Pioneering a new sport; Utah FootGolf holds first tournament; STGnews Photo Gallery

Written by Hollie Stark
July 26, 2014
Jake McKittrick warms up before the first ever Utah FootGolf tournament at South Gate Golf Course, St. George, Utah, July 26, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Saturday, on an overcast morning, 18 teams, clad in knee-high argyle socks gathered at the South Gate Golf Course, 1975 Tonaquint Drive, to play in Utah’s first FootGolf tournament.

Members of team Virtually from left to right Dylan Pace, Tayler Pace and Jaxon Vanderslice show off their smiles and ball handling skills at the Utah FootGolf tournament, St. George, Utah, July 26, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Members of team Virtually from left to right Dylan Pace, Tayler Pace and Jaxon Vanderslice show off their smiles and ball handling skills at the Utah FootGolf tournament, St. George, Utah, July 26, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

FootGolf is a relatively new hybrid sport that combines the rules of golf with the foot play of soccer. It is played on an actual golf course that has been modified for the kicker – an 18-hole round of FootGolf is played within the space of nine holes on the course.

Saturday’s tournament saw nearly 80 players kick off from the tee to participate in a sport that is equal parts traditional and modern with a dash of zany.

Katie Woods and Anna Basso, both former high school soccer players, came out to the tournament to test their skills and to do something fun and unique, they said.

“We are adventurous souls,” Woods said.

Participants played in teams of four, some teams registered together while others, like Woods and Basso, were assigned to teams when they arrived.

“We were assigned to a team with two boys,” Basso said, “it might just be the perfect combination.”

Water hazards – ponds on the golf course – proved to be the most tricky part of the day for participating footgolfers and a lot of time was spent fishing for wayward balls.

“The first five kicks I saw all ended up in the water,” course marshal, Jim Lambert, said, “so that presented the biggest problem of the day, some people were getting wet, some were waiting for poles and some were just leaving it in there because they couldn’t get to them.”

Water hazards proved to be a difficult challenge as the Utah FootGolf tournament held at the South Gate Golf Course got under way, St. George, Utah, July 26, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Water hazards proved to be a difficult challenge as the Utah FootGolf tournament held at the South Gate Golf Course got under way, St. George, Utah, July 26, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Lambert was having a lot of fun marshaling footgolf, he said, adding that he wished more regular golfers would wear the wacky socks that participants had donned.

Sue Thompson, also known as “Grandma Sue,”  had a son and grandsons participating in the tournament which was organized by family friends, Brendan Dalley and Brian Galvin, she said.

Thompson spent the day on the course fishing balls from the pond and replacing lost and abandoned balls for the players and, she said, she was happy to do it.

“These are just wonderful boys,” Thompson said of Dalley and Galvin, “they are always thinking of something fun to do and organizing it.”

Despite the balls in the water, some players were finding success on the course. Blake Johnson of team Johnson got an eagle – two shots under par – within his first few rounds of play.

“It was amazing,” Johnson said, “I have never gotten an eagle in regular golf.”

Galvin was pleased with the response from the community and hoped that everyone was having a good time, he said.

The winning team was team Shiloh Circle, Benjamin Emett, Matthew Emett, Kolby Emett and Kyle Kinman.

Updated: 9:30 p.m. to include winners

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hollie Stark is a writer, outdoor enthusiast, mother, and Southern Utah gal.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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