Like Football or Golf, why not play both at the same time

FootGolf is a sport which combines two of the most popular sports - football and golf. This exciting sport is played on a modified golf course with 21 inches diameter holes using a size 5 football. Similar to golf, the players’ intent is to kick a ball into the hole with the least amount of strokes possible. Part of FootGolf’s appeal is that anyone can play: men & women, young & old, talented & talentless.

This sport is growing quite quickly worldwide and 46 courses in the UK have already been opened since FootGolf was first introduced in the UK in 2012. The courses have been set up either on a golf course or in a park. There will be more courses opening in the next few months so there should be a course near you. Go on; give it a go if you haven’t tried it.

A few months ago, I found out about FootGolf on the news and was very curious about what it would be like to play this sport. After seeing some deaf people trying this out, I just thought “I have to give this a go,” so I went to a local golf course to try it out. I have been hooked ever since.

There have been various competitions hosted by the UK FootGolf Association in different parts of the UK recently, but I noticed there were no Deaf FootGolf organisations, so I thought it would be ideal to set up Albatross Deaf FootGolf.

The aim of Albatross is to provide opportunities for Deaf people to get together and play FootGolf. Some people might take this sport seriously and some would see it as an opportunity to have some fun and enjoy the social interaction before, during and after the game. The choice is theirs. Just to remind you, this sport is not aimed at just football players, this is for everyone in general.

As we all are new to this sport, we are hoping for this to grow amongst the Deaf Community all over the UK and in the next few years,  Albatross is hoping to bring in committees from each region to get together to organise official regional/national competitions. If Deaf FootGolf takes off, we hope to get the support of UK Deaf Sport as well as working with UK FootGolf Assoication.

At the moment, we are unaware of any Deaf FootGolf teams or any Deaf-led organisation in the country, so it is safe to say this sport is still new to the Deaf community. With strong deaf football/futsal/golf sections, I hope FootGolf might appeal to a wide range of people. If you are keen to be a committee member or want to help out, please get in touch with us via email – ryanmarshall88@yahoo.co.uk.

To get the ball rolling (no pun intended), we thought it would make sense to organise our first ever Deaf FootGolf Tournament and see how it pans out for the Deaf Community. It is an Open cmpetition meaning anyone can enter, so whether you are Deaf or not, you can join in. If more Deaf people are interested and want to get into it more regularly, we could then organise more competitions in various places around the country.

This first tournament will be taking place on Sunday 21^st September 2014 at Orpington Golf Centre, Kent. The tournament is open to both men and women. There are no age limits and this is an individual event so you will be trying to win for yourself. There will be various prizes given out, such as top 3 for both men’s and ladies. Also, there will be an award for the best dressed footgolfer so please make an effort.

A typical Footgolfer would normally wear an outfit that a golfer would wear but with football trainers (astro-turf) or normal trainers. No studs are allowed as it would damage the course. The cost of entering this competition is £20 per player which covers the cost of entry, bacon roll, a hot drink and the prizes. Competitors must arrive at 9.30am to register which will give you time to eat/drink before the tee-off. Balls willb eprovided on the day. As with golf, players will go out in 4-balls, giving you the chance to meet new people and enjoy the social side of the game.

At the moment, there are already 47 people who have expressed an interest in competing with more than half having already paid their entry fee. There are still spaces left if you fancy giving this a try, but it is first come first served.

Venue: Orpington Golf Centre, Sandy Lane, Orpington, Kent, BR5 3HY.

There is full information on Facebook, where we have our own event page. Just search “Deaf FootGolf Tournament” and you will find up-to-date details.

We are proud to announce that this tournament is being sponsored by B.S.L Training and we are hoping to attract further sponsors for this event and to help develop the sport.

To be elligible to play, you will need to make a payment via Paypal or Bank transfer before the deadline, which is Friday 5th September. Please get in touch with me for the bank details. If you are interested in playing,  please email me at ryanmarshall88@yahoo.co.uk as soon as possible.