses his street golf practice as a form of civic engagement. Andscape reported that he frequently discusses political topics while playing. He has expressed criticism of the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision and incorporates symbolic gestures into his street golf practice, such as using clubs with blue and yellow grips to show support for Ukraine. At the documentary screening, Hood also sold custom-made milk carton golf balls featuring submitted graphic designs and photographic prints from his archive. The documentary premiered at an event co-hosted by Noah at Project Farmhouse, a venue affiliated with GrowNYC, and featured performances by the band Blac Rabbit. In 2021, Hood was featured on The Drew Barrymore Show where he taught Drew Barrymore how to street golf.