FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
Golf GroupsSummer 2023
Home›Golf Groups›Club Spotlight: Speedgolf Southern California (Speedgolf SoCal)

Club Spotlight: Speedgolf Southern California (Speedgolf SoCal)

By SCGA Staff
July 20, 2023
3466
0
Share:

Founder: Garlin Smith

Based: Los Angeles, Orange County, Temecula

Play: Chester Washington GC, Costa Mesa CC, Temecula Creek Inn

Website: SpeedGolfSoCal.com

Socials: Speedgolf Southern California (Facebook), @SoCalSpeedgolfer (Instagram)

FORE: How did your club start?

GARLIN: In 2012, CBS Sports aired coverage of the Speed Golf Championship from Bandon Dunes, which caught my eye. I was impressed by seeing these athletes playing a challenging course and running between shots with a handful of clubs. The top players were shooting in the low 70s and finishing their round in about 45 minutes. After doing some research and learning there were no groups in SoCal playing this unique version of golf. I started playing it at a few local courses, inviting a few friends to join each time and have been growing it since.

What is the mission of the club?

The mission is to promote and grow the style of Speedgolf throughout Southern California. We provide opportunities for like-minded people of all ages and skill levels to experience the unique combination of golf and fitness, ultimately allowing players to improve both. We also drive incremental revenue for our golf course partners, since we start playing at sunrise prior to the traditional groups starting their rounds.

What makes your club unique/special/different?

Ha! We play and abide by the exact same rules of traditional golf, except we play much quicker, with players completing 18 holes in between one hour to 90 minutes. This allows us to complete nine or 18 holes, while also improving our fitness levels, all before work. Speedgolf allows busy professionals who may not have time for four- to five-hour rounds or don’t get to the gym as much as they would like, to improve both their golf and fitness simultaneously.

What can members expect being a part of your club?

Most players are initially surprised at how similar their Speedgolf and regular golf scores are once they play a few rounds. Playing Speedgolf removes overthinking and indecision since there is no waiting on groups ahead of you. Also, we carry lightweight bags with four to six clubs, so players become more creative and learn how to manage their way around a course with different clubs. All Speedgolf SoCal members receive discounted rates, Speedgolf SoCal apparel each season and the opportunity to play up to 50 rounds per season, which is from April to September.

On a scale of super casual to Sunday at the Masters, how competitive does your club get?

Super casual. I often refer to our early morning rounds as ‘Speedgolf workouts,’ since they essentially replace going to a fitness class or for a run or to the range. Players are grouped with others of similar abilities, keep their own scores and stay on pace with others in their group.

What are some short-term initiatives and/or long-term initiatives you’d like to accomplish?

Our overall objectives are to grow this version of golf to include more courses and more like-minded players. We would like to help any course start a Speedgolf SoCal club at their facility, which will add incremental revenue without disrupting their regular golf operations, while also attracting new golfers or golfers that don’t have the time for as much ‘traditional’ golf as they would like. Speedgolf also demonstrates that golf doesn’t need to take four-plus hours, will improve/maintain a player’s golf skills and will improve their fitness levels.

Previous Article

Dug from the Dirt: The Ballard of ...

Next Article

Bright Lights, Big Humble: Bel-Air Country Club’s ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

SCGA Staff

Related articles More from author

  • Fall 2020Golf Groups

    Club Spotlight: Making Cuts On & Off the Course

    October 13, 2020
    By Scott Fluhler
  • Summer 2023Sustainability

    Watch the Birdie: Paying Attention To The Winged Beauty Around You May Not Improve Your Game, But It Can Certainly ...

    July 21, 2023
    By Robert Earle Howells
  • 19th HoleSummer 2023

    Not Your Average 19th Hole: Grab a Slice and Hit One too, at The Golf Bar

    July 21, 2023
    By John Gennaro
  • ProfilesSummer 2023

    Finding the Joy: Nick Geyer’s Life and Love Come From the Game of Golf

    July 20, 2023
    By Derryl Trujillo
  • ProfilesSummer 2023

    The Firefighter: Gary Klasse is Ready to Pass the Baton After 50 Years Helming the Socal Firemen’s Golf Association Tournament ...

    July 21, 2023
    By Judd Spicer
  • Summer 2023

    This Game Belongs To You

    August 7, 2023
    By Adam Hawk

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • At The TurnFeaturedSpring 2025

    Paint What You Play

  • 19th HoleFeaturedSummer 2024

    A Feast for the Senses

  • FeaturedFirst CutOn The TeeSpring 2025

    Rage or Sage

  • FeaturedIn The ClubhousePublic AffairsSpring 2025

    Doing More With Less

  • Classic CourseFeaturedOn The TeeSpring 2025

    The Fun Club of the Desert

FeaturedIn The ClubhouseSpring 2025

John Henebry

A Personal Remembrance Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. A ballroom at Desert IslandCC in the Coachella Valley pocket of Rancho Mirage. The “Celebration of Life” for my dear friend, my colleague, ...
  • Fun & Games

    By Kevin O'Connor
    May 15, 2025
  • Rule 25

    By Jimmy Becker
    May 15, 2025
  • Doing More With Less

    By Kevin Fitzgerald
    May 15, 2025
  • Original Wonder Woman

    By Joe Passov
    May 15, 2025
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise