Japan FootGolf Association Launches 'FootGolf Team Building Program' for Corporations: Building 'Strongest Organizations' on the Green!

The Japan FootGolf Association announced today, on the 2nd, the full-scale introduction and provision of its experiential training program, the "FootGolf Team Building Program." This program leverages the vast, extraordinary space of golf courses to enhance organizational cohesion and productivity.

This program aims not only to go beyond mere internal recreation but also to support the creation of "autonomous organizations" required in modern business scenes, while simultaneously expanding the recognition and popularization of footgolf as a sport.

■ Background of the Program Release: Why Do Companies Need "Experiential" Team Building Now?

With the establishment of remote work and the advancement of hybrid work, many companies are facing challenges such as "weakened inter-departmental communication," "accelerated sectionalism," and "lack of initiative among young employees." Furthermore, an increasing number of companies find it difficult to foster deep mutual understanding and a sense of organizational unity through traditional classroom training or simple social gatherings alone.

In this context, the value of "experiential training," where participants move both their bodies and minds simultaneously towards a common goal, is being re-evaluated. What is needed now is not just "teamwork" to deepen relationships, but a process of building an organization that maximizes individual abilities to achieve common goals, i.e., "team building." Therefore, our association believes that footgolf is a tool that can embody this value.

■ Why FootGolf is Ideal for Team Building

Footgolf, a fusion of soccer and golf, offers extremely high effectiveness as business training for the following reasons:

• Experience the "Microcosm of Management": In situations that change with each hole (wind, course conditions, distance), participants can rapidly cycle through the essential business PDCA cycle: "current situation analysis → strategy formulation → execution → review."

• Fostering Psychological Safety: The overwhelming openness of a golf course breaks down barriers of position and generation, facilitating "honest dialogue" that wouldn't occur in a typical office setting.

• Diversity & Inclusion: Requiring no special skills or physical strength, everyone, regardless of gender, age, or athletic experience, can be a protagonist on the same field, thereby enhancing overall organizational solidarity.

■ Program Features: One-Stop Provision to Meet Corporate Needs

Our association provides one-stop support from planning and execution to on-site operation.

• Customizability: Flexible program design is possible to meet corporate challenges and objectives, such as "new employee onboarding training," "cross-departmental kick-offs," or "employee welfare for health management purposes."

• Hassle-Free Operation: Our association handles everything from selecting partner golf courses to on-site progress management and awards ceremony production, minimizing the burden on HR and general affairs personnel.

• Professional Guidance: We can dispatch Japan national team players and other professionals. They convey the thrill of the sport while maximizing team insights.

Furthermore, the introduction of this program is one of the important pillars for the popularization of footgolf. By creating opportunities for business people to actually experience the sport, we intend to broaden its base and embed its value as a sport in society.

Details of the FootGolf Team Building Program

https://www.jfga.jp/team-building

What is FootGolf?

Footgolf is a new sport that combines soccer (football) and golf. It involves using a size 5 soccer ball to play 9 or 18 holes on a golf course. It's easy to imagine it as "playing golf by kicking a soccer ball."

Footgolf was formalized in the Netherlands in 2009, and when the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) was established in 2012, the first World Cup was held in Hungary. It is already enjoyed in over 40 countries, mainly in Europe and the Americas, and is currently the fastest-growing sport. In January 2016, the 2nd World Cup kicked off in Argentina with 26 participating countries. In December 2018, the 3rd World Cup was held in Morocco with approximately 500 participants from 33 countries. From late May to early June 2023, the 4th tournament was held in Orlando, Florida, with approximately 1,000 participants from 39 countries. (The 4th World Cup was scheduled to be held in Japan from late September 2020, but was postponed to late September 2021 due to the spread of COVID-19, and then canceled on January 28, 2021, by a resolution of the FIFG General Assembly.)

In advanced footgolf countries like the United States, footgolf can already be played on nearly 600 courses, and in the UK, that number exceeds 200, increasing its recognition mainly in Europe and the Americas. Domestically, our association was founded in February 2014, and immediately began hosting prize tournaments such as the Japan Open. In 2017, the first international tournament in Japan was held at the prestigious Karuizawa 72 Golf South Course. As of March 2025, there are approximately 30 courses in Japan where footgolf can be enjoyed.

Currently, FootGolf is an observer member of GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and aims to become an official Olympic sport in the future.

What is the FootGolf Japan Tour?

Our association held the "1st Football Golf Japan Open" on April 14, 2014, approximately two months after its establishment. For the next two years, tournaments continued under the name "Japan Open," with the number indicating the iteration.

The tour format as it is today began in 2016, and tournament names started incorporating locations, regions, or sponsor names from 2019. The last tournament held under the name "Japan Open" was the "40th Japan Open," which took place for three days from July 26 of that year.

Many of the Japan Tour tournaments organized by our association are part of the FootGolf World Tour, organized by the Federation for International FootGolf. Participating players earn World Tour points based on their tournament results (limited to licensed players). This creates an environment where players can compete with footgolfers from around the world while staying in Japan.

Association Overview

Name: Japan FootGolf Association

Location: 3F, Dai-3 Takei Bldg., 737-3 Higashi-Arai-cho, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama 359-0034, Japan

Chairman: Shinpei Matsuura

Official Ambassador: Yoichi Takahashi (Original author of Captain Tsubasa)

Special Advisor: Yoshinori Hayashi (Former Vice Chairman of the Japan Football Association)

Development Advisor: Yudai Takashima (Former Youth Development Manager of Kashima Antlers)

Association Established: February 2014

Joined Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG): November 2014

Official Website: https://www.jfga.jp