First-ever footgolf tournament in the U.S. draws international competitors

HARDYSTON — Competitors from nine countries competed for more than $12,000 in prize money and the honor of being named the first-ever footgolf Pro-Am champion in the United States.

The tournament was held Sept. 14 through 16 at Crystal Springs Resort’s Cascades golf course, which is home to the first and only footgolf course in the northeast.

“It’s been both exciting and fun to be on the cutting edge of this great new sport,” said Art Walton, vice president of Crystal Springs’ golf operations. “We were pioneers with footgolf’s introduction in this area and we are bringing the game to a new level by having the world’s best players out to Crystal Springs for this amazing event.”

American Footgolf League (AFGL) president Roberto Balestrini seconded Walton’s boast before Monday’s shotgun start.

“At least five of the top 10 players in the world are in this tournament,” he said.

While still in its infancy in the United States (Balestrini and his wife, Laura, founded the AFGL in 2011), the list of competitors from Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Puerto Rico and Great Britain proved the global popularity of the sport.

It’s the course, of course
Footgolf is a combination of golf and soccer played with a regulation soccer ball on a shortened golf course. Balestrini says the appeal of footgolf comes from the “combining of the cultures” of the two sports, but “the integration needs to be done properly.” For this reason, the AFGL only approves courses at sanctioned golf facilities in order to create a nationally consistent game.

Three years after the sport’s inception, there are 240 AFGL sanctioned footgolf courses in 40 states — about 12 of which are hosting 1,000 rounds of play per month or more. At the current rate of growth, Balestrini sees the sky as the limit for the future of the sport in the States.

“The idea is to have at least 500 courses by next year,” he said.