Footgolf is a sport on the rise in Spain. It has been gaining followers for some time now and, although it is not yet at the organisational level of other countries, it is at a competitive level. In 2018 it participated in its first World Cup and, now, it has made history by achieving runner-up position in Europe in both the men's and women's categories. Only Spain presented its two teams in the final. The final victory eluded both of them, but it speaks very clearly of how much this new sport is growing in our country.
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Footgolf, news
The European Championship that has just been held in Antalya (Turkey) had 16 teams in the style of a European football championship: four groups of four teams, the first two qualify for the quarter-finals and from there, a knockout round until there is a champion. Spain was one of the favourites in the men's category and faced Slovakia in the final, one of the great powers that had left the world champion, France, in the dust, pushing them to the limit to obtain victory.
Today, Europe is the epicentre of footgolf, and both countries stand out as references. In Slovakia, the sport is already official and players receive financial support and in France there is a solid organisational structure that has attracted numerous practitioners, including former professional footballers. Its biggest star is Camel Meriem, former international and former player of clubs such as Girondins, Marseille and Monaco.
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The girls' performance is already a first class event. With only four representatives, which is the minimum to be able to participate, they eliminated countries with more tradition and that were in Antalya with a full team. For example, the boys went with 16 representatives, including the senior team. In the final, only the French were able to beat Rebeca Domingo, Lucia Bernuz, Lorena Rodel and Esther Montiel.
This has been the fourth European Championship for a sport that emerged in 2009 and, in certain countries, already has its own federation. In Spain, that does not happen. Right now there is an unofficial federation and what they are trying to achieve is to join the golf federation because, as Piero Menor, one of the best Spanish players, defines it, "this is 90% golf and 10% football."
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However, this process faces resistance. Some traditional golfers see footgolf as an intrusion into their space, since both sports share the same courses. Piero, however, sees it as an opportunity: Look at what is happening with pickleball. The US Tennis Federation missed the idea of including it at the beginning and now they have their own federation and it is growing at a brutal pace. In Spain, it did come under the umbrella of tennis, but relatively recently.
In addition, Menor believes that footgolf can benefit traditional golf. Many footballers who try footgolf end up also becoming interested in golf. It is a feedback loop between the two sports, he says.
While countries like England and Argentina already have exclusive footgolf courses, in Spain they still rely on conventional golf courses, which usually have specific times to play it. The only change needed in these courses is the size of the hole, adapted so that a football can enter and it never touches the green so as not to damage it.
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Although this transition has taken time, footgolf continues to gain popularity, driven by its own circuit and a classification that allows players to compete representing the national team.
Within this whole ecosystem, the ball used is particularly striking. The playing tool is a traditional football. And never better said, because the tendency is to use balls that are almost relics. The most commonly used are Adidas, which were created approximately between 2006 and 2012. We use the Teamgeist from the 2006 World Cup, the Europass from 2008 and, above all, the Jabulani. Yes, the ball from the South Africa World Cup that was so much talked about at the time due to the supposed effects it generated and which caused problems for goalkeepers. Piero explains the reason for using these very old balls: They are light and run very fast and do not spin, which is not a very good thing in footgolf. They allow for a better golf stroke with the inside of the boot.
