Beginners guide – foot golf
Some of you may not have heard by now, but there’s a new craze sweeping the nation and its name is foot golf. If the name didn’t give it away: it’s a combination between the sports golf and football that involves kicking a ball around a golf course in the same way you would play a round of golf. Have a look at some of the rules and regulations of the game and see if you’d like to have a game sometime.
Mark your ball
Your ball must be easy to identify as yours, otherwise it’s going to cause confusion and potentially cause arguments about who’s ball is closer to the green. You can do this by investing in a colourful ball, but then, you could achieve the same effect by simply marking your ball with a marker pen with your initials – or a smiley face if you’re so inclined.
Dress the part
You might think that you could get away with wearing football boots with studs for a sport like this, but you’d be wrong. Only golf apparel is appropriate for an occasion such as this, from the flat cap on the head to the golf cleats on your feet. Making golfing clubs will turn you away for not having the correct gear so don’t assume footgolf centres will be any less strict. Some Under Armour golfing gear might just do the trick.
Every touch counts as a shot
Your foot must be removed from the ball at all times, unless you’re taking your shot that is. The ball is played in a single movement, so those of you that might want to chip it out of a bunker, you’ll have to be a bit more skilful than just scooping your foot on the underside of the ball.
Only shoot once the ball has stopped
It might be tempting to boot the ball closer to the green as you see it rolling dangerously closer to a hazard, but it’s against the rules we’re afraid. There are exceptions however, as you can stop your ball if it is obviously rolling due to the wind.
Play foot golf where you lie
You aren’t permitted to move the ball at any time, so if you’re facing an obstruction or the ball is wedged into something, we’re afraid you’re just going to have to play through it. You can make a mark of where your ball has fallen and then take it off the playing field if your ball will interfere with another foot golfer’s shot – but you’ll have to put it right back on the mark later.
Water hazards carry a penalty
Should you be unlucky enough for that your ball ends up going for a swim during game time, you have two options. Option one: you retake the shot from your last marker. Option two: you retrieve/replace your ball and take the shot two stops from the closest point on land. Both options come with a single penalty point to your scorecard.
If you like the sound of a game of Foot golf, there are plenty of centres located around the country. Click here to view the range of UK courses.
Does this sound like something your family may wish to try?
*** Collaborative post ***
