"There are many ways to get to your destination with urban golf"

Six years ago, House of Winterthur with "Didi" Keller launched the Urban Golf project as the first course in Switzerland - a success story and at the same time a highlight in Winterthur. Didi Keller - actually Oliver John Keller, but nobody calls him that - is one of the first urban golf players in Switzerland and is now Managing Director of Golfsession GmbH. As a personal guide for fun events and courses, he brings you closer to urban golf with passion and a lively dose of experience.

Who is behind the Golfsession GmbH?
Hello, I'm Didi. As a teenager, I wanted to start playing golf, but I didn't have enough money for it. By chance I saw and bought a golf set in a second-hand shop and started playing on a friend's meadow. In 2000, we then founded the first urban golf club in Switzerland; "The Royal Urban Golf Club". Back then, people still looked at us funny when we swung a golf club in the city. Urban golf has developed a lot in the meantime - and not just in Switzerland. There are even European and world championships!

How did you come up with the idea of launching "urban golf"?
Urban golf is great fun (whether you can do it or not) and is not only suitable as an individual sport. Urbangolf or also crossgolf or offgolf is also ideal for team events! With our club (golf club) we have had the pleasure of organizing cool organize events for companies. And in 2016, I took the big step from hobby to profession and founded "Golfsession GmbH" - with the focus on organizing unique (Urbangolf) events for companies and pushing Urbangolf throughout Switzerland!

What excites you about urban golf?
I simply find urban golf extremely casual, because you have so many different options in this sport: You always tee off on the same tee, but there are all kinds of waysways to get to the target. Regardless of whether the shot was intentional or unintentional - it is always a new adventure to play the nine holes and achieve the best possible score. Urban golf is interesting because you can always compete anew and every day is a new challenge.

What makes the Urban Golf Course in Winterthur so special for you?
The Winterthur urban golf course is very varied and beautiful. You encounter different terrain terrainthat you can only find in urban golf: From asphalt to gravel to meadow. Possible targets that you can shoot at are garbage cans, fountains or the trunk of a tree. There is something for everyone on this course. If you have already played the course a few times played a few times, you can also improve and challenge yourself by placing a different object or shooting at a different target. Because it's so much fun and there are so many urban golf enthusiasts, we are in the process of expanding the nine holes to 18. This will give loyal urban golfers something new to try and even more variety for those who are just discovering this sport for themselves.

Who is Urban Golf suitable for?
Whether beginners, advanced players or cracks - urban golf is suitable for everyone and a "great" fun. Most people probably have a little respect or fear of contact with a golf course, which is why urban golf is a very good alternative to simply picking up a club and not having to be embarrassed. So you can practise your first shots in a park in the city, disguised as a club. The great thing about urban golf is that it quickly becomes fun. Especially when you hit your first good shot, you really get "into the fever". Personally, I think it's much more fun than on the golf course because you are challenged by different surfaces. That's exactly what makes urban golf exciting for me!

With these 3 tips you can master the urban golf course:

When you hold a golf club in your hands for the first time, think about it for a moment and try out whether you swing left or right - because it's not like mini golf or floorball.
The aim is to lose the ball as little as possible. That's why, in addition to the fun factor, you need a pinch of focus - so look for the ball after the tee shot. There's nothing worse than having to look for the ball...
For the course, you get a "Bäseli" as a tee-off aid. This makes it a lot more fun at the beginning when your ball flies not just 5 meters, but perhaps 20 or even 30 meters - and you reach the target faster.