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This week's newsletter is brought to you by the Reply button, which turns out to be deadly in the hands of my readers...

Here's what's happening in speedgolf this week.

The fun police have apprehended Rob Hogan

Speedgolf Rob announced on WhatsApp that the previously-advertised 'mass start' will no longer be the main event format for the 2026 Irish Speedgolf Open.

"The 2026 'Irish Speedgolf' Open will use the aforementioned 'Tiered Tee system' of Speedgolf. Players will start individually as is customary. A mass start element will be used in future events after further consideration of safety and insurance etc. This may be a Speedgolf specific course. To be discussed."

But interestingly, he is running back the mass start time trial from last year with (I think) a significantly improved format...

"The 'Speedgolf TT World Championships' that has run alongside the 'Irish Speedgolf' Open since 2023 will now become the 'SPEEDGOLF*R* World Championships’

"I can confirm that this will be a mass start RACING event with six players starting and playing one hole. The last player to put their ball in the hole will be eliminated. After that, 5 players will start the hole again and this will continue until there is one person left standing."

After the last newsletter, I got some thoughtful messages on this topic:

Concerned in Cali: Always enjoy the newsletters but don’t agree 💯 with some of this one. I think the mass start is gimmicky and would make speedgolf look like a clown show vs. a legitimate format of golf.

Adam: Well, we agree on one thing -- it's gimmicky as heck! What's interesting to me is that when I look at the comments on this video, I don't see a lot of 'clown show' sentiment. Definitely not for everyone, though!

CC: I'm not saying there wouldn't be an audience for it, I simply feel it detracts from the 'speedgolf brand' most of us are trying to build. I shared it with a regional director here. He laughed and said 'no way in hell that will be played at any of my courses' 😬 Maybe Rob can call his version "Wipeout Golf'!

Unflappable: So I reached out to Rob Hogan after I read your recent letter. I wanted to know whether I needed to bring a helmet to his event in June! He replied and said that it is going to be a traditional format because the course said NO to the mass start idea! I was kind of looking forward to the chaos, but I don’t know how you could safely do a mass start. Maybe do 9 hole heats and then pair people against each other based on their trial time/score? 2 people playing together is probably not too bad.

Adam: That was the part that always confused me, too. I can see how you do a mass start with 4 people, even 8 people. But once you get to 20-30 people, you have to do it in waves, right?

Spry Senior: I may be in the minority as a 50+ speed golfer but I think this is exactly what the sport needs. People would pay money to see chaos! The Roman gladiators drew crowds, the most popular NZ sporting event by crowd size in Rugby League, known for its big hits and brutal tackles. That’s what crowds want to see. While I'm not suggesting speedgolf tackles yet……. organized chaos maybe a good place to start! I’ve always thought the 18th hole of a speedgolf event should be a party hole for spectators. Rather than a mass start how about a mass finish. Handicap the start on speed and get chaos at end! I’d give it a go. At least you’d get 16 or 17 holes in before the knock to the head!

Adam: Now this guy (yes, it's a guy) is right on Rob Hogan's wavelength! You see, the reason speedgolf isn't a bigger deal is because we haven't learned the eternal lesson of the Roman Coliseum. The masses want blood! We must give them blood!

Yep, these are my readers 😁

Help me monitor the situation in New Zealand

Thanks to everyone who is supporting my trip to cover the World Championships in New Zealand. We’re already 32% of the way to a plane ticket! If you want to help, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi.

Speedgolf Media

⛳️ Lauren Cupp: Ladies, a round of golf doesn't have to take 5 hours

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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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