Jump to content
Testers Wanted: RUNNER Golf and Byrdie Golf Design ×

Speed Golf - 18 Holes in Under an Hour


swingmangolf

Recommended Posts

Several months ago my cousin-in-law Brad posted the following time-lapsed

on Facebook:

 

ChrisSmithSpeedGolf.jpg

As you can see, Christopher Smith shoots under par in under an hour at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.

 

Impressive, eh?

 

Intrigued by the video, I searched around on the Internet to find out what more I could learn about speed golf.

 

After some research I found that speed golf, similar to the biathlon that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, combines running and golf. Your total score is the aggregate of your running time plus your golf score. For example, if you shoot 90 in 75 minutes, your speed golf score would be 165 (90+75).

 

From what I could decipher, the sport started in California in 1979 when former American record holder in the mile (3:47.69 in 1982) runner Steve Scott dashed around a golf course in 29 minutes and 30 seconds shooting 95 with only a 3-iron.

 

After hearing about Steve Scott, a former Ironman triathlete and teaching pro named Jay Larson became the person who many considered the top speed golfer of the 1990s. Larson once shot a 75 in 39 minutes and 9 seconds on a 6,500 course with a slope rating of 125 (using the old rules of speed golf where you could have a caddy in a cart riding out in front of you carrying your clubs and calling out distances as you approached the ball).

 

Towards the end of the 1990s, in an effort to help promote the sport, Oregonians and speed golfers Tim Scott (a former teaching pro turned school teacher) and Jim Kosciolek (a Chicago-based lawyer) founded a company called Speed Golf International.

 

Since that time, Tim, along with their friend Christopher (the guy from the above video), have been considered the top speed golfers in the world. Guinness Records has actually recognized Smith as having the lowest speed golf score ever. He shot a 65 (-5) in 44 minutes and 6 seconds for an overall speed golf score of 109.06 in the 2005 Chicago Speed Golf Classic on the relatively short Jackson Park Golf Course.

 

GuinnessWorldRecord.jpg

 

The rules of speed golf are basically the same as regular golf except for two things.

 

  • First, in the interest of saving time, you are allowed to leave the flag stick in on the green when you are putting.
     
    JaacobBowdenSpeedGolfBandonDunes7thHole.jpg


     

  • Second, when a ball is lost, you are allowed to drop it anywhere along the estimated point from where it was lost back on the line of flight to where the shot was originally played. It was decided to adopt this because it was thought to be too severe of a penalty to not only have the stroke penalty for the lost ball, but also to be penalized the additional time of having to run back to replay another ball.

Equipment-wise, you are allowed to use the legal maximum of 14 clubs and take along with you anything you normally would for golf. However, since you have to run with whatever you have, most players will limit what they bring. To run faster, a number of people have tried to only play with one club, but the offset in the higher golf score seems to be too great to make it justifiable to shoot the lowest possible speed golf score. It seems better to be a decent runner and really good golfer versus the opposite.

 

These days it's normal for a top speed golfer to carry anywhere between 4-7 clubs. For example, the speed golfer might bring a driver, 18-degree hybrid/iron/wood, 5-iron, 8-iron, 52-degree wedge, and putter. With a setup similar to this, you can play nearly every shot you would need out on the golf course.

 

JaacobBowdenBandonDunesSpeedGolfWorldChampionships.jpg

 

While you can simply carry the clubs freely, it gets quite tiring to bend over repeatedly to pick the clubs up after each shot, so most speed golfers will also play with a special Sun Mountain stand bag made specifically for speed golf that can be carried in only one hand. The bag has a small pocket that can house a few balls, some tees, your valuables, and whatever else fits.

 

JaacobBowdenSpeedGolfBandonDune1stHole.jpg

 

Since one can sweat quite a bit, rain gloves are also often worn to prevent your hands from slipping on the grips when you swing….and most wear running shoes versus regular golf shoes.

 

Right around the time when I originally came across the video of Christopher at Bandon Dunes, I also saw an ad for the 2012 Speed Golf World Championships.

 

SpeedGolfWorldChampionshipsAd.jpg

 

Being a Professional Golfer and having previously ran a variety (5K, 10K, etc) of running races for recreation in my early and mid 20s, I thought it would be fun to try to compete. Plus, I had always wanted to play at Bandon Dunes and, although I wasn't in bad shape, I figured it would give me some extra motivation to get back in better shape and lose an inch or two off my waist. So I contacted the championship organizers and as it turns out I was eligible to get in to the field based on both my previous results as a professional golfer and also my prior running times.

