Anaheim is on to FootGolf, why is Santa Ana asleep at the wheel?

Anaheim added the new sport of FootGolf to their Mtz, at the Dad Miller Golf Course in May, and it has since then generated $7,000 from fees. Officials expect revenues to increase to $25,000 next year, according to the O.C. Register.

What exactly is footgolf? FootGolf is a combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball at a golf course facility on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups. The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf.

There are 10 basic rules to FootGolf:

1. Wear golf apparel all the time.
2. Your ball must be easy to identify.
3. Review the scorecard and wait for your turn. Make sure your kick will not interfere with other players.
4. The ball must be played in a single movement. Your foot should be set separate from the ball, clearly behind, before the kick.
5. Wait to play until the ball has completely come to rest. (It is not legal to stop the ball from rolling with the wind).
6. Kick off your ball from a position up to two meters behind the round markers (tee markers). The order is established based on the score of the previous hole. The player with the best score will be the first to kick off on the next hole followed by the second, etc.
7. Play the ball from where it lies: It’s not allowed to move the ball or remove jammed objects. Exception: You may mark the spot and lift the ball when it may obstruct the other players kick or ball in any way.
8. The player farthest from the hole is the first to kick the ball.
9. If the ball lands in a water hazard, retrieve or replace it within two steps from the closest land point from where the ball entered the water, receiving one penalty point, or you can place the ball at the position of the previous kick and receive one penalty point.
10. Only on the greens may the balls be picked up to be cleaned or replaced. Regardless of the distance from the hole, the hole must be completed. “Giving” to the opponent is not allowed.

The American FootGolf League makes course information available here.

You have to wonder why the City of Santa Ana has not looked at adding this exciting new sport to our city, particularly at the Willowick Golf Course. According to the PGA this new sport is a great way to introduce young people to the sport of golf. And it costs a lot less for our young people to play FootGolf than golf as they don’t have to buy expensive golf clubs.