Schaumburg Park District tees up new sport
FootGolf combines soccer with golf. Players kick a soccer ball from designated tee markers into a 21-inch hole in the least amount of kicks. The player with the lowest combined score wins. Scoring is identical to traditional golf.
Staff from the Schaumburg Golf Club and Walnut Greens, the Schaumburg Park District's course, worked with representatives from the United States FootGolf Association to prepare Walnut Greens. They mapped the course, shot yardage measurements, selected regulations and pars, and rated the overall course.
"Last summer we started looking into FootGolf," said Jonathan Parsons, general manager of golf operations. "We investigated other facilities which offer it and decided to give it a go this season. We're excited to offer it."
Our foursome of FootGolfers met on the first tee and Parsons gave us a quick overview of the rules, where the holes were and how they were set up.
"Walnut is laid out very well for the incorporation of a FootGolf Course," Parsons said. "We wanted to adopt an alternative program and we believe that this will be the most successful and fun."
We kicked off on the first hole and FootGolf was under way. The first hole is hidden between a few trees, but players have a nice fairway to land on straight off the tees. After chipping and two-putting my way to a par, I knew this was going to be a game on which I was hooked.
Coming up on the second hole, Parsons said the majority of the holes with water hazards feature handmade wooden fences to stop soccer balls from rolling into the water. The layout of the FootGolf course is designed to keep players away from water and traditional golf greens with specially located holes.
"Although FootGolfers and traditional golfers will not tee off at the same time, we don't want them running into each other, so we've placed our FootGolf holes away from our golf greens," Parsons said. "This will make it a smoother round of play for everyone."
The wooden fences will help, but for those who find their ball floating in the water, there are extendible nets throughout the course.
Trying my hardest to play better than the golf pros, I kicked off directly into the water on the 7th and added a one-stroke penalty to my score. Fortunately, both golf pros kicked off into the same water.
"The water definitely adds a higher level of difficulty throughout the course, but we still tried to make it a family-friendly game," Parsons said. "The score card has pars for competition and recreation in a hope that we will see a variety of players participating at Walnut."
Overall, the game and the course are a blast and I suggest FootGolf to golfers, soccer players, families and friends. The opportunity to play competitively or recreationally adds a nice touch and increases confidence in a nontraditional sport. I'm truly looking forward to reserving my next tee time and trying to beat my score (which was a 42 on a par 37 course).
Open play is available Monday through Friday and after 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A 9-hole round of FootGolf costs $11. Cart rental is $8 per rider and ball rental is $5. Soccer ball rentals are limited, so bringing your own ball is recommended. Soccer balls also are available for purchase.
Book your foursome with Walnut Greens by calling (847) 490-7878.
For more information, visit www.walnutgreensgolf.com.
• Submit 'Your News' at www.dailyherald.com/share.