Swing golf

Swingolf ball and racket

Swingolf is an originally French golf variant developed in 1982 by Laurent de Vilmorin with a simplified set of rules and fewer equipment requirements, making it an easy-to-use outdoor sport . The task is to convey a hard foam ball using a universal bat and as few blows as possible over mowed fairways into marked holes. Swingolf develops particularly where the shortage of space makes the development of traditional golf courses difficult.

Basic features

The "swing"

First practice strokes on the net;
typical catering cart

Comparison of the area ratio golf and swing golf

In comparison to classic golf, swing golf is more rustic. Characteristic are carts filled with provisions and a typical club-style restaurant, clothing expectations do not exist. The game is played on meadows that do not use pesticides or artificial irrigation . Accordingly, the sowing of sensitive golf turf mixtures is unnecessary. Due to the uniform sward , it is possible and also customary to change fairways after a certain period of time within the framework of the existing rules, especially the teeing areas, which are moved after exposure to avoid bald spots or are provided with a non-slip mat.

A swingol round usually consists of 18 fairways that are 10 to 12 m wide and together 2 to 3 km long. In the middle of the facility is typically the reception with racket distribution and simple catering, so that a loop of 9 lanes can start and end there. As with mini golf , the rental of clubs and balls is included in the entrance fee, club members receive special conditions.

Usually several players agree to play a round ( flight ), which can then last several hours. So that the group does not tear apart, it is always the turn of the person furthest from the target hole.

With a good overall constitution, swing golf can also be practiced in old age and with physical impairments. As part of a study of cardiovascular patients, the University of Regensburg has documented that physical performance and mental well-being are significantly improved.

The potential danger to oneself and others is low if the rules are observed, a safety distance must be maintained at the tee and the fairway must be free of other players. The golf course permit, which can be proven by passing the exam, is unknown in swing golf; it is replaced by instructions and practice strokes on a safety net.

The movement - the eponymous swing - allows the ball to be hit more than 100 m. The different striking movements are carried out with a club whose shaft can be made of aluminum , carbon , stainless steel , graphite , titanium or a hybrid material. The length of the racket is measured according to the hip height of the player with standard lengths between 80 and 105 cm. The club head is made of hardened aluminum, which can also be chromed on request. It is solid or hollow at the bottom and has differently angled sides, so that distance strokes, approach strokes and also pitting are possible.

The swingolf ball is a homogeneous ball with a diameter of 5 cm and a weight of 50 grams. Compared to the less lighter, but only half as voluminous golf ball , it flies much slower and shorter. The grabber known from Boßelsport , which is used to retrieve floating balls, is carried on systems with water surfaces . It consists of a basket to which a long handle is attached.

For beginners, there is a plastic pin (English: tee ), which is pressed into the ground, allows an elevated ball position, which makes it easier to hit the ball. However , this pen may not be used in the target area of ​​the hole, within the very short mowed circle of lawn (English: Green ). The flag, which is sunk into the 30 cm hole, can be removed briefly for potting .

For each fairway there is the par specification adopted from classic golf . Depending on the length of the track, three, four or five strokes are specified as the target. An ambitious player is able to finish with the respective handicap. An 18-hole course reaches a total of par 72, which is usually made up of four par 3 and par 5 holes and ten par 4 holes. A par 3 in swing golf is 50 to 100 m in length, a par 4 is 100 to 200 m and a par 5 is 200 to 300 m.

A 9-hole course requires around 5 ha and an 18-hole tournament facility 10 ha, which corresponds to around 15 percent of the area required for a classic golf course.

Origins

Preliminary game Paille-Maille (Pall Mall)

Swingolf was developed out of a return to precision sports , which arose since the Middle Ages, first in the rural and finally in the middle-class environment. These include

• Chole , Colf or Kolven , a sport handed down from Flanders and the Netherlands , which has been played on icy canals but also on dry meadows since the end of the 14th century and is only widespread as an indoor game in West Friesland today.
• Paille-Maille , a game that became known in France , Italy and Holland in the 16th century - also known as Pall-Mall on the British Isles, especially in the London area- for which fairways were required. In its heyday after the Thirty Years' War and especially in the 18th century, it was the preferred game of the urban bourgeoisie, also in Germany, of which names such as Palmaille (street in Hamburg-Altona ) or Maille (city park in Esslingen am Neckar ) indicate.

From these origins, all precision sports played with ball or ball, stick or racket developed in the 19th century, including free golf on the public green area in Cannstatter Wasen near Stuttgart at the end of the century : Initiated by sports official Philipp Heineken , they met there from 1890 Putting students in, informal and label-free golf was practiced, but with the establishment of an association structure, this was quickly viewed as inappropriate and suppressed.