 

The distance you have to run depends on a number of factors. A 6,500-yard course is about 3.7 miles. After you factor in the distance from tee to green on each hole and the fact that you are not going to hit every shot perfectly straight, it's normal to expect that you will have to cover 5-6 miles over the course of a round of speed golf.

 

Armed with this knowledge, I went out to a track to see how fast I could do 5-miles (8K). Given my then present conditioning, I was happy to find I was able to finish the 5-miles without stopping, but it did take me a little over 55 minutes to do…good, but not really what I thought would be fast enough to be competitive. Fortunately, I had about 2 months to improve my conditioning and through a series of treadmill, trail, track, and street runs I was able to whittle my 5-mile time down to a little over 36 minutes.

 

Additionally, I went out to a local golf course a little before sunset one day to see what it would be like to run and play a few holes of golf. It was a bit tricky at first to hit shots being out of breath, feeling a little delirious, and having tired legs, but I was surprised to find that my body was able to adapt rather quickly.

 

Fortunately, I had previously trained to play without practice swings, to pick clubs by instinct, and to hit to targets by feel without knowing the actual yardage (you can practice this on the range by hitting all of your clubs to all of the flags that are within reach of each respective club), so that aspect of it was an easy adjustment for me.

 

On the greens, while I could read my putts well enough from just glancing at the green as I approached it and with only a quick look as I got to the ball, keeping steady and not getting yippy was a bit more difficult. Yet, even with that, I soon found a way to get my breathing under control and calm myself for just long enough to hit each putt.

 

SpeedGolfWorldChampionships.jpg

 

By the time I arrived at Bandon Dunes, I felt pretty good about my chances. However, at the same time I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had never competed against any of these players at the same course and conditions.

 

Plus, in addition to speed golf legends like Tim Scott and Christopher Smith being in the field, basically every one in the Pro/Elite field was either a top golfer (Ex. Kris Moe played in two British Opens) or a fast runner (Ex. Gretchen Johnson, the only amateur and female competitor, played golf for NYU and qualified for and ran in the Boston Marathon).

 

Despite a 4-putt and two 3-putts (easy to do even for good putters if you are on the wrong tier of Old Mac's large and undulating greens), I played the first round at the Old Macdonald course with a 75 in about 61 minutes and found myself sitting in 5th…in contention and right behind Tim Scott and Chris Smith. I was interviewed by CBS who, by the way, will be airing a 30-minute special narrated by Jim Nantz before the 3rd round of the upcoming Masters.

 

CBSInterviewSpeedGolfWorldChampionshipsJaacobBowden.jpg

 

Going in to the final round held at the Bandon Dunes course, I figured if I ran 5 minutes faster and cleaned up my card, I could get under par and get the win. Fortunately, I was able to get done in 56 minutes and, despite not playing as well that day, I knew I was close at the end because the CBS cameras were following me the last 3 holes. Unfortunately for me, it ended up not quite being enough and I finished the competition in a respectable 5th right behind Christopher Smith and Tim Hval.

 

ChrisSmithJaacobBowdenTimHvalSpeedGolfWorldChampionshipsLeaderboard.jpg

 

The big hitting recent Notre Dame graduate and standout Chris Walker ended up sneaking in a birdie at the last hole to edge out Tim Scott (who amazingly was still competing after having been diagnosed with eye cancer earlier in the year) for the victory.

 

ChrisWalkerGolf.jpg

 

Although I was hoping for the win, I still had a great time and I was certainly pleased to be right in the mix with guys like Tim and Christopher and finish in the Top 5. Very much like the running crowd, despite being competitors, there was also great camaraderie and we all pulled for one another. In fact, many of us have since gone on to become friends.

 

Furthermore, Mike Kaiser and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort were exceptional hosts. If you've never been to the resort, I definitely recommend it. In addition to the Old Macdonald and Bandon Dunes courses, they also have three others. Despite the amount of courses, it didn't feel overcrowded at all. Each course was it's own. Similar to St. Andrews, they all play like true links golf (Ex. I played the 131-yard 15th with a bump and run 5-iron) and yet have the Pacific coastline beauty of Pebble Beach. Shuttles are always available within a few minutes to take you anywhere you want, the food is excellent (I really enjoyed the local salmon), and the service (say hi to “Shoe” when you arrive) is as good as any golf resort I've been.

 

Those that enjoy running and golf will like speed golf. You can knock out 9 or 18 holes before work and at the same time get in some cardio…all before heading in to the office. If you don't get the first tee time of the day, you can alternatively go out an hour before dark, or maybe loop a couple holes on the golf course (provided there's space and you don't hold someone up behind you).

