Golfers can spend hours talking about their swing. Now, more of them may be talking about their fling if a new form of the classic game catches on. FlingGolf, the brainchild of a North Shore entrepreneur, is a hybrid of golf and lacrosse.
Many golf courses are populated with older players and that has caused a business problem for the entire industry. Alex Van Allen, the inventor of FlingGolf, explained, “I think there are 5 million to 6 million fewer players than there were even a decade ago, so golf courses are really struggling to find that young, millennial demographic.”
Van Allen hopes that his game could lure young people back to the fairways. “I think the best analogy for FlingGolf is what snowboarding did for the ski industry back in the '70s and '80s.” He added it’s estimated that as many as 800 golf courses have closed in the past decade.
At the Cape Ann Golf Course in Essex, Van Allen demonstrated how a regular golf ball is inserted into the head of a special club and then flung over a person’s shoulder. When done correctly, the motion and body positioning should closely resemble a typical overhand shot in lacrosse.
A group of high school golfers gave the game a try. Ben Meahl caught on quickly and thought it would appeal to other younger golfers.
“This is easier, and I think that it can help a broader range of people enjoy the game of golf and get more people out here,” he said.
The game is cheaper because it only takes one club, which can range in price from $99 to $169, depending on the style.
The rules for the game are much simpler than golf, fitting on one small card.
Van Allen, whose company is based in Ipswich, has gotten FlingGolf onto dozens of courses domestically. It’s also being played in New Zealand, Australia, and Mexico.
“I thought if I could build something so you can throw the ball about 200 yards that you might have a real sport out of it,” he said.