Internationally, there was more openness to special requirements, which is how it came about in the 1930s

• Cayman Golf as a golf game variant with a slow ball, because golf is only possible to a limited extent on the Cayman Islands due to the lack of space. This ball has knobs instead of dents, which shortens the flight path and the space required. The developer was the US chemical manufacturer DuPont , whose French-born owner family was friends with the swingolf architect DeVilmorin from the Île de France (the Paris region).

Development history

The 1980s

The first facility with the swingolf specifications (uniform racket, hard foam ball, short fairways on meadowland) was built in 1982 near the small town of Etampes near Paris after impulses from the family friendship DuPont / DeVilmorin and the detailed planning of the architect Laurent de Vilmorin (1928–2008) .

At first, as with the old Paille-Maille, only public green spaces were used. In the same decade, the French swing golf was founded as an independent division in the national golf association, an independent set of rules was drawn up, which has also been valid throughout Europe since then.

The 1990s

The following decade in France was marked by consolidation, the construction of the first facilities, club formation and adjustments to the rules. Binding minimum standards for construction, equipment and operation were also set. Cross-border expansion was carried out in French-speaking Switzerland and Wallonia , and the facilities there were integrated into the French association structure.

Since 2000

Swingolf round in the north of Iceland

It took 20 years to cross the language border. The short report on a Swiss swing golf course in the agricultural newspaper Top agrar under the heading “ Farmer's golf fills the cash register ” had a decisive influence on this . The article aroused the interest of German rural tourism organizers and farmers who already received partial income from accommodation and catering . The French Swingolf Association then commissioned Jean-Pierre Weber , a bilingual board member, to deal with inquiries from German-speaking countries.

Swingolf is now represented in many Central European countries as well as on the Italian Adriatic coast and in northern Iceland , municipality of Svalbarðsströnd . Every year national and since 2005 European championships (EM) are held, so far once in France, three times in Germany, 2010 in Switzerland ( Lavigny ), 2011 in Austria (Linz).

In France, a characteristic that has been preserved to this day is the duality of temporary, informal facilities ( Les parcours variés pour jouer en liberté ) and permanent, tournament-certified ( Les parcours homologués pour la compétition par la Fédération Sportive de Swin-Golf ). In Germany, too, there are informal facilities that are operated in spa parks or as temporary use for long-term building developments.

Distribution, classification: green = 18 holes / par 72, blue = 9 holes / par 36, red = other / par, yellow = not certified

Distribution at the end of 2011

At the end of 2011 there were more than 50 systems in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Austria and Germany, almost as many as in the country of origin France.

60 percent are 18 holes, 30 percent are 9 holes, and 10 percent are not certified. This distribution is similar to that of classic golf.

In June 2012, the first 27-hole course in Europe was opened in Handewitt near Flensburg, which is known for its handball sport .

Overall, the distribution of the systems in Central Europe is still quite inconsistent, as the distribution map on the right illustrates.

Only systems that are legally secured and have been operated are shown, but not temporary or informal spaces.

Outside of Europe, there is a plant in South Africa. In the Anglo- and Ibero-American countries, on the other hand, the attempt to establish swing golf has apparently failed due to trademark problems, and the comparable caymangolf is played there as an alternative .

variants

On larger Swingolf systems it has become customary to offer additional games and sports such as boules / petanque , speed badminton , shuffleboard , pit-pat , football golf , disc golf , paddle tennis or covered Klein Golf variants. This diversification is especially useful for optimizing and equalizing usage when there are high numbers of visitors.

Swingolfer meet in winter for event-oriented game variants such as

• City-Swin , the z. B. in the Swiss Basel and in Friborg ( Canton Friborg ) is played through inner-city green spaces.
• Frisian biathlon , a combination of swing golf and bosses.
• Hippo-Swin , Swingolf on the inner surface of a racecourse during times when there is no racing or training.
• Snow-Swin , on rolled fairways and after dark using fluorescent balls
• Watt-Swin along the East and North Frisian coast

Cooperations and competitions

Après-Swin : Rustic clubhouse at the facility in Lavigny, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva , 2010 European Championship venue

Local swingolf clubs organize regional and supraregional competitions, at the local level also company and school sport initiatives as well as tourist offers. The 2010 European Championships took place at the facility of a charitable foundation in Lavigny / Swiss canton of Vaud , which is run by people with and without disabilities . Greenkeeper cups are organized in some places to bring together the employees in a region who are involved in the maintenance of different sports facilities. Combined ticket agreements exist with golf clubs and fitness studios . In Linz / Upper Austria, the local system was included in the event plan for the 2009 European Capital of Culture year.

The sport-ecological principles of the German Sports Federation are supported , which recognizes swing golf as a contribution to the fulfillment of the Golden Plan (program for the planned reduction of the lack of sports facilities).

