What Is Speed Golf?

Golf Monthly

In this video, Michael Harris and Alex Narey played speed golf at The Springs. They were joined by speed golf expert Luke Willett to see what this unique version of the game is like. How fast can they play a full 18 holes, what will the added speed do to the scoring, would they recommend you give it a go?

Transcript

00:00Hello everyone, Mike Harris from Golf Monthly and you join me at the Springs Golf Club in

00:06Oxfordshire. It is a fairly ungodly 6.30 in the morning, set my alarm for 4.45 to get up to get

00:15here. This is not just a general easy Friday morning knock though. I'm playing 18 holes of

00:24speed golf with PGA Pro Luke Willett aka the Iron Golfer. Luke is an incredible athlete along with

00:33being a PGA Pro. He's able to play 18 holes. I think his record time is 44 minutes and having

00:41only 78 shots. I don't think I'm going to get anywhere near that today but I'm out here to

00:47find out what it's like to play speed golf. I'm playing with Alex Neri, one of my colleagues from

00:52Golf Monthly. We're not athletes, we're not runners. We do a bit of fitness and we play quite a lot of

00:58golf but how are we going to get on? What are we going to learn today? Luke says he loves speed golf

01:04because it disconnects him to make him feel connected. It's all about being stripped down,

01:09really eyeballing shots, not overthinking golf. Certainly something that I probably struggle

01:14with. So today, really light pencil bag, just got a half set of clubs. Interestingly to see,

01:21Luke has only got four clubs. He told me not to take a driver because not to waste time pegging it up

01:27but I'm afraid the driver is my straightest club in the bag. I'm worried about spraying it around.

01:32We'll see how I get on out there but just a minimal half set of clubs. It is literally hit it,

01:39find it, hit it again, keep on going for the 18 holes. It's about four and a half miles around the

01:4518 holes. Luke reckons we might be able to do it in about 70 minutes which is an awful lot quicker.

01:50than I normally play 18 holes. Let's get to the first tee and see what happens.

02:20So when you start to get one inch line. make the безопас.

02:26You like the skateboarding car? That's Jenny Mass, there's an all- Dienst 89 holes.

02:28Let's get to the first tee and see how I need it too.

02:30No, it's twice any times better myself.

02:34Well, it's gonna happen.

02:35john rick.

02:37I think that's a little naughty shootout.

02:39What's his way too hot?

02:42What's herisseus?

02:44we are halfway around in 31 minutes so

02:55and that was for a five a par we're actually playing quite well short and straight off the

03:07tee definitely the play doesn't matter if you duff it it's much harder if you are running

03:13offline looking for balls although a couple of times alex has hit it offline has allowed me a

03:19chance for a breather so uh just about to go on the 10th hole this is unbelievable i am loving it

03:26uh par three how far

03:29oh great swing yeah i love your shot 180 i guess okay

03:43hole 15 um 55 minutes i think we might break

04:13that 70 minute target that luke set um definitely nudge it down the middle is the play every time

04:22i'm actually playing all right i overthink my golf and in this format you just can't overthink it

04:28can't be looking at yardages can't be reading putts from both sides it's brilliant i am loving this

04:35it's hard work hamstrings are feeling really tight

04:38uh buzzing it's great final push last three and a half holes

04:43so

04:48so

05:3270 minutes, 31 seconds.

05:38So we just missed our target time of 70 minutes.

05:43I'm going to catch my breath.

05:45I'm going to catch up with Luke.

05:48And try and work out what we've learned from playing speed golf this morning at the springs.

05:52But that was a lot of fun.

05:55So we have finished our round of speed golf.

05:59We've had a chance to have a bit of a rest, a little bit of a lie down.

06:03Had a full English breakfast, which I think I thoroughly deserved.

06:07Luke just had a cup of coffee and water.

06:10He is an athlete, unlike me.

06:12But that was a lot of fun.

06:13We've had a chance to reflect on it.

06:15Didn't quite break that 70 minute target.

06:18We were 70 minutes and 31 seconds.

06:21But still, that is an awful lot shorter than a regular three ball to play 18 holes of golf.

06:29I'm just looking at the scorecard.

06:32Luke shot one under par.

06:35He was five under at the turn.

06:37Turned in 31, then made a birdie.

06:39Chipped in for a birdie at the 10th.

06:44But yeah, incredible.

06:46I shot 87, but with a quadruple and a treble.

06:50So it could have been all right without that.

