- Title: ARGENTINA: FOOTGOLF - Golf courses play host to new sport
- Date: 13th November 2012
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) GOLF COURSE SIGN VARIOUS OF GOLFERS PLAYING GOLF VARIOUS OF GOLFERS WITH GOLF CLUBS AND BAGS VARIOUS OF FOOTGOLFERS WALKING TOWARDS MEETING PLACE AS THEY KICK A SOCCER BALL FOOTGOLFERS MEETING UP FOR FOOTGOLF TOURNAMENT CLOSE-UP OF PLAYER WITH SOCCER BALL WHILE WAITING FOR TOURNAMENT TO BEGIN TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS LISTENING TO GAME RULES BEFORE TOURNAMENT COMMENCES CLOSE UP OF FOOTGOLFERS' SHOES AND SOCCER BALLS FOOTGOLFERS WARMING UP ON THE GOLF COURSE CLOSE-UP OF PLAYER KICKING A BALL TO AVOID A WATER HAZARD VARIOUS OF PLAYERS KICKING BALL FROM TEE OFF TO THE HOLE FOOTGOLFER KICKING BALL TOWARDS THE HOLE VARIOUS OF PLAYERS KICKING INDIVIDUAL SOCCER BALLS CLOSER TO THE HOLE CLOSE-UP OF BALL GOING INTO THE HOLE VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINE FOOTGOLF ASSOCIATION (AAFG), JAVIER DE ANCIZAR, KICKING FROM THE STARTING LINE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINE FOOTGOLF ASSOCIATION, JAVIER DE ANCIZAR, SAYING: "We haven't had a time when we were playing simultaneously. When we do these kinds of events they close off the grounds for our use only. In reality it's strange that they [golf and soccer golf] coexist. I think that if a golfer gets hit by a soccer ball, it wouldn't bother him too much. But, if a footgolfer gets hit with a golf ball it would cause problems. So, for these kinds of reasons they don't share the course for now." CLOSE-UP OF FOOTGOLF HOLE ON THE GOLF COURSE VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TEEING OFF FOR NEXT HOLE CLOSE-UP OF FOOTGOLFER ROLLING UP HIS PANTS AS HE KICKS THE BALL BALL BESIDE A PEG REPRESENTING THE HOLE FOOTGOLFER KICKING BALL TOWARDS THE HOLE/PLAYERS ARGUING PLAYER KICKING THE BALL VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE BUT MISSING IT AND THEN BENDING DOWN TO PICK IT UP AND KICK IT INTO THE AIR IN FRUSTRATION CLOSE UP OF PLAYER TAKING BALL OUT OF THE HOLE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINE FOOTGOLF ASSOCIATION, JAVIER DE ANCIZAR, SAYING: "There are a lot of ex-soccer players who see this as a good way to broaden their range of athletic activities." FOOTGOLFERS WALKING ON GOLF COURSE TOWARDS HOLE VARIOUS OF PLAYER SINKING THE BALL INTO THE HOLE PLAYERS MARKING POINT NUMBERS ON SCORECARDS AS THEY WALK TOWARD THE NEXT HOLE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINE FOOTGOLF ASSOCIATION, JAVIER DE ANCIZAR, SAYING: "We came to add something positive, not to compete [with the game of golf]. That's to say, we are aware that we are on golf grounds, but at the same time there are many golf courses in Argentina that may not be able to do all the necessary maintenance with just golf revenues alone. So, I see this as a good way for golf courses to supplement their earnings and help with course upkeep, which also benefits the golfer." PLAYERS WITH BALLS GETTING CLOSER TO THE HOLE PLAYERS KICKING BALL TOWARDS HOLE CLOSE UP OF FOOTGOLFER KICKING BALL INTO THE HOLE PLAYERS GATHERED AROUND THE HOLE PLAYERS SINKING BALL INTO THE HOLE VARIOUS OF INDIVIDUAL PLAYER SCORECARDS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINE FOOTGOLF ASSOCIATION, JAVIER DE ANCIZAR, SAYING: "It's a sport for everybody; anyone can kick a soccer ball. You don't have to be a good soccer or golf player, you just need to know how to kick the ball and know how to think - to analyse the course so as to not take unnecessary risks. It's for everybody - kids, older people, girls." CLOSE-UP OF FOOTGOLFER WITH SOCCER SHOES FOOTGOLFERS WATCHING OTHERS PLAY CLOSE-UP OF PLAYER HOLDING SOCCER BALL FOOTGOLFER GIVING BALL A POWERFUL KICK TOWARDS HOLE
- Embargoed: 28th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Quirky,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA8VZOGCZLYECTNHPA5G38HW9AL
- Story Text: Appropriate attire and formal etiquette may seem like the norm for the course when imagining the game of golf.
But, at a local golf course in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ironed khakis and polo shirts are nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a group of Argentines, casually clad in shorts and running shoes, kick around soccer balls ahead of a tournament of "Footgolf".
Footgolf, or soccergolf, combines elements of both soccer and golf and is gaining popularity world-wide.
In fact, the first Footgolf World Cup was held this year in June in Hungary, with over 80 players from eight different countries.
The game's objective, like that of golf, is to sink the ball in the targeted hole in as few kicks - instead of strokes - as possible. The player or team that completes the nine or 18 hole round with the lowest score wins.
While the origin of this fusion sport is unclear, the International Footgolf Association (IFGA) was founded in 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Dutch ex-soccer player Michael Jansen.
And, following the September 2009 Footgolf championships in the Netherlands, a wave of interest in the novel sport was ignited, not only in neighbouring European countries, but also further afield in Australia and Latin America.
Although Footgolfers use traditional golf courses, the president of the Argentine Footgolf Association, Javier Ancizar, thinks that simultaneously sharing the the golf course with golfers could be problematic.
"We haven't had a time when we were playing simultaneously. When we do these kinds of events they close off the grounds for our use only. In reality it's strange that they [golf and soccer golf] coexist. I think that if a golfer gets hit by a soccer ball, it wouldn't bother him too much. But, if a footgolfer gets hit with a golf ball it would cause problems. So, for these kinds of reasons they don't share the course for now," said Ancizar.
So as to not damage the greens, players are prohibited from using soccer cleats and care is taken to have footgolf holes on a different trajectory from golf holes.
The sport especially appeals to former soccer players since it puts a fresh twist on skills used in traditional soccer - such as kicking, aiming and controlling the ball, but without the high impact, injury-provoking elements.
"There are a lot of ex-soccer players who see this as a good way to broaden their range of athletic activities," said Ancizar.
And, by adding footgolf to its repertoire, some golf courses in Argentina are able to keep afloat when golfing revenues alone can't keep up with costly course maintenance.
"We came to add something positive, not to compete [with the game of golf]. That's to say, we are aware that we are on golf grounds, but at the same time there are many golf courses in Argentina that may not be able to do all the necessary maintenance with just golf revenues alone. So, I see this as a good way for golf courses to supplement their earnings and help with course upkeep, which also benefits the golfer," said Ancizar.
Since the only necessary equipment is a soccer ball, another perk is the game's financial accessibility.
And, in addition to the fact that it's budget-friendly, one needn't be a soccer pro, nor a golf expert to excel on the green.
"It's a sport for everybody; anyone can kick a soccer ball. You don't have to be a good soccer or golf player, you just need to know how to kick the ball and know how to think - to analyse the course so as to not take unnecessary risks. It's for everybody - kids, older people, girls," said Ancizar.
As the sport continues to grow both in Argentina and across the globe, it looks like golfers won't be the only ones with hole-in-one bragging rights. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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