Call for nominations - The 2025 Speedgolf Baby Awards

Howdy speedgolf family!

You’re reading This Week in Speedgolf.

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

What’s the best thing about December? End-of-year awards! Spotify Wrapped, YouTube Rewind, The Milly Awards, Goodreads Year in Books, Strava Year in Sport, The MKBHD Awards, TikTok Recap, Instagram Playback, Chess.com Year in Review, Merriam-Webster Word of the Year… you get the idea.

End-of-year awards are great because they remind me of all the stories I got swept up in, and then just as quickly forgot, throughout the year.

So to help you remember this year in speedgolf, I’m introducing the Speedgolf Baby Awards — a year-end celebration of the athletes, organizers, and creators who inspired us in 2025.

I’ll be co-hosting with Garrett Holt, which guarantees you’ll see at least one good haircut. We’re putting a spotlight on the performances, the ideas, and the community that moved our little sport forward. The show drops in late December.

But first, we need you.

Here’s the ask, plain and simple: nominate the athletes, creators, and community catalysts who defined speedgolf this year.

What we’re honoring (a non-exhaustive list — bring your best):

• Breakout speedgolfer of the year
• Innovation of the year
• Best single round performance
• Comeback player of the year
• Best single piece of content
• Content creator of the year
• Funniest moment of the year
• Executive of the year
• Speedgolfer of the year (senior woman, senior man, woman, man)

What’s eligible? Achievements and contributions from calendar year 2025.

When you nominate, here’s what you say (just reply to this email):

I am nominating [this person] for [this award] because of [good thing they did].

Here’s a [link] to the time they [did the good thing and posted it].

Please [feel free to use my name / keep me anonymous].

Also, about the dumb jokes in the newsletter: [Hilarious! I love them / I want even more]

Signed,

[Your name]

A few prompts to get the wheels turning:

• What jaw-dropping round still lives rent-free in your head?
• Who came back from injury, life, or both?
• What idea changed how you train, play, or organize?
• What video did you immediately send to your group chat with “watch this now”?
• Who quietly did the work behind the scenes and deserves our recognition?

This only works if the whole community shows up, so please:

• Nominate today — hit ‘Reply’ and make your case.
• Send this to your favorite group chat.

I know I pretend to be the all-knowing, all-seeing speedgolf observer. But I’m also like a goldfish — I forget most things within seconds. Remind me what I should already know about the great year 2025.

🐥 Junior Speedgolfer - 2 birdies in 9 holes at US Open - Speedgolf Hype follows a junior playing fearlessly in his first official event. The kids are all right!

🗻 Rare footage: Jamie Reid back at it with Mt Taranaki in frame - Watch the 2022 World Champ leave his birdie putt 7 feet short. On second thought… just admire the scenery.

💯 101 holes for Cancer Council in 5.5 hours Speedgolf Australia’s James McMaster logged 101 holes and 42.2 km in 5:30 — all to raise money for the cancer council. It’s not too late to contribute.

🏃‍♂️ Luke Willett drops a 16:13 5k PB under the lights The fastest golfer on the planet is proud, but never satisfied. By the way, send me your PBs if you want them featured in TWIS.

🇯🇵 Masataka Imaya jumps to the Japan Golf Tour at 17 This kid played in the Japan Speedgolf Open as a sixth-grader. Now he’s trying to make it as a pro golfer. Usually the pipeline goes the other direction (see Scott Dawley, Brad Hayward, Steve Vancil, Harry Bateman), but we’re proud of this no-longer-little tyke.

🧊 Sweden prepping for international indoor speedgolf weekend People from colder climates know the REAL challenge of indoor speedgolf has nothing to do with golf or running. It’s dealing with the snow and ice sticking to your shoes. The intrepid Swedes at Lidköpings GK have their floor mat game dialed.

• TODAY! Dec 5–7, 2025: Online Indoor Speedgolf — global simulator sprint to cap the year; log your round and chase the board. details
• Dec 6, 2025: Northland Open (4pm) at Northland GC, Whangārei — 9 or 18-hole twilight sprint; 7-hole teams “have a go.” event page
• Dec 12, 2025: Speedgolf Japan Open at Seven Hundred Club (Tochigi) — Japan’s national championship on the Worlds 2024 track. register
• Jan 8, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf at Oakleigh Golf Course (Melbourne, AUS) — before-work 9 or 18 for all levels. tickets
• Feb, 2026: Carterton/Wairarapa Open (Pāuatahanui) — rolling terrain, big views, bigger heart rates. club site
• Feb 12, 2026: Tee30 Morning Speedgolf at Oakleigh Golf Course (Melbourne, AUS) — quick-fire laps at dawn. tickets
• Mar 21–22, 2026: North Island Open at Waipū Golf Club (NZ) — links-style routing built for negative splits. event page
• Apr, 2026: Wellington Open at The Morgans (Pāuatahanui) — 9-hole hills course; fast, runnable lap. venue
• Apr 18–19, 2026: New Zealand Speedgolf Open at Taupo GC — Centennial — national title weekend on a fast, runnable layout. tournament page
• Nov 3–6, 2026: Speedgolf World Championships at Whitford Park GC (Auckland, NZ) — the sport’s biggest stage returns to Aotearoa. announcement

Until next week, keep it in the short grass! And remember to send in your nominations for the Speedgolf Baby Awards.