What is FootGolf?

What do you get when you mix two of the world’s most-played sports? Well, FootGolf was created to combine the thrills of kicking a football (soccer ball) and players having to use precision and control by directing it into a much larger golf hole. 

FootGolf combines a lot of the same facets of traditional golf, including starting every hole with a tee shot from a designated area, while many courses have bunkers and bodies of water in play.

The concept dates back to the 1920s when it was originally referred to as codeball in the U.S., but after a long absence of a presence it’s beginning to make its rounds in one of the biggest countries in the world.

The sports landscape in the United States continues to be dominated by NFL football, basketball and baseball, but emerging sports like FootGolf have begun to make a dent in American and international popularity with the rise of social media.

Spikeball became significantly popular after a steady marketing campaign that featured an appearance on Shark Tank, while other backyard sports like cornhole have garnered massive attention through ESPN broadcasts.

That’s why FootGolf has a real opportunity to become a more common activity for both communities that enjoy football and golf.

In a lot of ways, FootGolf is more convenient than traditional golf because all it requires is a football (soccer ball) and a pair of shoes or turf cleats.

Players should also wear a polo shirt, golf shorts and football socks as part of the proper dress etiquette for competitions.

To accommodate for the size of a normal size 5 football, FootGolf cups are typically 50 centimeters in diameter.

Just like golf, footgolfers are competing against each other to receive the lowest score against par. Many courses are 18 holes and have standard par 72 designs.

Each course sets its own pars, with Par 3, Par 4 and Par 5 the different types of holes courses offer based on distance and difficulty.

Par 3’s typically range from 120 yards and under. Par 4’s are somewhere from 120 to 220 yards, while Par 5’s are normally above the 220 yard range.

All global rules for the sport are determined by the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG), while in the United States, the American FootGolf League (AFGL) oversees everything involving the sport.

As things stand, there are over 250 FootGolf courses in all 50 U.S. states, as well as a strong presence of the sport in the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Mexico and Argentina.

The AFGL website also features a course locator where players can search for courses across the U.S.

Best U.S. FootGolf Destinations

Reunion Resort - Kissimmee, FL

Crystal Spring Resort (Cascades Course) - Hamburg, NJ

Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center - Plymouth, MI

Desert Willow Golf Resort - Palm Desert, CA

Brazell's Creek Golf Course - Reidsville, GA

Canyon Mesa Country Club - Sedona, AZ

Seven Springs Golf and Country Club - New Port Richey, FL

Memphis FootGolf - Cordova, TN

Yes, the American FootGolf League hosts tournaments across the United States each year in a variety of regions.

The 2022 AFGL Tour begins in March and runs through October, with stops in 12 different cities, including Disney's Palm Course in Orlando, FL.

Players receive ranking points similar to tennis or golf based on their finishing position in competitions and can be eligible for other national and international tournaments like the FootGolf World Cup.

The fourth edition of the World Cup will be in 2023 in Orlando, with the competition previously taking place in Morocco (2018), Argentina (2016) and Hungary (2012).

For more information on how you can get involved with the AFGL, please visit their official website for details.