Playing FootGolf in Luton

Having a round of the new game of FootGolf at Luton's Stockwood Park.

On Monday 7th July I headed up to Stockwood Park in Luton to play my first round of the new sport of FootGolf. I'd been challenged to a match by my old Dodgeball rivals - the Welwyn Dowed Warriors.

Playing FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton

I first heard about FootGolf last September and since then Luton has seen two courses open - at Stockwood Park Golf Centre and at Tea Green Golf.

A couple of weeks ago I saw how popular the game was as I had a round of Pitch & Putt on the Stockwood Mini Golf course.

The sport of FootGolf is played on a golf course, with player's aiming to get the football into the hole in as few shots as possible. The 'green' and hole itself is placed beside or beyond the regular golf's green to enable players of the two games to have a round at the same time.

Having paid for our round of 9-hole (£5.50 each, plus a £5 refundable deposit for each ball borrowed) we heaed out to the course. With the rules of the game read out from the very well designed FootGolf scorecard we were ready to get underway, with 'The Professional' kicking/teeing-off first.

Paul 'Barer' Harvey readying himself for a tricky 'putt' on the 3rd hole - this one really got the better of most players (apart from 'The Professional' and Paul)

We had a great, fun round with plenty of banter and some wild shots. These were interspersed with some good use of the greens to play some nice angled shots. The shot of the match went to Paul who kicked a cracker to score a three on the par-5 121 yard sixth hole.

Steve 'The Belly' Kelly pitches a shot across the edge of the golf green

Steve 'The Belly' Kelly chips out of the rough

Steve 'The Belly' Kelly in trouble again

The final results saw 'The Professional' win with par (34), notching up a two on hole five and a three on the ninth. In second on 36(+2) was Paul. I was third on 37(+3), with Steve edging out Rowdy Russell 39(+5) to 40(+6).

It was a good, open round and hopefully we'll all improve in our second game.

Richard Gottfried 'putting' on the Stockwood Park FootGolf layout

We all agreed it was a fun game to play and we'll certainly be having another round soon. The Hertfordshire-based players are hoping to see a FootGolf course open up on their side of the border.

A new FootGolf sign will need to be added to the post at Stockwood Park

You can also play FootGolf on Tea Green Golf's new course at Wandon End, near Luton.

Check out the links below for the UK FootGolf Association and Stockwood Park Golf Centre for more details about playing the game.

FootGolf seems to be a fast growing sport, with new courses popping up all over the country.

Links:
- Stockwood Park Golf Centre
- UK FootGolf Association

Related blog posts:
- Observations of FootGolf
- FootGolf is heading to Luton!
- Stockwood Park-related Blog Posts
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt

Observations of FootGolf

Watching some FootGolf at Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton.

Players await their turn on the FootGolf course at Stockwood Park in Luton. Note the practice putting green in the foreground

During my semi-annual game of Pitch & Putt Mini Golf against my golfing nemesis Oxana Nikandrova at Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton I got to see the centre's new FootGolf set-up in action.

Hole 1 at Stockwood Park. The red flag is on the 'normal' green and is the target for Golfers/Pitch & Putters. The white flag to the right of the green is the FootGolf target. Some of the FootGolf holes were to the side of the Golf greens, and some were set behind the green itself

We'd gone to Stockwood Park to use the driving range and have a round on the Mini Golf and we noticed that the new FootGolf offering at the centre was being very well used. In fact, while we were there only three or so other groups played actual Golf on the Golf course, with at least 15 groups - ranging from pairs to groups of three, four and five players - playing the new sport on the combined 9-hole Mini Golf/FootGolf course.

The BIG FootGolf cup

I'm quite intrigued by Footgolf and I look forward to giving it a play on Luton's two courses (the first to open was at Tea Green Golf). Perhaps a mini 'friendly' tourney will take place with my Pitch & Putt rivals 'Rowdy' Russell Fenner and Simon 'Practice' Hall. I first heard about FootGolf in September 2013 while playing Minigolf at the 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns in Suffolk.

As the name suggests FootGolf is a mix of Football and Golf, with the game played on a Golf course, and players aiming to get the football into the hole in as few shots as possible. No special equipment is needed, well, other than a 'size 5' football.

A regular Golf ball next to a FootGolf cup

While at Stockwood Park we noticed a steady stream of players heading onto the Academy Golf course (aka the 9-hole Mini Golf / Pitch & Putt) to play FootGolf and there was a real mix of people having a round. By the look of it the quality of play was also as mixed as the players having a go! With some shooting very close to the specific FootGolf hole with their 'tee' shot, while other people were hoofing it up the fairway and some players - mostly(!) youngsters - dribbling the ball to the hole!

