IN THE NEWS
> C L I C K H E R E T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T F O O T G O L F, B O O K T E E T I M E S A N D S I G N U P F O R E M A I L S P E C I A L S
N
atalie Bernal admits
that it took a little
while for golfers to
get used to the idea of people
kicking soccer balls across the
fairways at the Lake Forest
Golf & Practice Center. But the
idea has caught on and now
the course is the first one in
Orange County to offer a sport
quickly growing in popularity
across the country: FootGolf.
"It's been a great success,"
said Bernal, the course's gen-
eral manager of the new sport-
ing craze that combines soccer
and golf. "Business is up 33
percent and we're seeing a lot
of golfers coming back and
playing FootGolf and vice
versa. It's a great way to get
exercise and have some fun."
FootGolf players tee off
from dedicated tee boxes and
strike the regulation-size soc-
cer ball to a FootGolf green lo-
cated near the putting green.
"There's nothing fancy
about the greens. We just mow
a section of the grass, so there
are no undulations or breaks,"
Bernal said.
Depending on how crowded
the course is, a group of Foot-
Golf players can get a round in
at about an hour and 15 min-
utes, noticeably quicker than
the customary two-hour nine-
hole round of golf, Bernal said.
Bernal estimates that some
1,500 foot golfers have partici-
pated since the sport was
launched at Lake Forest the
last week in June. The biggest
hurdle was educating foot
golfers, some of whom were
unfamiliar with how to behave
on a golf course.
"Soccer players are a little
bit of a different type of breed
than regular golfers, so we
have to remind them to tone it
down and to be considerate of
the golfers," Bernal said. "We
don't allow cleats and they
need to learn to rake the
bunkers and follow the same
common rules of etiquette."
Lake Forest charges a $10
nine-hole rate for foot golfers
and $5 for ball rental.
GETTING A KICK OUT OF THE GAME
The popularity of FootGolf is on the rise – and Lake Forest Golf Course is helping to lead the way
FOOTGOLF
EVERY THING YOU
NEED TO KNOW
F
ootGolf – basically
people kicking soccer
balls around a golf
course to a cup that is 21
inches in diameter –
began in Europe in 2008
and made its way to the
United States in 2011.
American Golf
Corporation
has embraced
the game and
now offers it
at six of its
Southern California
courses: Lake Forest,
Vista Valencia, Arcadia,
Saticoy, National City
and Tecolote Canyon.
Explore the links
below to learn more…
> CLICK HERE to learn
how to prepare for a day
of FootGolf.
> CLICK HERE to learn
how to play FootGolf.
> CLICK HERE for the
rules of FootGolf.
CLICK
TO WATCH
FOOTGOLF
VIDEO
< FootGolf is gaining popularity at
American Golf-managed courses.
