Honolulu FootGolf qualifier sells out, winner earns Major League National Championship berth

A sold-out field at Ala Moana Park handed one Honolulu player a ticket to Major League Footgolf’s national championship, turning a nine-hole Sunday qualifier into a live test of demand for the National FootGolf Association’s city-based model. The July 12 event carried a $20 entry fee, welcomed all ages and skill levels, and gave players a free entry gift at sign-in.

The qualifier was staged at 201 Ala Moana Blvd. in Honolulu, a compact urban setting that fit the NFGA’s pro-style pitch for the sport. The winner earned a berth in the September 2026 Major League Footgolf National Championship, where the prize package includes cash and a Super Bowl ring.

That Honolulu stop sat inside a tighter calendar than a traditional traveling tour. The NFGA also listed Sacramento qualifiers on June 6 and July 25, suggesting a summer schedule built around repeatable city events rather than long-haul stops. For the organization, that structure puts the focus on recurring local entries and a clear path forward for the player who wins on the day.

The league itself is built around short, head-to-head rounds. NFGA says Major League Footgolf matches are played like a regular soccer league, usually over nine holes and about one hour, with players competing either as individuals or as two-person scramble teams depending on division size. Divisional play uses win-loss-draw scoring and ends with a playoff round, giving the format a season-long structure instead of a one-off tournament feel.

The association says it was established in 2017 and describes footgolf simply as golf using a soccer ball and large 21-inch cups. Its materials also point to an early effort to build the sport in a league setting: the first ever team-format footgolf tournament in the United States took place in 2018 at Haggin Oaks Golf Course in Northern California.

That growth has already shown up in the numbers. The NFGA’s past-events archive says a 2021 season drew 17 teams in multiple states. Its draft-pool page says upper-division prize winnings can be $500 or more, along with an award ring, reinforcing the organization’s push to create a competitive ladder that still fits into short-format, locally staged events.

In Honolulu, the sold-out qualifier suggested that formula can travel. A nine-hole round at a public park, a low entry fee, and a championship berth on the line gave the event the feel of a small stage with a real destination, exactly the kind of setup the NFGA is using to build footgolf beyond the mainland’s established pockets.