Is FootGolf any good?

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FootGolf is taking over the UK. There are now over 160 FootGolf courses in the UK, up from around 40 a year ago. (FootGolf claims to be the fastest growing sport in the UK, but we always take those claims with a pinch of salt, as every sport from hockey to tiddlywinks, frizbee-while-bunging-jumping to underwater lawnmower racing tends to make a similar claim.)

FootGolf – coming to a course near you

With an increasing likelihood that extra large holes will be appearing on a course near you soon – and not just because you still haven’t overcome that chunking issue – we thought we’d better give FootGolf a try. 

Created in 2008, in either Holland or Spain – no one is really sure – FootGolf first came to the UK in 2012. “I’d played FootGolf in a few different countries and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t in the UK,” says Mike O’Connor, President of UK FootGolf. “You’re combining football and golf – two of the biggest sports – so people are always going to want to give it a try.” 

The growth of FootGolf

And try it they did. One of the first courses to offer FootGolf was the South Essex Golf Centre in Brentwood, Essex. “They started doing it after 3pm on a Sunday afternoon,” says Kieran Lawry, FootGolf UK Operations Director. “Very quickly they had 110 people doing it on a Sunday afternoon, and you had to book three weeks in advance. When that happens, the hours it’s available increase, and then they add another day, just to try to meet the demand.”

FootGolf is now available at over 160 UK courses, with more on the way. For those who have never heard of FootGolf, it’s almost too simple to warrant explanation. The concept is identical to golf, but you use a size five football instead of a golf ball, and strike it with your foot rather than a golf club. Other than that, and the size of the hole, everything is the same. As no one can kick a football 250 yards, the holes are generally a lot shorter than they would be on a golf course. 

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How long are FootGolf holes?

At the world’s first dedicated FootGolf course, the National FootGolf Centre in Doncaster, the longest hole measures 149 yards. Depending on the gradient, par 4s are around the 100-yard mark, while par 3s are closer to 70 yards. 

Having watched the action for a few holes, TG tees it up for the first time on the par-5 5th. Two kicks and a long holed putt later, we’re walking off having eagled the first hole we’ve ever played. We can’t remember the first golf hole we ever played, but we are absolutely certain it didn’t result in an eagle. 

That instant gratification available from FootGolf is in vast contrast to golf, and is one of its strongest benefits. 

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How hard is FootGolf?

Anyone wanting to learn the game of golf has to be prepared to endure lots of poor holes and rounds before birdies, pars and even bogeys become a realistic possibility. Even hitting the ball can be classed as an achievement for a while. In FootGolf, on the other hand, anyone can make contact with the ball and get it moving in roughly the right direction the very first time they step onto the course. 

“One of the great things about it is that absolutely anyone can play,” says O’Connor. “We had an email recently from a grandmother who is just over 80, who had just played some FootGolf with her eight-year-old grandson. She said it was a level of connection that they had never been able to get before. 

“We had a woman contact us who had gone to play golf with her husband who has Alzheimer’s. He was struggling to hit the ball and the golf pro went over and said, ‘I can see that you’re struggling, have you thought about FootGolf? We offer FootGolf here’. She didn’t know what it was, so he explained it to her, and she said, ‘Well, he used to play football when he was younger, so we’ll give it a go’. Apparently it lit him up; he was laughing and she said that doesn’t happen often anymore. She was touched by it and now she takes him to play FootGolf every week.”

The accessible nature of FootGolf makes it ideal for corporate days and stag parties, but O’Connor believes it could also offer a much-needed boost to the game of golf itself. 

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FootGolf courses

“We’re not expecting every course to take it on – there’s never going to be FootGolf at Wentworth or Sunningdale – but there are a lot of golf courses that are shut or struggling to stay afloat, and we can help them. The courses that have taken it on have found that it’s not just an additional revenue stream of money coming in from FootGolfers; it’s also resulted in more golf income. It’s a great way to get people who like playing football onto the golf course, and then they might decide to give proper golf a try.” 

The Doncaster course is on a site that was previously a nine-hole golf course, closing in 2008. “Six months ago, this was just deserted land with knee-length grass all over it,” says O’Connor. “We’ve turned it into the world’s first dedicated FootGolf course, and in the next 12 months we’ll have 15,000 people coming through the gates to play, including at least 5,000 juniors.

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How long does FootGolf take to play?

“I went to a golf business convention this year and saw a presentation about the reasons people aren’t playing as much golf,” says O’Connor. “All the things they were saying – it takes too long; it’s difficult to learn; it’s a bit elitist – FootGolf answers those things. An 18-hole round of FootGolf takes under two hours for a fourball, anyone can play it, and the sport lacks the barriers to entry that can cause problems in golf.” 

So… is FootGolf good?

We enjoyed our first taste of FootGolf. We’d never choose it over a round of real golf, but then FootGolf isn’t trying to drag committed golfers away from their sticks. We’ll play again, and be able to enjoy a round with non-golfing friends and family.  

Is FootGolf going to singlehandedly grow golf? Probably not. Is it going to replace golf as we know and love it? Not in a million years. But can it get more people of all ages onto golf courses, get them thinking about golf, and potentially offer a small boost to the game? Yes it can, and that’s reason enough for it to receive a thumbs-up from us.

While TG doesn’t plan to rebrand itself as Today’s FootGolfer anytime soon, it’s hard to ignore anything that gets more money and, more importantly, more potential golfers coming into clubs. Besides, a few more eagles and we could turn pro… 

footgolf-bunker

“I love footgolf!” says FootGolfer Thomas Myers

“I play football every week and golf very occasionally, so thought I’d give FootGolf a try. I loved it and have played regularly since. It’s a nice and relaxed atmosphere, though the best players are pretty competitive! It’s much quicker than golf, so I can squeeze in a round after work in the summer. 

It’s a great sport for kids as it teaches them discipline in terms of waiting their turn and keeping their score. It’s also a really cheap way to play sport.”

“FootGolf is great for business” says Lester Coles, Director of Tea Green Golf Club, Luton

I introduced FootGolf in April after seeing it on TV. We now offer FootGolf after noon every day, and have a mix of golfers and FootGolfers out on the course at the same time, on different greens. Having them play alongside each other works well and has encouraged lots of golfers to try FootGolf and vice versa. We’ve seen a huge increase in business, and are fully booked for this Saturday, which is the first time that’s ever happened. 

FootGolf tips

1. FootGolf footwear
Trainers, astro turf boots or moulded boots are acceptable, and we’d recommend the latter. Golf shoes and studded football boots are ill-advised and usually prohibited. 

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2. FootGolf clothing
Varies from course to course, but polo shirt and tailored shorts will see you right in most places. 

3. FootGolf rules
All the same as golf, but with a maximum score of 10 shots per hole. The ball cannot be “rolled” with the sole of your foot.  

4. How much does FootGolf cost? 
From around £10 per round.

5. FootGolf competitions
Each UK course hosts a ranking event once a month from March to September. Those playing in a minimum of six ranking events can qualify for national and international championships. 

6. Where to play FootGolf
To find your nearest course and book a round, visit www.ukfootgolf.com

Have you played FootGolf? What did you think of it? Do you think more courses should offer it? Or is it an affront to the game of golf? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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