A combination of soccer and golf, the new sport of footgolf is gaining popularity across the nation.
According to the American FootGolf League, there are more than 250 footgolf courses across the United States, with 25 courses right here in Michigan.
“I’ve been playing soccer my whole life, and I also enjoy golf so it was just a perfect fit,” says Jon Aron, president and founder of the Michigan FootGolf Club.
“Some people are nervous to play golf; if you miss a shot you might bust out someone’s window or something, but in footgolf every one knows how to kick a ball, and if you don’t kick it good you can go ahead and kick it again, and that’s what’s really great.”
Aron will compete in the inaugural U.S. FootGolf National Championship in Chicago on Oct. 3. His goal is to qualify for the FootGolf World Cup in Argentina in 2016. His teammates are Jared Frost and Derek Gossett.
Georgetown Country Club in Ann Arbor is sponsoring Aron and his team. General manager Bill Diamond says the new sport is bringing more people to the golf course.
"A lot of children love to run around and kick a soccer ball and not as many enjoy going around trying to hit a golf ball. So in that sense it’s a great family fun activity that the kids can enjoy."
This month, the Michigan Footgolf Club is starting a footgolf league. Aron says he wants to get more people aware of the game.
"I still find myself daily meeting people that have never even heard of footgolf and so just bringing more people to the game, getting more people on the golf courses and hopefully spreading the word of footgolf."
For more information you can find Jon Aron on his Facebook page, or you can visit Georgetown Country Club's website.