06:53And Alex, third member of our group, got it in under 100, which was great.

06:59Wheels came off a little bit for him, but then it was interesting.

07:01Luke, you helped Alex get the wheels back on, really.

07:05And that was like you told him to put the driver away.

07:08For sure.

07:09And start playing on.

07:10Tell us, how do you think we got on in our...

07:12I mean, obviously for you, we slowed you down a lot.

07:14You would normally get round in, what, sort of about 35, 40 minutes?

07:18Fingers crossed.

07:19Yeah.

07:20Yeah, fingers crossed.

07:21Look, you guys are great.

07:22You embraced the unknown.

07:23Yeah.

07:24You tried something new.

07:25Golf is one of the oldest sports around.

07:27That's what's beautiful about it.

07:29And guess what?

07:30You can always experience a new version of golf.

07:32And that's what you guys did.

07:33Golf is for anyone.

07:34Yeah.

07:35And these guys rock that today.

07:37Yeah, it was really interesting.

07:39I think one of the things that I probably...

07:41I love my technology.

07:42I've got a laser.

07:43I've got a GPS.

07:45I'm forever looking at the yardages.

07:46And a couple of times, I think you laughed at me when I go,

07:49what's the yardage here?

07:50It's like, just hit it.

07:52Just hit it.

07:53You know, how often do you go through the back of a green?

07:56Certainly missing a green, short and at the front.

07:59Just bump it up.

08:00Have a putt.

08:01Sam and I wouldn't have been that far off my handicap.

08:05Take out the quadruple and the treble and I'd have been okay.

08:09What do you think next time, Luke?

08:11Is there anything else?

08:12Because I know you said at the start, you wouldn't hit a driver because you didn't want to peg it up.

08:17That would take a bit up.

08:18But I was sort of...

08:19I felt I drove it quite well today.

08:21I had that little cut going on.

08:22Just almost like a little chippy one.

08:24180, 200 yards.

08:25Found the fairway.

08:26Anything that I could do or Alex could do differently next time?

08:30Yeah.

08:31Going forward, speed golf is all about trying the unknown, like we just said there.

08:36And it's about exploring.

08:38You know, have a little experiment.

08:40Try stuff out.

08:41Never stop trying stuff out.

08:42And that's why...

08:43Look, today was a great round for me.

08:44One under par.

08:45I feel great.

08:46It was a good time.

08:47That's world record stuff.

08:49Where did I get to?

08:51How did I get to that?

08:52Well, it was by exploring.

08:54So all I would actually say is I would just say embrace that.

08:57Explore.

08:58You know, I will come around with anyone.

09:00You know, I'll leave that open to you guys.

09:02You know, pick up the phone.

09:04Ask me and I'll take you around.

09:06But the point is just explore.

09:08Yeah.

09:09And you're...

09:10It might not always be I want to have a fast round, but that's kind of cool.

09:13Yeah.

09:14It might be I want to improve my golf.

09:16You can do that.

09:17You can do whatever you want.

09:18But explore and then you'll find stuff out.

09:20I go around this great place here.

09:22There's red kites flying around.

09:23Your course might be armadillo's.

09:25Who knows?

09:26You know?

09:27Explore.

09:28It was brilliant.

09:29It was a really fantastic experience.

09:31A really great buzz.

09:32I was just chatting to Luke afterwards over breakfast and sort of said,

09:35how does that compare to other rounds?

09:37What did I feel like at the end?

09:38And I reckon the only time that I felt more of a buzz is I played the old course once in a competition,

09:45finished par birdie to break 80.

09:48But today the elation I felt finishing on the 18th hole.

09:53And it was interesting chatting to Alex as well.

09:55Alex has done a lot of really intense cycling.

09:58Cycled up a place like Alpe d'Huez.

09:59He was saying similar sort of buzz once you've finished that round of golf.

10:03The elation you've got.

10:05Really good workout.

10:07What's the time now?

10:10It's sort of half nine.

10:12I'm going to head home.

10:13I'm going to go and do a day's work.

10:15But it has been absolutely brilliant.

10:16Luke, thank you for having us.

10:18It's been a brilliant morning at the Springs.

10:20Speed golf.

10:21I don't know.

10:22Give it a go.

10:23It's a bit of fun.

10:24It's a bit of something different.

10:25But a lot of fun.

10:27Definitely going to try it again.

10:29But from the Springs golf course, it's goodbye.

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