Howdy speedgolf family!

You're reading This Week in Speedgolf. It's the first letter of 2026: fresh legs, full heart, shoes still drying.

Here’s what’s happening in speedgolf this year.

What a year

First, to the loyal readers who wade through my ramblings and dad jokes, thank you. Your story tips, hot takes, and notes of appreciation keep me going, even with a foot of snow on the ground.

And whether you jogged nine, crossed an ocean for a major, or just forwarded a video to your group chat saying “we’re doing this,” you pushed our sport forward in 2025.

It would be easy to think of a non-Worlds year as a 'down' year. That's not what I saw!

We opened new doors. The first-ever European Speedgolf Open planted a flag on the continent. New champions popped up in new places. Names like James Hardy and Carl Palmberg climbed to the tops of podiums and made the sport feel bigger and more competitive than ever.

Emily Mollard dominated the European scene, winning in three countries, while the European ladies (Britta Uschkamp, Kathy Leppard, Valerie Texier, and many others) worked hard to bring more women into this male-dominated sport.

Rob Hogan not only invented "Irish Style" scoring and the death-defying "speedgolf time trial", he somehow got access to the SoFi Center for a day and hosted a premier indoor invitational. Not only that, he finally won the Japan Speedgolf Open on his fourth try.

Robin Smith acted the part of World #1, racking up 88,000 km of air travel and winning trophies on three continents. I teased him for the ISGA world rankings and for his memorable quote about spiders, but he wore the mantle like a pro.

This sport leveled up in familiar territory, too. The British Speedgolf Championships hit full capacity — supported by The R&A — and still had a wait list. British Speedgolf's Pam Painter gave us all the playbook and I know the other national speedgolf organization heads took notes.

Here in the States, the Kentucky Speedgolf Open debuted a Golf Cart Division that had first-timers grinning ear-to-ear and organizers planning the next edition already.

And the dance between speedgolf and mainstream golf got a little more intimate in 2025.

Filip Beerens and Speedgolf Belgium teamed up with the DP World Tour to put speedgolf on display for rain-soaked fans at the Soudal Open.

Grant Horvat and the Bryan Bros made 'relay speedgolf' with golf carts into a challenge hundreds, maybe thousands, of casual golfers will try in 2026.

And then a few weeks later, under the lights at the Optum Golf Channel Games, Rory McIlroy delivered clutch shots under time pressure -- every bit as memorable as #15 at Augusta.

OK, now that's taking it a bit too far. Rory's shot on #15 was perfection.

I get an alert every time a new video mentioning “speedgolf” hits YouTube. I got 729 alerts in 2025, up from 624 in 2024. Not all of those were actual speedgolf, mind you, but the momentum is real. And that momentum is fueled by the people who read this newsletter.

• The local leaders who organize social speedgolf and onboard new players
• The tournament directors who make fun and fair competitions
• The creators who share our sport online
• The athletes who show up rain or shine to train and compete
• And of course, the golf course maintenance crews who wake up before dawn to give us a place to play this ridiculous game

If 2025 was a 'down' year, then I guess we all need to strap in.

Looking ahead

Here are a few things I'd love to see in 2026.

A proper speedgolf collaboration with a major golf tour. The Soudal Open in Belgium was an amazing blueprint. Let's build on that success with more high-profile athletes breaking a sweat while breaking par.

A D1 college golfer on a speedgolf tee sheet. The United States of America had just ONE player in the top 10 at Worlds in 2024 (Scott Dawley) and he's turning 48 this year. On the other hand, I guarantee there are 200+ college athletes with single-digit handicaps who can run a 5:00 mile. We only need a couple (because I want a spot on the team, too!)

The ISGA publishing world ranks for men, women, senior men, senior women, and JUNIORS. To do this, we're going to need to collect data in one place. Paging Professor Chris Hundhausen...

The 2026 Speedgolf World Championships as a proper media event. Speedgolf Baby was built on one simple question: "how hard could it be?" The answer, as I quickly found out, was "pretty hard if you're just one guy". You all -- speedgolfers and fans -- have shown incredible support and encouragement. I'm thinking of Gary Younger, who flew to Japan to help me film Worlds 2024 and Garrett Holt, who is game for any idea I throw at him. And countless others who have encouraged or contributed.

But the current moment demands more. More cameras, more planning, more love and attention than I can dish out alone.

I want us all to level up in 2026, and that means making Worlds into a media event we can be proud to share with ESPN, the PGA Tour, and even the speedgolf haters. We need athlete features pre-produced. We need on-course commentary and proper overlays. Highlights going out the same day, ideally with a seasoned production company taking charge.

I'll be reaching out to the ISGA, Speedgolf New Zealand, and trusted members of our multi-talented speedgolf community to make this happen. If you want to help, let me know.

My wish for all of us in 2026: healthy miles, pure strikes, friendships that outlast bad rounds, and a sport that keeps choosing generosity over gatekeeping. Bring a friend. Volunteer to scorekeep. Start a weekly meetup. If you make something cool — an overlay, a course map, a training plan — share it. We’re building this in public.

I’m grateful to be in it with you.

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This Week in Speedgolf Media

🌍 Robin Smith's 2025 year in review — The World #1 logged 88,000 km of travel, won on three continents, and kept acting like the guy who's supposed to be at the top. "If you have ever wanted to give it a try," Robin says, "2026 is your year." He's not wrong.

🛠️ How to play speedgolf with the spiked Silo — Kyle Peyton continues his "How to Play Speedgolf" series with a practical walkthrough.

❤️ No-one can resist Kathy Leppard — Kathy: "It’s the best feeling to help people to try the sport I love - maybe I should do that more". Yes, you should!

🏃 Luke Willett sets new 5k PB 15:38 — Reminds me of the time he said "Impossible is now I-M-Possible!" If you believe anything is possible, sometimes you'll be rewarded by being right.

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Upcoming Events

• Feb 1, 2026: Speedgolf Minami Tsukuba Open (9H) — late-afternoon dash on Ibaraki’s runnable parkland; perfect season opener. event page
• Feb (date TBA), 2026: Wairarapa Speedgolf Open — friendly two-day NZ circuit stop across Masterton/Carterton; points and “have-a-go” options. updates
• Feb 12, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf — pre-work laps at Oakleigh (Melbourne); 9 or 18, first-timer friendly. tickets
• Feb 26, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf — flat and fast circuit at Albert Park (Melbourne); chase negative splits. tickets
• Mar 12, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf — dawn dash at Oakleigh (Melbourne); sharpen tempo before the weekend. tickets
• Mar 21–22, 2026: North Island Speedgolf Open at Waipū GC — linksy dunes + coastal breeze = pure race-pace strategy. event page
• Mar 26, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf — one more tune-up at Oakleigh before April’s majors. tickets
• Apr 6, 2026: Wellington Speedgolf Open at The Morgans, Pāuatahanui — rolling hills, quick greens, roaring views. update
• Apr 10, 2026: Speedgolf Ibaraki Open (18H) at One Way Golf Club — true “through-round” venue built for fast flow. event page
• Apr 18–19, 2026: TORO New Zealand Speedgolf Open at Taupō GC — Centennial — national title weekend; deep field and PB-ready routing. tournament page
• Nov 3–6, 2026: Speedgolf World Championships at Whitford Park GC (Auckland, NZ) — the sport’s biggest stage returns to Aotearoa. announcement

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That's all, folks

Until next week, keep it in the short grass!

Adam

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Adam Lorton

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