This Week in Speedgolf | Cheat to win, baby!

Howdy speedgolf family!

You're reading This Week in Speedgolf. You missed me last week. Admit it.

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

How to add watts, lose style points - Hypershell Exoskeleton

Your top story today is a sponsored post.

(OMG, Speedgolf Baby sold out!)

No, I'm not getting paid to write this, but this week I stumbled across a post by Martin Borgmeier (long drive athlete). This dude is a MOUNTAIN of a man, and we saw him playing speedgolf earlier this year, trying to match Luke Willett's time for 9 holes (spoiler alert: he didn't).

In the post, Martin plays a par 5 in about 2.5 minutes (quite fast if you're playing 18, not amazing if you're playing a single hole). And he gets running assistance from the Hypershell Exoskeleton.

The promise of the device is simple: it adds power to your legs, so you can run, walk, or bike with less effort than before. And the claims are significant: in independent 3rd party testing, cyclists used 39% less oxygen and had 42% lower heart rate at the same power output.

In speedgolf, we're all about pushing the limits of what's possible, so I could resist going deeper down the rabbit hole. Runner Chris Howett (who set a world record for fastest marathon run in Crocs), took 7 minutes off his marathon personal best wearing the Hypershell. But critically, he had to change batteries every 30-40 minutes (even using 'Eco mode'). He said it took about 15 seconds per battery change. That means unless you're playing a VERY short golf course, this thing is not lasting a full round of speedgolf.

Is an exoskeleton legal for competition? Of course not. But I still see devices like this being useful to the sport of speedgolf. How many golfers have you met who are frankly not fit enough even to walk 18 holes? In a video from Gary Martin Golf, you can see a reaction from Geoff, who says he has trouble with knee stability, especially when walking downhill. Geoff reports that the Hypershell gave him just enough extra strength and stability to keep playing good golf down the stretch.

And this is the interesting part when I think about growing the game. Speedgolf is inclusive! If we want a big tent full of fitness-minded golfers, of course we need to work on coaxing the already-fit golfer to try speedgolf as we play it today. But there's another population we could target: the golfer who knows walking would be better for their health, but it just feels too hard today. Getting them out of the golf cart and onto two feet would be a win, in my book.

Hypershell comes in 4 models, ranging from about $1,200 to $2,000. Not exactly pocket change, but wearable tech like this is going to become more mainstream, and if this is what's possible in 2025, I think 2035 is going to look like sci-fi.

📧 HIT REPLY AND TELL ME:

Under what circumstances would you use an exoskeleton?
What other wearable tech would make speedgolf awesome?

Gym bros experience the post-speedgolf high: GoGoGolf x US Open

First-time speedgolfers with big reach, the GoGoGolf crew are officially jumping into the deep end at the U.S. Speedgolf Open. After a practice lap at Temecula Creek Inn, they shared a wonderfully honest debrief where they called speedgolf "absolutely incredible" and dismissed "all that pre-shot ritual bull****" that slow golfers love to lean on.

Welcome to the family, GoGoGolf!

An update from upstate -- Mohonk Speedgolf Event

Thanks to astute readers Richard Miller and Wes Cupp, who sent in the results from the Mohonk Speedgolf Event in upstate New York. You know I love the big events -- Worlds and the national opens, but local events are where we get to see grassroots recruitment up close and personal. Not to mention the fall colors!

Your top five:

Tim Kosteczko — 44 in 22:41 → 66:41
Mike Flannery — 46 in 27:53 → 73:53
Richard Miller — 45 in 31:20 → 76:20
Leo McMahon — 50 in 27:06 → 77:06
Ian McGrew — 52 in 27:10 → 79:10

In other news, "Mohonk Speedgolf Event" sounds like what you'd write on your tax return (you know, if speedgolf made money). We HAVE to find a better name for this. Here are my best ideas:

The Mohonk Smash & Dash
The Hudson Hack & Hustle
The Shawangunk Shuffle

You'll be GLU'd to the screen

Speedgolf Baby is now streaming on GLU, the free family-friendly content hub. If you’ve ever wanted to put the Speedgolf World Championships on the big screen without explaining the rest of your YouTube feed to your kids, here’s your chance. You can download the free app for phone, tablet, or connected TV.