A NEW sport, combining two of Britain's favourite ball games, football and golf, has kicked off on the fairways at Bentham Golf Club.

FootGolf is played on traditional golf courses with a football substituted for a golf ball.

Players use their feet, not clubs, to get the ball into holes rather than goals. The competitor who plays with the fewest kicks triumphs.

One of the UK’s fastest growing sports, Bentham Golf Club is the latest to adapt part of its 18-hole course suitable for Footgolf - and allow players to enjoy this new and alternative way to play the traditional game of golf.

Isabel Marshall, Bentham Golf Club’s manager, said: “The club is really excited about this new venture. We have worked closely with FootGolf UK and are delighted to be able to roll out the game in Bentham.

"It is a new sport that anyone can play. We have had youngsters playing with their grandparents and seen young families having fun together.

"It is not as time consuming as golf which helps to make it a really inclusive game, and I think that is probably one of the reasons it is taking off around the UK, with regional tournaments and a national tour. We are already attracting some new faces to the club to enjoy the new sport."

Other courses across the UK have successfully incorporated the game as the specially designed holes for the footballs are placed in the rough to protect the greens.

Gareth May, head of UK Development the UK FootGolf Association, said: “Bentham Golf Club is the latest course to embrace the UK’s fastest growing sport. The game is proving incredibly popular, and this year over 70 tournaments will be played that will form part of a Regional and National Tour, with prize funds in excess of £30,000."

Playing the latest hybrid sport at Bentham takes competitors around an hour to play nine holes, or two hours for 18 holes, and does not require any special equipment or clothing.

The balls used for the game can be hired from the club, making it easy to simply turn up and play.

The FootGolf course at Bentham is open on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings with further events and competitions planned over coming months.