Swingolf projects are seen as a sustainable contribution to the economic diversification of rural areas. Supported by sports politicians such as Christian von Boetticher from Schleswig-Holstein and the state golf association SH, northern Germany continues to be the focus of this sport. It is also noteworthy that individual golf courses provide short courses or practice areas for swing golf.

If the relevant requirements are met, a swingolf project can be in the public interest and receive funding accordingly. The grant comes from the EU program for the promotion of rural areas and is dependent on

• the location (touristic or agricultural),
• the project constellation (municipal, private or association sponsorship),
• the business constellation (agricultural, commercial or non-profit),
• the state as well as the location within the state.

Swingolf as a sustainable development contribution has already been recognized several times as part of the national competition Our village has a future . a. the municipalities of Davensberg, Westenholz and Hopsten (North Rhine-Westphalia) received awards, gold medals were awarded to the municipality of Dötlingen (Swingolf Iserloy) in Lower Saxony in 2010 , and Schönau in Bavaria (Voglsam leisure park ) in 2007 . Silver went to the municipality of Duvensee (Swingolf Bergrade ) in Schleswig-Holstein in 2007 .

Although there are still differences in self-image, in some places an overall strategy for all types of golf is emerging. This should also take into account the general gain in attention caused by the golf ranking player Martin Kaymer and the reintroduction of golf as an Olympic discipline at the 2016 summer games .

There are contacts to competitive sports, especially in the soccer field : The national player Linda Bresonik plays swingolf as a relaxing sport , while at SV Werder Bremen the game is practiced as part of the preparation for the season and to strengthen the team structure.

Association tasks

The French Swingolf Association has been a member of the UFOLEP ( Union francaise des Oeuvres Laiques d'Education Physique ) and the USEP ( Union Sportive de l'Enseignement du Premier Degré ) sports federation, which is particularly dedicated to promoting sports in kindergartens and primary schools.

In 2005, an association was also founded for the German-speaking area; regional associations can follow where there is a sufficient density of systems. The French licensing and certification requirements have been adopted without exception, and there is a constant dialogue on open regulatory issues.

Swingolfstand at the International Green Week Berlin 2011

Include association duties in swing golf

• the establishment of internationally agreed rules and quality standards,
• Certification and monitoring of the systems,
• Further training for players, court operators and referees,
• Competition organizations, participation in international championships,
• Advice on system planning and funding procurement,
• the handicap documentation of licensed players.

Licensed swingolfer aim to consistently complete less than 10 strokes over par and thus have a single-digit handicap. Within the swingolf umbrella association, this was achieved by 40 out of 240 players (= 16.7 percent) in 2011, and within the French association 287 out of 882 players (= 32.5 percent).

The gender ratio is still considered unbalanced, with men clearly in the majority. The quota for women at the 2011 German championship was 21.1 percent. As an incentive to increase the proportion of women, trophies are awarded at tournaments regardless of the number of participants; further initiatives are to follow.

Under the project management of the AktivRegion Mittelholstein , Swingolf was presented for the first time at the International Green Week Berlin in 2011 .

All courses marked on the map as par 72 (green dot) or par 36 (blue dot) are suitable for tournaments and meet the criteria set up by the association. The 2011 German championship was awarded to Essen, the 2011 European championship to Linz. For the EM, the number of active participants was limited to 160 and for the first time limited sponsorship was made possible.

See also

• Glossary of golf terms: Technical terms from golf, mainly adapted for swingolf
• Outdoor sports : general description and characteristics of open-air (outdoor) sports

Web links

Commons : Swingolf  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Homepage of the Swingolf umbrella organization for the German-speaking area
• Homepage of the Swingolf Association for the French-speaking countries, division of the French Golf Association

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Specialist publication in the download area of ​​the Swingolf umbrella organization ( Memento of the original from January 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.33 MB). 
2. ↑ Jacques Creel, President Fédération Sportive de Swin, French Swingolf Association ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.44 MB). 
3. ↑ Features of Swingolf Gastronomy ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.94 MB). 
4. ↑ Article in the sports portal hobbylist ( memento of the original from December 2, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
5. ↑ Study on the success of rehabilitation in stroke patients, publ. in the medical newspaper 06/12 .
6. ↑ Guideline for the Construction of Golf Courses. 4th edition Ed .: Forschungsges. Landscape development Landscaping eV (FLL), Bonn 2008 .
7. ↑ History of Golf (English article) .
8. ↑ History of the German Golf Association and appreciation for Philipp Heineken, who is not only considered a German golf pioneer, but also a driving force behind cross and swing golf  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 239 kB).  
9. ^ Documentation by the golf architect Amick about the development of the Cayman ball .
10. ^ Report by the US sports newspaper Sportillustrated on the connection between the DuPont and de Vilmorin families ( Memento from February 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).
11. ↑ Histoire du swin (History of Swingolf), French. ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.73 MB). 
12. ^ Biographical encyclopedia Who's who , franz. .
13. ↑ Swingolf Association in French-speaking countries .
14. ↑ Attachments in French-speaking countries .
15. ↑ The first report on Swingolf published in Germany ( Memento of the original from August 14, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
16. ↑ Swingolf course in the hinterland of the Italian seaside resort of Rimini ( Memento of the original from August 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
17. ^ Plant in the north of Iceland .
18. ↑ See protocol JHV of the Swingolf umbrella association 2011 ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 41 kB). 
19. ↑ Explanations of the two-part structure (informal and tournament-certified systems) of the French association ( Memento des original from April 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
20. ↑ Press release about swing golf in the spa gardens and at the hotel in Braunlage ( Memento of the original dated August 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
21. ↑ Clubs and facilities in German-speaking countries ( Memento of the original from November 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
22. ↑ Clubs in French-speaking countries ( Memento of the original from April 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
23. ↑ According to the German Golf Association, 170 golf courses have 9 holes (= 24 percent), 430 (= 62 percent) are 18-hole and 100 (= 14 percent) are 27-hole courses. See here ( Memento of the original from April 20, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
24. ↑ Swingolf article in the magazine Land & Meer , Spring 2012 edition ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 884 kB). 
25. ↑ Attachment in South Africa ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
26. ↑ cf. www.swingolf.net .
27. ^ Report of the US sports newspaper Sportillustrated on the initiatives for swing golf in the US ( Memento from February 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).
28. ^ Caymangolf course in southern England, swing golf in Anglo-American countries .
29. ↑ Harz combination facility Pit-Pat, Adventure Golf and Swingolf ( Memento of the original from August 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
30. ↑ Allgäu combination facility football golf with swing golf .
31. ↑ Combination of Swin and Disc Golf .
32. ↑ Combination of swing golf with padel tennis in Biesles / France ( Swingolf du Tennis Club de Biesles ) ( Memento of the original from October 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
33. ↑ www.kommunaldirekt.de with information on the networking of swing golf and play golf ( memento of the original from December 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
34. ↑ Combined swimming pool / swingolf facility in Basel .
35. ↑ Article in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit on June 24, 2010 .
36. ↑ Frisian biathlon on the North Sea coast ( Memento of the original from May 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
37. ↑ Swingolf on the inner surface of the Chambray harness racing track near Tours .
38. ^ Article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ-net) from February 7, 2006 .
39. ↑ cf. Homepage of the "Wattgolfer" .
40. ↑ Official tourism page of Schleswig-Holstein ( Memento of the original from July 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
41. ^ Lavigny, venue for the 2010 European Swingolf Championships (23–25 September) .
42. ↑ Swingolf Association Harz .
43. ↑ Fitness studio network ( Memento of the original from September 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
44. ↑ Swingolf contribution to the 2009 Capital of Culture year .
45. ↑ Article on the opening of a facility in Schleswig-Holstein, p. 7 ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
46. ↑ Support of the Landesgolfverband Schleswig-Holstein ( Memento of the original from August 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
47. ↑ Swingolf on the Stenerberg golf course .
48. ↑ Guidelines for Plant Construction ( Memento of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 1.42 MB).
49. ↑ Medal table national competition “Our village has a future” (PDF; 57 kB).
50. ↑ Homepage of the golf association with information on Swingolf ( Memento of the original from August 7th, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
51. ^ Initiative of a Golfküstencard in Schleswig-Holstein .
52. ↑ A portrait of the national soccer player Linda Bresonik on Youtube .
53. ↑ Season preparation at Werder Bremen - also with swing golf ( Memento from February 12, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ).
54. ^ Website of the French Swingolf Federation .
55. ↑ See statutes of the Swingolf umbrella organization ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 25 kB). 
56. ↑ See the association's download area ( Memento of the original dated November 24, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
57. ↑ Results of the licensed players, as of: September 6, 2011 ( Memento of the original of September 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
58. ↑ Minutes of the 2011 annual general meeting of the French association, pp. 34–39  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.24 MB).  
59. ↑ Assemblée générale Ordinaire 2009 du Federation Sportive de Swin, 2009 annual general meeting of the French association, s. u. "Annexe 7, Statistiques", p. 33 ( Memento of the original of June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.44 MB). 
60. ↑ List of participants and results of the German championship 2011 (July 29th – 30th) ( Memento of the original from March 5th, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 79 kB). 
61. ↑ Report on Green Week, u. a. about swingolf .
62. ↑ Agriculture Minister Aigner at the swing golf stand of the Green Week .
63. ↑ Follow-up report DM 2011 of the 1st SGC Essen ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
64. ↑ Invitation to the European Championship in Linz ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 581 kB).