The principle of Urban Golf? Easy: there are none. Have fun! An essential preamble to the game is fixing the targets: road signs, manholes or even vending machines. The “courses” are thus drawn in this fashion, following the objectives the players choose. Cars, passers-by, windows, all are obstacles allowing these street golfers to test their cleverness.

Precision rather than distance
As far as equipment is concerned, urban golfers are normally equipped with irons from a 5 to a wedge. Indeed, when using semi-rigid balls, you set your sights on precision rather than distance (powered by equal swings, this kind of ball will only travel half as far as conventional ones). But how can you swing on asphalt? Players are allowed to place their balls on a rubber tee for each stroke, or to carry a small carpet to make up for the particular nature of their “fairway”. But don’t be fooled! You might discern a rebellious state of mind among these young street golfers, but Urban Golf nevertheless is endowed with a true code of behaviour. These players are not to be mistaken for mindless vandals taking the city for a battlefield! Should John Law show up, no urban golfer worthy of the name will obstruct the police officers; if need be, they will set their clubs aside. In fact, the balls they use are so designed that should they hit a passer-by or a dog, the surprise would far outweigh the actual damage.

An unclear origin
Some enthusiasts hold that a German producer, by the name of Torsten Schilling, started to play near his hotel whenever he travelled. Others would have it that Urban Golf was born on the beaches, where surfers practiced their swing while waiting for the waves. The only thing players seem to agree on is that Urban Golf goes back to the early 90’s. Today, players are mostly young people belonging to “crews” (most of these are associations under the terms of France’s Law of 1901). Historically, one of the first crews to see the light of day in France was Perpignan’s "urbangolfers". Next came “le 19e trou” (“the 19th hole”) in Paris and "Duff" in Rennes. On an international level, you will find the “Natural born golfers” in Germany, the “royal urban golf club" in Switzerland, etc…

Tell me where you swing, and I’ll tell you who you are…
These new-style players fault traditional golf for having a huge handicap: its elitism! This image of their sport isn’t theirs, however: the “worn-out chequered pants” look, the elitism, the boredom, huge cigars… Obviously a caricature of a vision! But while today’s golf tends to rejuvenate and renew itself, it was probably to escape these old clichés that some adopted a radically different approach to the game. Thus, for Stephen Puig, president of the “Urban Golf France” association, “it’s one way to enjoy freedom while you play. No fees to pay, no clubhouse, no other restrictive rules. This is how you imagine a blend of skate and golf would be.”
Tomorrow’s inner-city sport? Maybe not … But in any case, Urban Golf brings a new breath of fresh air to the sport, bringing with it atouch of madness: Have fun!
S. Junior Réus

DO YOU SPEAK URBAN GOLF?
Urban Golf: golf game played in an urban environment (a.k.a. Cross golf, X Golf)
Crew: an Urban Golf team
A nocturnal: Urban Golf game played at night (very popular).
To perch: not to be able to recover one’s balls (stuck in trees, lost on private property…)
Targets: the equivalent of holes in traditional golf.
To play short: to hit nearby targets (15 to 60 feet away) requiring great precision (open trashcan, traffic lights, etc…); played with a
sand wedge.
To make a “Hair”": to touch a passer-by.
To crack: to miss a stroke completely.
Green: place where the lawn looks like a real green (no effect on the game, it is just a figure of speech).
Almost balls: semi-rigid balls allowing Urban Golf to be played safely. The name comes from the brand of the balls.
K. Moussa: legendary player (the equivalent of Tony Hawk in skate).