If you’ve been following golf news lately, you might have heard the reported numbers that around 400,000 people left the sport in 2014 in the U.S. And while the National Golf Foundation does not confirm those numbers, it has stated in its 2014 summary that in the last decade, golf has seen a departure of five million players, with 20% of the existing 25 million golfers poised to quit in the next few years.
With this news, and the stats that show newcomers to golf fell by 20% in 2014, golf has looked to new ways to increase interest in the game, and especially drive the younger generation back to the fairways. Some new ideas involve increasing the size of the golf hole to 15-inches, a tennis-golf hybrid called Smashgolf, a quicker version of the game (promoted by Rory McIllroy), and—of course—FootGolf.
So we’ve all heard about FootGolf’s growing popularity, but what exactly does that mean? Well, here are a few fun facts that we’ve collected about the rising popularity of FootGolf in the United States (and abroad!) Want to book a FootGolf tee time online? Head to our Book A Tee Time page on GoFootGolf.com for the best deals on FootGolf rounds.
- Mike O’Connor, Federation for International FootGolf President & UK FootGolf President, was recently quoted as saying, “In five years’ time, every country in the world that has got golf courses will be a member of the Federation for International FootGolf.”
- FootGolf can be played even in the winter, for those brave (crazy?!) enough to try it!
- FootGolf gets a feature in the latest Jan 2015 issue of Southland Golf Magazine. Look for the Lake Forest Golf & Practice Center mention!
- Since January 2014 and the introduction of more FootGolf courses to Southern California and other regions, there has been a steady increase in FootGolf rounds booked at FootGolf courses, with players ranged from age 5 to 65 testing out the sport.
- The first 18-hole FootGolf Tournament in North America was played on July 22, 2012 in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Today, the American FootGolf League (AFGL) organizes a series of events throughout the year, culminating in the S. Pro-Am FootGolf Tour, slated for its second season in 2015.
- PGA.com included “Explaining FootGolf & What It Means for Golf” as its Number 3 most popular story on PGA.com and its websites for 2014.
- In the United Kingdom, UK FootGolf is working to create the UK FootGolf Academy Scheme, which will include holiday camps for kids and qualification courses for interested coaches.
- At the beginning of 2013, the United States had only two officially recognized FootGolf courses, and currently the number is over 300 courses in 43 states.
Now is the perfect time to get involved in the rising popularity of FootGolf! If you’re searching for Southern California FootGolf tee times, Orange County FootGolf tee times, or just the best online source for FootGolf tee times and blogs, check out all the information on GoFootGolf.com, and book your next FootGolf tee time online today!