The portmanteau precision sport has grown in popularity in recent years, but what distinguishes it from the two games from which it is derived?
Footgolf is a game that operates precisely as it sounds, combining the beautiful game and the fairway for the discerning fan of both.
Its beginnings are said to have stemmed from a Dutchman, Michael Jansen, who was inspired by former footballer Willem Korsten and was built from fundamental components of both sports.
The latter is said to have played a primitive variation during Tottenham training sessions, motivating the first tournament of the game to be staged in 2008.
FootGolf South Africa has commenced the Round of 16 leagues at the Creek 9 Mashie Course at Roosevelt Park Recreation Centre in the first week of April.
“It is safe to say that footgolf is the first democratic sport in the country. A perfect combination of what is known as the elite sport of golf and populist football.
“The sport was officially launched as footgolf when a team of colleagues set up and organized a tournament played on a golf course at prestigious Golfbaan Het Rijk van Nijmegen on September 6, 2009, in the Netherlands,” explained FootGolf South Africa executive director, Norman Mphake.
He continued that as a new and developing sport in South Africa, they encourage all those who are interested in the sport to join this new, exciting, and ground-breaking sport, while they embark on a journey to grow the sport to the level it needs to be in our country.
“There are lots of opportunities for FootGolfers around the world, as the sport is growing fast globally, with tournaments such as world cups and international tours now taking place.”
How does it work?
With a few significant modifications, the portmanteau precise sport practically takes the most of the traditional mechanics from golf, from teeing off to bunkers.
The golf ball is replaced by a regulation football, which must be deposited into a ‘footgolf cup,’ and the club by the player’s foot.
A single kick is equivalent to a stroke in golf, and the same rules apply, with the player who takes the fewest kicks to complete a hole and the course winning.
It has more rules in common with golf than football as a whole because there is no opposition team to score against, no offside rules, and no penalty kicks.
