Even having little boundaries, like railroad ties, to keep the ball on the course, to keep the ball on the green, he didn't like the idea of being able to putt through the railroad ties or have his putter break through that digital roadblock. "With his style of play," Dylan says, "because it's VR, because it's immersive, because it's meant to augment reality, his muscle memory still dictated how he would play in the virtual space. "He had a hard time accepting that his sons were kicking his butt every time we hopped on," Austin says.Įver the golf purist, he remained authentic to the sport. They would tease their dad the way children tend to poke at their parents. They might be separated within the home, but they were together in the wall-less VR space. Appointment VR time developed, in the same way viewers used to rush to network TV during sweeps weeks. The family reunited for Christmas 2021 at the Centennial home - except COVID-19 forced a sick Dylan and Austin to quarantine in their childhood rooms. Kurt Pierpont eagled the 18th hole at the virtual Shangri-La to capture his only win against his sons. ![]() If they were unavailable, he would play alone. ![]() He'd borrow Evan's headset and eventually learn how to log on himself. He'd leave voicemail messages to see if their times aligned with his. But when the weather interfered with Kurt's real-world rounds, the brothers found their dad calling them to play. "It took off unlike anything we expected," Wyatt says. It became an instant hit with users on Meta Quest 2, and the Pierponts. Built with mind-numbing realistic physics, the game ported well on Quest before the mobile version got scrapped. Walkabout Mini Golf, developed by CEO Lucas Martell at home as a fun side project during the lockdown, was initially tested as a mobile game. Set up together time no matter how it presents itself." "What I admire about the way Kurt dealt with his kids was he clearly wasn't a tech guy, but he thought what is something they're into and maybe we can meet around golf," says David Wyatt, head of marketing for Mighty Coconut, maker of the game. "It was not his forte."Įvan, at home while attending college, coaxed his dad into trying. "Dad was always hesitant with technology," Austin says. Maybe this game called Walkabout Mini Golf could be fun. He watched a VR headset demo at a local store, finding it somewhat interesting. The brothers were spread across three states at the time and suggested virtual reality (VR) gaming as a way to stay in touch during quarantine. The pandemic, for the trials and tribulations it brought, shone an opportunistic light on the Pierponts. At the time, their father had as much interest in gaming as a Carthusian monk at a World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (it's a real thing). It served as a way to bond, to narrow the generational gap between Dylan and Evan. He said, in a frustrated voice, 'This is not a game!' He recanted his statement later in the evening because it is a game, but that was the type of person he was."Īs the boys grew, video games caught their fancy. "He was getting frustrated because I wasn't getting it, and I made the comment that this is a stupid game. "He was teaching me something when I was probably in middle or elementary school, and we working on some drill for awhile," Austin says. Because he had two other sons who could pick up that mantle if they wanted." "But it was definitely something - as I grew older and got into my high school years and became a young teen - I think he realized and accepted it wasn't something I was destined to stick with over time. "He was always patient and willing to show me how to work the clubs, read the greens and sink putts," Dylan says. ![]() The brothers couldn't go into the basement without seeing six or seven putters that defined various parts of his golf life. To manage work stress, Kurt found solace as an accomplished drummer in multiple classic rock and blues bands or delved into woodworking and crafts. The family lived in Littleton, Colorado, before settling in Centennial in 2001. When he started his career and built a family with wife, Helen Pierpont, he played less but looked forward to retirement to squeeze in weekly, if not daily, rounds. Growing up in Longmont, Colorado, Kurt lived near a golf course he frequented in the 1960s. The sons - Austin, 30 Evan, 24 and Dylan - remained close to their parents, who lived in Centennial, Colorado. ![]() In some ways, it conjures up Harry Chapin's heart-tugging magnum opus "Cat's in the Cradle," a song ostensibly about other priorities stealing years away from relationships. "Golf was a big staple in his life and it was definitely something he tried to impart on his sons, but then we all ventured off into other sports and activities," says Dylan Pierpont, 33, a Seattle-based concept artist and illustrator via a video call.
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