Footgolf

Rules

The game is played similarly to golf, with the exception that players use a soccer ball instead of a golf ball, and the ball is kicked rather than struck with a club, working toward a 21-inch "cup" in place of the usual golf hole. The player who finishes the course with the fewest shots wins. Indeed, footgolf is often played on golf courses, though it may also be played on specially built grass footgolf courses. The first shot has to be played from the tee box, and bunkers, trees, water and hills must be crossed or avoided in order to reach the hole.

The game is played with a regulation No. 5 soccer ball. Because football-soccer balls travel less distance than golf balls, footgolf is played on holes shorter than those used in golf. For instance, one course in California features holes that average 157 yards. Pars are typically 5 shots or fewer.

Paul Collinson of the UK Footgolf Association has observed that, compared to golf, footgolf is quicker to play, more accessible, and does not require expensive equipment.

Origin

The origins of footgolf are uncertain. A game with roughty similar rules, codeball, attained brief popularity in the United States during the late 1920s and 1930s. Swiss players has been practicing a variation of the game since late 1980s and the Scandinavian countries starting playing the game under different names and rules in the 1990s. Michael Jansen and Bas Korsten, creators of the Footgolf uniform, basic rules and organisers of the first tournament played the way the sport is played today around the world, officially launched FootGolf in the Netherlands in 2008. They learned of the sport from Korsten's brother, Dutch footballer Willem Korsten, who recalled playing a similar game during his time with British club Tottenham Hotspur between 1999 and 2001, who would end training sessions by kicking the ball from the pitch back to the changing rooms in as short a time as possible.

Organized play

The first ever FootGolf tournament was organized in the Netherlands by Michael Jansen and Bas Korsten, and played by a mix of Dutch and Belgian professional footballers. After this, many countries began to organize matches, events, tournaments, even national leagues and associations around this game.

Later Belgium and Hungary switched from playing in parks to golf courses, and the game was introduced to Argentina in 2010. The American FootGolf League was founded in 2011. The game was internationally publicized, and countries worldwide started collaborating on the development of the game. By October 2014, the game was offered at more than 240 courses in the United States and was in the final stages of being recognized by Sport England.

The game's emergence coincided with the decline of the popularity of golf among young people, with 643 courses closing between 2006 and 2014 in the United States. The sport has financially saved many struggling golf courses, and the Professional Golfers' Association of America and World Golf Foundation have both acknowledged footgolf's contribution to helping golf courses generate more income, and noted that it may contribute to the growth of golf itself. Former PGA president Ted Bishop said in 2014 that "I think it would be ludicrous to think there won't be a percentage of those people that might say, 'Hey, you know what? I think I'd like to try and play golf." In March 2016, the LPGA golfer Paula Creamer said "Anytime you can do something differently in the game of golf, it’s fun and I think we’ll probably be out there (playing footgolf) a little bit more now."

One course in the United States has footgolf holes running perpendicular to regular golf holes, so that both games can be played at the same time.

Three countries combined to form the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) in June 2012, and 8 countries played the first FootGolf World Cup in Hungary that month. In January 2016 the second FootGolf World Cup was held in Argentina and 230 players from 26 FIFG member countries participated in the global event.

In the spring of 2015 the National Golf Courses Owners Association (NGCOA) recognized the American FootGolf League (AFGL) as the governing body for the sport of FootGolf in the U.S. and a few months later, Roberto Balestrini, founder of the AFGL was selected by the prestigious Golf Inc Magazine as one of the ten most innovative people in golf.

Attire

The AFGL requires "classic golf uniform with wearing indoor soccer or turf shoes" for tournament play, and notes that most golf courses have a dress code for golfers, which FootGolf players would also have to follow.