Jump to content

Speed golf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 91.137.20.132 (talk) at 11:53, 7 December 2012 (Added Golf Club Radio link talking about speed golf). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Speed Golf (also known as Extreme Golf, Fitness Golf and Hit and Run Golf) is a sport which involves playing a round of golf in the lowest possible combination of strokes and time.

Thus shooting 90 on a golf course in 59 minutes and 30 seconds would compute to an overall speed golf score of 149:30.[1]

Rules

Rules and etiquette are generally the same for speed golf and regular golf with minor exceptions[2][1].

  • In the interest of time, you are allowed to putt with the flagstick left in the hole.
  • Unless otherwise told by a tournament committee, speed golfers are expected to rake bunkers, fix ball marks and conform to normal golf course dress code. Although, most speed golfers will wear running shoes instead of golf shoes.
  • In the case of a lost ball or one that is hit out of bounds, players are permitted to play it like a lateral hazard because it was thought to be too severe of a penalty to have to also be penalized the additional time to run back to where the original shot was played.

Aside from the normal 14-club maximum, there is no rule about how many clubs you are allowed to bring. However, players typically carry 4-7 clubs.

History

The sport was believed to have been started in 1979 California when former American record holder in the mile (3:47.69 in 1982) Steve Scott ran around a golf course in 29 minutes and 30 seconds shooting a 95 with only a 3-iron[2].

After hearing about Steve Scott, a former Ironman triathlete and teaching pro named Jay Larson became the person who many considered the top speed golfer of the 1990s. Larson once shot a 75 in 39 minutes and 9 seconds on a 6,500 course with a slope rating of 125 (using the old rules of speed golf where you could have a caddy in a cart riding out in front of you carrying your clubs and calling out distances as you approached the ball)[2].

Towards the end of the 1990s, in an effort to help promote the sport, Oregonians and speed golfers Tim Scott (a former teaching pro turned school teacher) and Jim Kosciolek (a Chicago-based lawyer) founded a company called Speed Golf International[2].

The sport is now played in North America, Europe and Japan, and major tournaments are telecast by channels such as ESPN, CBS, and The Golf Channel.

Benefits

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.

Where to Play

Crowded courses are not conducive to play, so many Speed Golfers will reserve the first tee time of the day, start playing in the last hour before sunset, loop holes on a golf course where there are gaps in play, or play on colder days when the courses are less crowded and is not too hot for running[2].

Tournaments

The oldest known speed golf tournament is the Broc-n-Bob which has been held each September in Minneapolis since 1998.

Throughout the 2000s there were various competitions held throughout the United States, many of which were held at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, OR.

More information about current and upcoming tournaments can be found at Speed Golf International[1].

Inaugural World Championships

The inaugural Speed Golf World Championships were held October 20-21, 2012 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, OR on the Old MacDonald Course (October 20th) and the Bandon Dunes Course (October 21st) [3][2].

Results in the Pro/Elite division were as follows for the 15 Professionals competing for the $50,000 purse[4][1]:

  1. Chris Walker, 263:28 (77-53:29; 76-56:29)
  2. Tim Scott, 264:47 (81-52:21; 80-51:26)
  3. Tim Hval, 266:20 (74-59:33; 74-58:47)
  4. Christopher Smith, 268:24 (73-58:33; 78-58:51)
  5. Jaacob Bowden, 270:18 (75-61:06; 78-56:12)
  6. Todd Killingsworth, 272:39 (86-56:24; 75-55:15)
  7. Robert Hogan, 272:39 (94-44:00; 92-43:05)
  8. Gretchen Johnson(am), 273:38 (84-55:19; 79-55:19)
  9. Michael Chupka Jr., 274:26 (79-63:00; 75-57:26)
  10. Kris Moe, 279:11 (72-64:24; 80-62:47)
  11. Jeff Simonds, 280:30 (80-58:08; 84-58:22)
  12. Arno Lindsberger, 288:53 (99-48:37; 100-41:16)
  13. Brandon Carter, 291:25 (85-64:14; 82-60:11)
  14. Kyle Warren, 304:15 (79-67:41; 83-74:34)
  15. Paul Gorman, 310:42 (89-70:39; 85-66:03)

There was also an group of 45 amateurs who competed in a 1-day only competition on October 21st on the Bandon Dunes Course. The amateur division featured various age groups that included 24 and under, 25-39, 40-49, and 50 and over.

A 30-minute special about the World Championships will air on CBS before the 3rd round of the 2013 Masters [2][5][6].

Guinness World Record

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.[1][2][7]

Related Sports

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. [8] Both sports require substantial physical stamina.

Speed Disc Golf is similar in concept and rules to speed golf.

The biathlon (skiing and shooting a rifle) is also sometimes compared to speed golf.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Speedgolf International". Speedgolf International. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/7460-speed-golf-18-holes-in-under-an-hour/
  3. ^ http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/blog/bandon-dunes-host-inaugural-speedgolf-world-championships
  4. ^ http://theworldlink.com/sports/new-pro-wins-world-speedgolf-title/article_2d0cb9d8-1c75-11e2-83a5-0019bb2963f4.html
  5. ^ http://smarterpodcasts.com/golfsmarter/?p=1957
  6. ^ http://www.hernco.com/golfclub/ac111012.htm
  7. ^ http://www.christophersmithgolf.com">
  8. ^ "Cross-country BigBall Association".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Speed_golf&oldid=526851913"