Teeing off in the city centre.

If you’re strolling through the virtually empty streets of London’s Docklands on a Sunday morning, don’t be surprised to see a golf tournament in progress – smack bang in the middle of the road.

Urban golfing is the 1992 brainchild of German golf amateur Torsten Schilling who began practising his putt street-side when he couldn’t find time to get to the course. The sport is now in full, er, swing in the centre of London and will no doubt spread to other UK cities.

We have golfing enthusiast Jeremy Feakes to thank for the introduction of urban golfing to Britain. Tiring of the snobbery prevalent at his local club, he took to the streets, car parks and open spaces of East London, and now organises a yearly urban golf tournament.

So what exactly is urban golf? Well it’s just like golf but in a city environment, and with a few key differences. Urban golfers swap the green for a building site, a car park or quiet street. The hole is substituted for an open water valve lid in the road, and urban golfers play 18 holes at par 72.

There are, however, some key differences between urban and traditional golfing, mostly concerned with safety: a leather ball stuffed with goose feathers is used instead of the more traditional golf ball. With the leather ball there’s little chance of damage to windows or other inanimate objects. The other advantages are that the leather ball carries when it hits the ground but will still sit in the middle of the road rather than running into the gutter. Players are also allowed to tee off from a mat, since hitting the ball off a pavement can be tricky.

The appeal, too, is simple. For urbanites who have little access or can’t afford membership to a luxury golf club, this is the ideal solution. There’s also the satisfaction gleaned from finding a quiet area of a city and doing something utterly unique in it. There are no fees, no dress code and no committees. In fact, the only rule is: safety first!

So how to get involved? Well the easiest way is to grab your mates and your clubs and take yourself off to a quiet area of the city – the business district at weekends is always a good place to start.

If you’d prefer to get involved in an organised form of urban golf check out the Shoreditch Golf Club, run by UK founder Jeremy Feakes. Finally, if you’re too shy to drag your clubs outdoors just yet, you can get lessons or simply practice at the huge Soho indoor golf club, where impressive machines simulate famous golf courses. Two people can play for an hour for £30 (prices may vary). See www.urbangolf.co.uk for more information.

For more on golfing holidays and opportunities within the UK visit the Volvo Golf Club website.

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