Speed golf
Encyclopedia
Speed Golf is a sport started in California
in 1979 by American runner Steve Scott and which involves completing a golf course
in the lowest combination of strokes and time. The sport is played in North America
, Europe
and Japan
, and major tournaments are telecast by channels such as ESPN
and The Golf Channel
.
Players run between shots and generally carry as few as one or as many as six clubs
. A player's score is calculated by adding minutes plus strokes, so a round of 90 completed in 50 minutes and 30 seconds would compute to a score of 140:30. The lowest score in competition is believed to have been shot by professional Christopher Smith at the Chicago Speedgolf Classic on October 16, 2005. Smith shot 65 in just 44:06 for a speed golf score of 109:06.
The oldest known speed golf tournament is the Broc-n-Bob which has been held each September in Minneapolis since 1998. Perhaps the premier competition is held each spring at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, OR.
Rules and etiquette are generally the same for speed golf and regular golf with minor exceptions. Speed golfers are allowed to putt with the flagstick left in the hole, but are expected to rake bunkers, fix ball marks and conform to the dress code. A typical 18 hole course requires roughly five miles of running.
Speed Golf is sometimes contrasted with Cross-country BigBall, in which players use soccer balls and baseball bats to reach a goal. Because the course and goals are chosen by the participants, Cross-country BigBall etiquette varies depending on whether the theater is a wooded or residential area. Both sports require substantial physical stamina.
Fitness and time savings are obvious benefits of Speed Golf. However, many players also report improved golf, typically shooting nearly the same scores despite running and using only a few clubs. Crowded courses are not conducive to play, so many Speed Golfers head out at the crack of dawn or during the cold days of winter when empty courses await and the temperature is suited for running.
Speed Disc Golf is similar in concept and rules to speed golf.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1979 by American runner Steve Scott and which involves completing a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the lowest combination of strokes and time. The sport is played in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and major tournaments are telecast by channels such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and The Golf Channel
The Golf Channel
Golf Channel, known as The Golf Channel before the July 2008 dropping of The, is an American cable television network with coverage focused on the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida...
.
Players run between shots and generally carry as few as one or as many as six clubs
Golf club (equipment)
A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
. A player's score is calculated by adding minutes plus strokes, so a round of 90 completed in 50 minutes and 30 seconds would compute to a score of 140:30. The lowest score in competition is believed to have been shot by professional Christopher Smith at the Chicago Speedgolf Classic on October 16, 2005. Smith shot 65 in just 44:06 for a speed golf score of 109:06.
The oldest known speed golf tournament is the Broc-n-Bob which has been held each September in Minneapolis since 1998. Perhaps the premier competition is held each spring at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, OR.
Rules and etiquette are generally the same for speed golf and regular golf with minor exceptions. Speed golfers are allowed to putt with the flagstick left in the hole, but are expected to rake bunkers, fix ball marks and conform to the dress code. A typical 18 hole course requires roughly five miles of running.
Speed Golf is sometimes contrasted with Cross-country BigBall, in which players use soccer balls and baseball bats to reach a goal. Because the course and goals are chosen by the participants, Cross-country BigBall etiquette varies depending on whether the theater is a wooded or residential area. Both sports require substantial physical stamina.
Fitness and time savings are obvious benefits of Speed Golf. However, many players also report improved golf, typically shooting nearly the same scores despite running and using only a few clubs. Crowded courses are not conducive to play, so many Speed Golfers head out at the crack of dawn or during the cold days of winter when empty courses await and the temperature is suited for running.
Speed Disc Golf is similar in concept and rules to speed golf.