Kiwi sets unofficial golf world record

By Will Toogood

In the world of golf, patience and precision reign supreme. In the world of speed golf, time waits for no one.

While traditional golfers meticulously plot each shot, calculating distances and wind speed, speed golfers sprint across fairways, taking their swings with the urgency of a sprinter chasing gold.

That is not to say speed golfers do not also value precision. At the recent New Zealand Speedgolf Open, defending champion and world title holder Jamie Reid carded an even-par 68 on back-to-back days at his home course of Fitzroy Golf Club and took out another title.

If that weren’t impressive enough, he completed his rounds in 30 minutes and three seconds and 32m 35s respectively. For context, the average golfer will complete an 18-hole round in about four hours - and most casual players dream of scoring below the 80 mark, let alone even par.

Fellow defending champion Liz McKinnon also maintained her hold on the New Zealand women’s title, adding her name to the trophy for a sixth time and remaining unbeaten in the format.

Speed golf scoring is a combination of strokes taken and time - Reid’s first round 68 in 31m 3s came out to a speed golf score of 99.03 - an unofficial world record as the first sub-100 score.

His final round shooting another 68 in 32m 35s left him finishing with a two-round speed golf total of 199.38.

Reid told the Herald he was pleased to not only take out another New Zealand title but to get the sub-100 score monkey off his back at his home course which is slightly shorter than most at par 68.

He said the Open had been held at Fitzroy for the past three years and chatter had started about him breaking the record since the first edition on his home track.

“Golf courses can vary, so you’ve got to make sure it’s a shorter course - it makes it a little bit easier - which gave us an advantage to have a go at the sub-100.

“I knew it was possible, just a matter of putting the running and the golf together, that’s all.”

Certain criteria must be met for an official speed golf record to be ratified and Reid says the course at Fitzroy was just under the required length - hence the unofficial record.

“For it to be an official, the course length needs to be over 6,000 yards. Fitzroy was only playing, I think, 5,400 yards so was a little bit short. The total running distance needs to be 6.4km, we were running around 6.3km so it was all right in terms of the running distance, it’s just that the course length was probably a hole too short.

“They say it has to be par 70. Because it’s only par 68 at Fitzroy, that was the reason why.”

Reid says due to rounds he’s played in the past, it’s a matter of if rather than when he will be able to officially claim the record, which stands at 109.06.

“There would have been six or seven times in tournaments that I’ve played under par enough which would break the current world record... so it’s just a case of putting myself on a course and I can go and beat it.”

Regular - or “slow golf” players as Reid refers to them - are allowed 14 clubs in their bag at a tournament, while in speed golf you are limited to a maximum of seven. The more clubs you have, the more options for shots at your disposal, but with the caveat that you’ll have to carry them around the course with you.

“The more you take, the harder it is to run. But then the more you’ve got, the easier the golf side of things is so you have to find that balance.”

Reid says he usually opts for a maximum of four, depending on the length and difficulty of the course he is playing, with three being his usual allocation.

“Generally I like to take driver, seven iron and then gap wedge. It can differentiate between seven and eight iron, it depends on the threes in terms of length. If it’s a tighter golf course but not as long I’ll leave my driver and just take my three iron [to hit off the tee] and if the course is long I’ll throw in a three iron so then I’ve got four clubs instead of three.”

The New Plymouth product has played golf since the age of 12, including top amateur competitions through high school and his time at university. His introduction to speed golf came via a notice posted to a club noticeboard advertising the 2017 New Zealand Speedgolf Open.

“I didn’t know what it was so I just entered and went and played. No running training or anything and I ended up coming third at the champs. I thought I’d do a bit more training for the next year but I only ended up doing about a month of actual running training and ended up winning in 2018 - then I haven’t lost a New Zealand champs since.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission