Cameron hosts first FootGolf tournament at Memorial Golf Course

Community members gathered at Cameron Memorial Golf Course on June 22 for Cameron’s first-ever FootGolf tournament, a 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. event that turned Veteran’s Memorial Golf Course into the town’s newest recreational stage. Organized by Kickin’ It in Cameron through its Engagement Committee, the tournament folded soccer, golf and an evening of friendly competition into one local debut.

The format gave Cameron an accessible entry point into a sport built on precision rather than power. FootGolf is played by kicking a soccer ball into a 52-centimeter cup on a golf course in as few shots as possible, and USA FootGolf says the game can be played socially or competitively. That matters in a place trying to broaden its calendar with events that can draw families, casual athletes and regular golfers without requiring a new venue.

Veteran’s Memorial Golf Course, at 1000 South Park Avenue, carries its own local weight. The City of Cameron says it is the first 18-hole golf course in Missouri when traveling south on I-35, about 35 miles north of Liberty. Hosting the city’s first FootGolf tournament there gave the course a second identity for the evening, one that fit a municipal recreation asset better than a one-time novelty act.

FootGolf itself has a more established history than many first-time participants may have realized. USA FootGolf says the sport was introduced to North America in 2011, while the Federation for International FootGolf has regulated it since July 2012. USA FootGolf also says the first official FootGolf tournament on a golf course was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 2009, a reminder that Cameron was tapping into a sport with international rules and a growing footprint.

The Cameron event also fit into a broader summer push to pull visitors into town. Fox 4 reported in April 2026 that Cameron was planning several June events aimed at World Cup visitors, including a Fan Fest, the Hot Air Affair Balloon Festival and a FootGolf tournament. Listed on KC2026 as the Kickin’ It in Cameron Foot Golf Tournament, the June 22 gathering at 1000 Park Avenue became part of that effort to turn sports programming into a repeatable draw.

For Cameron, the immediate test was not a championship result but participation. A first FootGolf outing can show whether a golf course, a soccer ball and a willing crowd can produce the kind of turnout that justifies putting the event back on the calendar.