Having a read of the FootGolf rules on the scorecard I noticed that the maximum score on a FootGolf hole is 8, only one ball is allowed to be in motion at any one time, and that if a ball comes to rest on a green then the ball is to be moved to the nearest point off of the green, but no closer to the hole, as a free drop.

The 'tee' shot of one of the players in the group of four footgolfers behind us got their ball (a size 5 football) onto the 'actual' green, rather than near to the FootGolf hole, which is dug in beside the greens on the Golf course

It was interesting to see both Golf and FootGolf being played on the course at the same time. It seemed to work quite well, with no more bottlenecks than I've experienced on the Academy course before.

A 9-hole round of FootGolf at Stockwood Park Golf Centre costs £5.50 for adults, £5 for seniors, £4 for juniors (children under-16) and £14 for a family ticket (two adults & two children under-16).

At Tea Green Golf the cost for a weekday 9-hole round is £6, or £8.50 for 18-holes. A family midweek deal is £15.00 and juniors (under-16s) can play for £4.50. At weekends a round costs £8.50 for 9-holes and £11.00 for 18. Juniors can play for £5.50 and the family deal is £20. Details of the prices and booking info can be found on the Tea Green Golf website.

Check out the UK FootGolf Association website for more details about the sport, courses, competitions and other countries that play the game.

Both Stockwood Park Golf Centre and Tea Green Golf are hosting regular UK FootGolf Association tournaments. Get in touch with the respective courses for entry details.

The game of FootGolf seems to be growing rapidly and another Golf Centre we recently visited (to play a new Adventure Golf course) - Golf Kingdom in Romford - is building a new FootGolf course, due to open in July 2014.

In the round of Pitch & Putt against Oxana I scored 30(+3) with Oxana finishing on 50(+23). It was a good fun round, in lovely weather.

Links:
- Stockwood Park Golf Centre
- Tea Green Golf
- UK Footgolf Association

Related blog posts:
- FootGolf
- Stockwood Park-related Blog Posts
- Tea Green-related Blog Posts
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

FootGolf is heading to Luton!

Tea Green Golf Club to launch new FootGolf course in Spring 2014.

My local golf club, Tea Green Golf at Wandon End, near Luton, is branching out and will soon be a FootGolf venue!

The sport of FootGolf is played on a golf course, with player's aiming to get the football into the hole in as few shots as possible.

Tea Green is always a good spot to visit and I enjoy my 'friendly' rounds of Mini Golf at the club against Lester and Scott, so I'm looking forward to giving the new game a go too.

As well as the brand new FootGolf course Tea Green Golf is home to a great 9-hole Par-3 Golf course, a driving range, 9-hole Minigolf course, practice Putting Green, a clubhouse and bar serving food throughout the week and a range of social events throughout the year.

I first heard about FootGolf last September while I was playing Crazy Golf at the 9-hole course at Stonham Barns in Suffolk.

Links:

- Tea Green Golf

- UK Footgolf Association

- Tea Green-related Blog Posts

A Minigolf Revisit to Stonham Barns

Playing the Mini Putting Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns, Suffolk.

Having not had the opportunity to play any Minigolf on Miniature Golf Day this year I was pleased to be able to have a round on the 9-hole Mini Putting Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns Golf Centre in Suffolk on Sunday 22nd of September.

Playing the very tricky 9th hole at Stonham Barns

Back in August 2007 the Stonham Barns Minigolf course became the 33^rd we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Holing out on hole 3 of the Mini Putting Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns

In a match against myself I scored rounds of 24(+6) and 20(+2).

 

 

 

 

After some terrible shots on the 9th hole (the hardest on the course) I did manage to Ace it before we left.

The course is £2 a round and while we were there we saw a few other groups and pairs having some games too. Stonham Barns is a nice spot with shops and attractions (including an Owl sanctuary). As a bonus we picked up a ‘Crazy Golf Machine’ board game for a quid at the on-site weekly Car Boot Sale!

Looking on the Stonham Barns Golf Centre website I noticed that they also run regular Footgolf events! Another crazy type of Golf!

Related Blog Posts:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #33 Stonham, Suffolk (Stonham Barns) - Crazy Golf

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date

- Minigolf course re-visits 5, 6, 7 & 33 and a new build

Links:

- Stonham Barns

- Stonham Barns Golf Centre