Get ready to start seeing soccer balls on the Fort Steilacoom Golf Course. Pierce County officials will debut the new sport of FootGolf at a noon ceremony on July 18, followed by a grand opening celebration the following day from 1 to 5 p.m.

FootGolf is similar to golf, but is played on a golf course with a soccer ball, 18 shorter holes, 21” diameter cups and players kick the ball instead of using clubs. Participants play with a soccer ball on a golf course with a tee box, fairways, hazards and a score card. The goal is to get the ball in the hole with the least amount of kicks possible. FootGolf courses are springing up all around the country at the rate of about one per week.

“The similarities between real golf and FootGolf are numerous but FootGolf plays faster, easier and appeals to a wider demographic of people,” said Mike Fosnick, general manager at the Fort Steilacoom Golf Course.

Fosnick added that while FootGolfers and traditional golfers will share the same tees and fairways, the 18 holes for FootGolf are adjacent to the greens traditional golfers use. The course will open for FootGolfers at 11 a.m. each day after the early wave of regular golfers have finished. After 11, golfers and FootGolfers will play the rest of the day on a first come, first served basis.

Fosnick added the intermingling of two types of players and the way the course is laid out should have minimal impact on either game. For more information, please visitwww.premiergc.com and click on Pierce County.