 

For those that aren't in to running, there are still certainly some things you can take away from speed golf.

 

  • First of all, slow play is a problem in general in golf and it is one of the reasons many people don't play the game. You may not get around in less than an hour like we do, but there's really no reason for 4-6 hour rounds at the amateur or professional levels. During our practice rounds, we played normal walking golf and as foursomes we were finishing in 3-3.5 hours from the back tees despite each hitting multiple shots on numerous holes. We didn't feel rushed and still had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and nature...and even took some touristy pictures.
     
    You can pick up the pace of play by minimizing or eliminating your practice swings, not spending so much time determining yardages or reading your putts, being ready to hit when it's your turn, putting out versus marking your ball, leaving your bag on the side of the green where you will exit it to get to the next hole, etc.
     
  • Second, in speed golf it's wasted time to sit over the ball and over-think a shot. Not to mention, grinding so much over your swing and what to do can really wear you down over the round. Often times we pick out a shot and a club before we even get to the ball. Once we're there, we get set up (without overly rushing), give it a whack, and move on. Eliminating a lot of extra conscious thought can free you up to play better shots, plus you won't be as exhausted by the time you head to the 19th hole.
     
  • Third, speed golf can teach you to become a better player and shot-maker. When you play with only 4-7 clubs, you will probably find you have to manage your way around the course a little more carefully, be more target-oriented, and very rarely will you encounter a situation where you have a shot that is a perfect yardage for a full swing. Therefore it's useful to learn how to play draws or fades, hit high and low shots, and to make swings of varying lengths.
     
    Try playing a round with only your even or odd clubs, for example, or maybe play a few rounds where you don't check the distance and pick clubs out instinctively and simply react to your targets. It can be a bit scary at first, but it's amazing how good you'll probably find you can play. With a little practice, most people end up shooting the same speed golf scores as they do in regular golf.

Remember, the Speed Golf World Championships will be aired on a 30-minute CBS special before the 3rd round of the 2013 Masters.

 

So be sure to tune in and check us out!

__________________________________________

 

JaacobBowdenAdamsGolfHat.jpg

Jaacob Bowden is a Professional Golfer, Swing Speed Trainer, and President of Swing Man Golf

 

Websites - Swing Man Golf | Jaacob Bowden

Facebook - Swing Man Golf | Jaacob Bowden

Twitter - @SwingManGolf | @JaacobBowden

YouTube - Swing Man Golf - Over 2 Million Video Views!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was a great read and certainly something I would like to try. Keep us posted on anything else that will be televised, just watching that video makes me think I would enjoy watching a full round on TV. I bet its hard for announcers and camera crew to keep up though...

WITB

 

Driver: Calloway Diablo Octane Tour, UST VTS Silver

Hybrids: 16* Taylormade RBZ Tour 16*, 21* TEE XCG-3

Irons: Adams CB1 4-PW, KBS C Taper Lite S

Wedges: Nike VR Pro Forged 52*, 58*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG3

 

Grips: Lamkin Crossline Midsize

Ball: Whatever I find, prefer Bridgestone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was a great read and certainly something I would like to try. Keep us posted on anything else that will be televised, just watching that video makes me think I would enjoy watching a full round on TV. I bet its hard for announcers and camera crew to keep up though...

 

Glad you enjoyed. It was a lot of fun. :-)

 

Air time for the World Championships is on CBS before the 3rd round of the Masters.

 

SpeedGolfInternational.com should be posting more events as they come up next year. There is also going to be an amateur division again next year as well for those that just want to try it for fun. Plus it's a good excuse to go to Bandon!

 

True that about the cameras. They had a couple stationary or hand-held ones on the 1st and 18th holes...but all the others were on golf carts and they just drove along side us to keep up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought, I bet those GPS watches would make things even faster for those of us who suck at judging distances.

 

Good call. I was actually thinking about getting one of those myself.

 

There were a few times where I had a blind shot and couldn't see the green...had to run over to a sprinkler to check the distance and also run to higher ground to see an aim line. GPS watch would've definitely helped.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if they'd let us use those in the World Championships? Don't see why not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I LOVE SPEED GOLF!!! I had to miss the 2012 Speed Golf World Championships.... (Ruptured Achilles Tendon) Next year. I am all over it. Positive that I will not come close to you guys as far as score goes, but I will be there time wise...

