Footgolf-a sport which combines elements of soccer and golf-has been gaining popularity in some areas of the United States in recent years.

Now Alpena Golf Club is hoping to bring enthusiasm for this growing sport to Northeast Michigan.

Alpena Golf Club will host a footgolf event from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday to introduce interested players to the sport. The course plans to offer footgolf every Saturday from 12-4 p.m. through at least the end of summer.

“It’s a lot of fun. It takes about half the time to footgolf through nine holes as compared to regular golf,” AGC Director of Golf Steve Goike said. “If it takes two or two and a half hours to play nine holes of golf, it takes an hour or an hour and a half to play nine holes of footgolf.”

Footgolf retains all the rules of golf, but instead of using a golf ball, players use a soccer ball. Rather than driving a golf ball off a tee or sinking a long putt, players use their feet to move the soccer ball down the course as they ultimately try to land the ball in a 21-inch cup.

Footgolf holes typically measure about 170 yards for a par 5 and about 120 yards for a par 3. Alpena Golf Club has five footgolf holes set up on the front nine of the golf course and each hole is either on a fairway or an apron of a regular golf hole. As with golf, the first shot on each hole is taken from a tee-either punted or from a stationary position-and the holes are designed with various challenges to account for such as slopes and curves.

Footgolf is popular overseas and in some areas of the US, but Goike said he became interested in the idea after reading about courses in Michigan that offered footgolf. One of those courses is Elmbrook Golf Course in Traverse City, which started offering the new sport two years ago.

“The idea came about from a little bit of research. I know it’s kind of sweeping the nation a little bit, moreso on the West Coast of the country,” Goike said. “But there are a couple courses popping up in the Traverse City area. I made a couple contacts over there with some superintendents and picked their brain a little bit.”

Aside from being a new sport locally, Goike said there are other factors that make footgolf intriguing. From a business standpoint, there’s not much equipment involved apart from digging the holes and getting tee markers and soccer balls. From a player’s standpoint, it’s inexpensive too; all that’s required to play is a pair of tennis shoes and a soccer ball. Plus, someone interested in playing doesn’t have to necessarily be overly skilled to participate.

Goike said for now that the course will shut down for footgolf on Saturday’s from 12-4 p.m. Eventually though, Goike is hoping to find a happy medium for weekend golfers footgolfers to play simultaneously. Since the rules for the two sports are the same, the same etiquette applies as well, which means waiting your turn for a group to finish before another group plays, regardless of the sport.

“We’re new at this, so we’re going to find out,” Goike said. “All the courses I’ve seen or talked to, they all let golfers go out at the same time as footgolfers, because the same rules apply.”

If the sport grows in popularity in Alpena like the club is hoping, Goike said he hopes to put leagues together and to hold tournaments. AGC’s efforts have already caught the attention of Alpena High soccer coach Tim Storch who worked with Goike to convert some golfing distances on the holes into soccer distances for the footgolf holes.

“It’s great. I think it will benefit the community from a recreation standpoint while at the same time satisfying soccer enthusiasts of all ages and providing another avenue for the golf course to stay busy in off hours,” Storch said.

For Saturday’s event, the cost is $10 for nine holes and players may bring their own soccer balls or rent one for two dollars.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.