Footgolf

The game is played similarly to golf, with the exception that players use a football instead of a golf ball, and the ball is kicked rather than struck with a club, working toward a 50 cm-52 cm diameter by 28 cm deep "footgolf cup" usually located away from golf greens. Footgolf is often played on golf courses, though it may also be played on specially built courses. The first shot has to be played from a tee box, and bunkers, trees, water and hills must be crossed or avoided in order to reach the hole. Pars are typically five shots or fewer. Compared to golf, footgolf is quicker to play, faster to learn, and cheaper in terms of equipment. == Origins ==

A game with roughly similar rules, codeball, attained brief popularity in the United States during the late 1920s and 1930s. In September 2009 a version of the game was trademarked in the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) by Francisco Name as "Fut-Golf". The sport of footgolf as we know it today (including attire, etiquette and general rules) was created in the Netherlands in 2008 by Bas Korsten and Michael Jansen, who loosely based it on a post-training game played by Korsten's brother—pro-footballer Willem Korsten—during his time at British football club Tottenham Hotspur from 1999 to 2001. Players would end training sessions by kicking the footballs from the training pitch back to the changing rooms in as few kicks as possible. To officially launch this new sport, in which playing on a regulation golf course is fundamental, Korsten, Jansen and a team of colleagues set up a national and international bond and organised the first tournament (Nederlandse Kampioenschap FootGolf) at Golfbaan Het Rijk van Nijmegen on 6 September 2009. This tournament, later televised on RTL7, was played by Dutch professional and ex-professional footballers and won by Theo Janssen. == Organized play ==

The first-ever footgolf tournament was organized in the Netherlands by Michael Jansen and Bas Korsten, The game was internationally publicized, and countries worldwide started collaborating on the development of the game. By 2014, the game was offered at hundreds of courses in the United States and the Professional Golfers' Association of America and World Golf Foundation have both acknowledged footgolf's contribution to helping golf courses generate more income, and noted that it may contribute to the growth of golf itself. Former PGA president Ted Bishop said in 2014 that "I think it would be ludicrous to think there won't be a percentage of those people that might say, 'Hey, you know what? I think I'd like to try and play golf. By 2020, the State Games of America and the USA Masters Games have included the sport of footgolf in their official competitions. A group of countries combined to form the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) in June 2012, and a few months later, Roberto Balestrini, founder of footgolf in North America was selected by Golf Inc Magazine as one of "The Ten Most Innovative People in Golf". On 2 October 2017, the GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) granted observer status to the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG). In December 2015, the Swedish Golf Federation, a member of the highest sporting authority in Sweden (the Swedish Sports Confederation), by a formal two-part voting, accepted and approved footgolf as an official sport (eligible for recognition in national championships, future inclusion in the Olympic Games, etc.). The biggest footgolf event was the fourth FIFG FootGolf World Cup Orlando 2023 and displayed its global reach with trophies won by six countries in individual and team competitions. It was held at Walt Disney World Golf Resort and the Evermore Orlando Resort from 27 May through 6 June. Nearly 1,000 professional footgolf players from 39 countries gathered for the event, including former professional athletes like Alan Smith, Olindo Mare, and Roberto Ayala. It was broadcast on ESPN. In 2023, The Professional Footgolf Tour staged the first international FootGolf event in the Middle East when the Sharjah International FootGolf event took place in January of that year. The event, hosted by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, offered a $40,000 prize fund to be shared between the winning players. This event continues every January since, as part of the Sharjah's 'Week of the Stars' event, where football legends such as Francesco Totti, Clarence Seedorf and Alessandro Costacurta have also played the game. == Attire ==

The dress code for competition states a "classic golf style uniform with wearing indoor or turf football shoes" for tournament play, and notes that most golf courses have a dress code for golfers, which footgolf players would also have to follow. The Dress Code of the Major League of FootGolf in the United States (AFGL Tour) is basically golf style, knee-high football socks and turf football shoes. == Notable players ==

• Ben Clarke • Steffi Sarge Kaur • Ján Kozák • Matías Perrone == Buschball ==

Buschball is a variation invented in Germany. Rules The aim of the game is to hit the pole with as few shots as possible. The pole is a flag pole. Both the pole as well as the flag are part of the target. First the order of the players is drawn. The first player sets the pole for the first round, the second player begins the round by trying to hit the pole with as few kicks as possible. Once everyone has had a turn the second player places the pole and the third player starts the round etc. Every player has a maximum of nine attempts to hit the pole. If after these nine attempts he fails to hit the pole ten points are recorded for that particular player and it is the following player's turn. At the end of the round the player with the fewest kicks is awarded a best round. The first set is completed once everyone has had a turn to place the pole. The players can decide how many sets they wish to play. The winner is the person who at the end of the last set has the fewest kicks. In the case of a draw the number of best rounds decides. Note: While playing, no-one is allowed to touch the ball while it is still moving. Before a shot, any loose object behind the ball (sticks, stones, etc.) can be removed to ensure safety. Any object in front of the ball may not be removed. History The oldest known version of buschball was played in 1977. Due to a lack of players for a standard game of football Andreas Oligmüller and his friends decided to shoot at trees and road signs. After a while that became too easy so they decided to aim at trees hidden behind bushes. The first variant of the game was born. Players and clubs The number of players and clubs is constantly growing. In 2008, 35 people played buschball and in 2009 the sport had managed to attract 150 players. ==See also==