Driver - Ping G430 Max 9° | Ventus Blue TR 
Hybrid - :srixon-small: ZX 16° & 18° | GD Tour IZ S

2 Iron - :srixon-small: ZU65 17° | AeroTech SteelFiber 110icw S

Irons -  :srixon-small: ZX7 MKII  4-Pw | TTDGTI S400, std length  1° flat
Wedges - :cleveland-small: RTX 6 Tour Rack 50° 54° 58° | TTDGTI S400, std length 1° flat

Putter -  L.A.B. Golf Link.1 | LA Golf P135 shaft | Garsen Quad Tour grip
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!

 

Now THAT was an awesome read! Thank you for sharing!

 

This really seems like it would be a TON of fun! Pretty incredible workout, but so much fun. I don't even know if I could do a three hole speed golf, but this would be an excellent way to workout. Wow...

 

Great job BTW! Pretty amazing that in your first ever speed golf competition you finished in the top 5!

 

Did you win anything?

 

I feel as though speed golf may take off. Frisbee golf is becoming more and more popular; however, there are many more upsides to speed golf in comparison with regular golf. May have to look into hosting one of these tournaments at my club in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!

 

Now THAT was an awesome read! Thank you for sharing!

 

This really seems like it would be a TON of fun! Pretty incredible workout, but so much fun. I don't even know if I could do a three hole speed golf, but this would be an excellent way to workout. Wow...

 

Great job BTW! Pretty amazing that in your first ever speed golf competition you finished in the top 5!

 

Did you win anything?

 

I feel as though speed golf may take off. Frisbee golf is becoming more and more popular; however, there are many more upsides to speed golf in comparison with regular golf. May have to look into hosting one of these tournaments at my club in the future.

 

There was a $50,000 purse in the Pro/Elite division...so I won some cash!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was curious of how they have the field spaced. Does everyone go off the first tee one at a time with a certain distance between them? Also I don't typically play by myself, so is it even feasible to play this type of golf with someone else, obviously just for fun as it wouldn't be possible to go as fast due to putting, etc.

WITB

 

Driver: Calloway Diablo Octane Tour, UST VTS Silver

Hybrids: 16* Taylormade RBZ Tour 16*, 21* TEE XCG-3

Irons: Adams CB1 4-PW, KBS C Taper Lite S

Wedges: Nike VR Pro Forged 52*, 58*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG3

 

Grips: Lamkin Crossline Midsize

Ball: Whatever I find, prefer Bridgestone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was curious of how they have the field spaced. Does everyone go off the first tee one at a time with a certain distance between them? Also I don't typically play by myself, so is it even feasible to play this type of golf with someone else, obviously just for fun as it wouldn't be possible to go as fast due to putting, etc.

 

In the Pro/Elite division to avoid passing they seeded us based on our expected running times and sent us off as singles exactly every 8 minutes (10 minutes on the 2nd day because there was one pass made on the first day) from the first tee. There were scorers on the green of each hole recording each person's official golf score.

 

I believe the amateurs were sent off every 4 minutes since there wasn't prize money involved, but I'm not for certain. I suspect there was more passing in the amateur flights.

 

They told us in the player meeting that if you're the slower golfer you're supposed to let the faster one play through...and just be careful as you're doing it.

 

Yeah, I think if you just wanted to do it with one or more friends for the exercise and enjoyment of it, it would be fine...sort of like going out for a jog with a buddy. You could stop and start and what-not as decided by the group.

 

Sometimes Pros during practice rounds will take shots at the same time or nearly at the same time from the fairway...and will also often putt/chip at the same time on the greens.

 

So I guess recreationaly some of it would depend just on whatever rules you wanted to come up with for yourself...sort of like how guys decide on various betting games before a round.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If anyone is interested in listening, this past week I was also a guest on Golf Smarter Podcasts and the Golf Club Radio Show talking about speed golf.

 

Here's the links:

 

Golf Smarter Podcasts

 

Golf Club Radio Show

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

This really seems like it would be a TON of fun! Pretty incredible workout, but so much fun. I don't even know if I could do a three hole speed golf, but this would be an excellent way to workout. Wow...

 

Three hole? I could barely last one!


  1.  
    In my Adams Hercules cart bag...
    DriverPing I15 9.5* TFC stiff
    Hook MachineTaylormade Burner Superfast Rescue 18*
    3 HybridAdams ProA12 20* stiff matrix Ozik Altus
    IronsCleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
    Birdie-MakerMizuno JPX 50*-10*
    Piece of CrapOrlimar 56*
    On the wayCleveland 588 forged 62*-10*
    Mid-Round FuelSnickers bars
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, one other thing I thought of...

 

For those that want to learn more about Speed Golf, have a look at Christopher Smith's (guy from the video above) book called "I've Got 99 Swing Thoughts But Hit the Ball Ain't One".

 

It gets in to a lot more about the sport as well as some things that normal golfers can take away from speed golf and apply to their own game. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Great read Jaacob - really enjoyed this - I had passed on it earlier because I was so busy - trying to get caught up with life post Christmas now.

 

Played yesterday - an exasperating 4:45 affair - while I'm not sure that I would enjoy only playing speed golf I'm of the opinion that a round should never last more than 3:30 and that a 3:00 round should be the norm that we strive for. The guy I played with believes that 2:30 should be the goal and that if there were a way to get the average round down to 2:30 we would double the number of golfers.

 

His suggestion is GPS ball tracking at affordable prices - I think you'd have to add slower green speeds and change the rules a bit - I like the lost ball rule here and OB being a drop with penalty at the spot the ball went OB. Perhaps also a 3 putt maximum except in competition.

 

Regardless this was a really fun read and I'm going to check out your site.

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the kind words and support guys! Glad you liked! :)

 

I agree, not everyone will want to do speed golf and certainly time is a factor for a lot of people in deciding to play or not...but it's actually quite reasonable for a foursome to finish in 3-4 hours. We do it during our practice rounds when we just walk...and still find time to socialize, enjoy the scenery, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

For those that missed the TV telecast of the Speedgolf World Championships on CBS during the Masters this past April...it's available to watch online now.

 

Here's the link. I'm in the red hat, red shirt, and khaki pants. Finished 5th. :D

 

http://youtu.be/5NJr3bhI1WI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

FYI, you can watch the 2013 Speedgolf World Championships on October 26th and 27th from 8am to 12pm PST.

Here's the web link to the Bandon Dunes site:

http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/blog/2013-speedgolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

That was awesome to read! Thanks for posting! What a grind!! 

Twitter: @EdmundCruz 

             @ChiGolfAth 

 

What's In The Bag:

Driver:  Tour Edge Golf EX9 10 degrees, UST Mamiya ATTAS COOOL Stiff Flex
Hybrid:  Tour Edge Golf Exotics EX9 #3 Hybrid, UST MAMIYA RECOIL 670 F4 Stiff Flex
Irons:
:benhogan-small: Ft. Worth 15 Irons, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39, 43, 47 KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Wedges:
:benhogan-small: TK 15 Wedges, 51, 55, 59. KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Putter: Buzelli Golf STA-1, Standard Loft/Lie
Ball:  Snell Golf My Tour Ball 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually play on Tuesday nights a full round, while not running I can finish in about 1:15ish on foot. 

In my bag:

Driver: :callaway-logo-1: Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS 10.5* (set to 9.5) UST Lin-Q Gunmetal 6f5

Wood: :titleist-small: Tsi2 15* Project X RDX Black 70 6.5

Hybrids: :cobra-small: King Utility 19.5* Diamana Tensei White Pro 90TX

Irons: :cobra-small: Cobra King Tour MIM 4-PW Dynamic Gold 120 X100

Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 3 50*, 54*, 58* Tour Issue S400

Putter: :seemore-small: Nashville Z1C 34"

 Ball: :titleist-small:  Pro V1x

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Speed golf if you can call it golf doesn't interest me. I prefer steady-pace-of-play-golf. I rush around enough already. So the golf course is my place to relax. (sort of. Ha.)

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoy being outside, communing with nature while trying to get better at this silly game.  I am not sure why I would want to cut my time short by rushing through a round.  My score would surely suffer.  Besides, at my course it would be impossible unless the course was empty, and I have never seen it empty.  I like PJ's approach of steady play; I don't like fast, and hate it when it's too slow.  All golf should be played at my speed!    :D

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I love playing fast...But this is taking it a little further than I'd ever be able to go! :-) Pretty cool stuff though.

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 (8*) with Diamana Kai'li X-stiff

Fairway:   :ping-small: G400 (14.5*) with Diamana Kai'li X-stiff

Irons: :ping-small: Crossover 3 iron (19*) with TT Dynamic Gold 120 S400 shaft

            :titelist-small: AP3 (4/5) and AP2 (6-PW) with TT Dynamic Gold 120 S400 shafts

Wedges: Scor 50*, 54*, and 58* with TT Dynamic Gold 120 S400 shafts

Putter:  :cameron-small: Pro Platinum Newport 2 Midslant

Handicap: 3

Location: Illinois...until i can get my wife to move to a warmer climate

Right Handed: Although sometimes I wonder if left handed would suit me better :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...