There’s a new kick on course: FootGolf

When the ball, struck with surprisingly good pace and accuracy, found the goal – I mean, hole – from 30 yards away, I didn’t know whether to pump my fist like Tiger Woods or pull my golf shirt over my head like an Argentine striker and sprint for the flag.

How do you celebrate a totally unexpected birdie in FootGolf?

That was one of the many curiosities on an afternoon last week in the 90 minutes it took to play my first-ever round of a new, fast-growing sport that combines soccer and golf.

A year ago, the Welk Resort introduced nine holes of FootGolf, mostly to its summer resort guests, and now has expanded to all 18 holes on its par-3 Oaks Course. On Sunday, Welk invited the public to play for free, and more than 250 people showed up in the span of eight hours.

World Cup fever no doubt contributed, but there seems a large upside in potential for a sport that gets people kicking in the grass without being whacked in the shins. Scorecards are in, yellow cards out.

“It’s an easier version of the game, and it’s bringing people out to the golf course,” said Josh Karp, Welk’s head pro. “Anybody can kick a ball. Hopefully, they will fall in love (with golf) after playing FootGolf.”

Golf facilities have been searching for ways to boost participation in golf while also diversifying their revenue streams. Of late, Hackgolf, played with a 15-inch cup, has been one idea, though, for a variety of issues, it has been slow to be embraced by most courses.

FootGolf’s momentum started earlier and it’s grown much faster. The American FootGolf League, formed in 2011, recognizes more than 160 courses in the country. There is an international governing body, and the AFGL is hoping to stage a U.S. national championship in 2015.

One of the most high-profile proponents of the hybrid is PGA of America President Ted Bishop, whose golf facility, The Legends, in Franklin, Ind., features a FootGolf course. When The Legends held a “FootGolf Day for the Northern Hemisphere” on May 3, Golf Channel and HBO “Real Sports” were there to do features.

“The excitement that FootGolf has caused is exceeding my expectations,” Bishop said in May.

Mike Woods would agree. He is the head pro at Sacramento’s Haggin Oaks, a venerable, 80-year-old Alister MacKenzie layout where Ben Hogan earned his first professional check.

Early last year, Woods got an email about Footgolf. He laughed and deleted it. Then, having played both golf and soccer in college, Woods reconsidered. He tried it, loved it, and eventually convinced his fellow managers that it might be a viable business option.

The result: This year, Haggin Oaks is projecting as many as 10,000 rounds of FootGolf, likely making it the most successful facility for the sport in the country. Five other courses in Sacramento have joined in, and they’re all seeing a growth in leagues and corporate outings, Woods said.

“When we first started this, we saw it as a way to build golf by bringing more non-golfers to the course,” Woods said. “What’s happened is that it’s become clear to us that we’re far more pioneering a new sport.”

Much like disc golf never produced a boom for traditional golf, it would be unrealistic to believe FootGolf will be any different. The games, and the skills required to play them, are vastly different.

But when Woods said that he sees far more happy FootGolfers than real golfers, I get that. After my first round, played with my 16-year-old son, Casey, who’s not a golfer, I wanted to grab every friend and get them out there to share the fun.

There’s just not much dislike. You can kick the ball soccer-style or with your toe. The Welk holes are all about 75 to 100 yards. The cup is about two soccer balls wide, 21 inches. FootGolfers kick off from the golf tees, but play to a separate green cut a good distance away from the golf hole. The cost is reasonable: $15 per adult, $10 for kids 17 and under.

We had no trouble intermingling with regular golfers, and the pace was excellent: 90 minutes for 18 holes.

There were some truly fun moments, too, like when Casey found himself in the trees after his tee kick on 17, and emerged with a shot that found the cup from 40 yards out. I’d never seen him smile like that on a golf course.

There is a learning curve. Punch a “putt” too hard and miss, and it’ll roll 20 feet past the hole. Hills can be confounding, as we found out on Welk’s slanted 10th. We played Sisyphus with our soccer balls for a good five minutes, needling each other and laughing the whole time.

It was enjoyable, relaxing and good exercise, and the conclusion when it was over:

This FootGolf thing just might have legs.