A new take on golf is flying through West Virginia, thanks to passionate FlingGolf enthusiast Jonathan Bellingham.
JONATHAN BELLINGHAM HAS LONG WORKED IN RECREATION at Capon Springs and Farms, a resort that his family has owned since the 1930s. He was well-versed in pickleball, frisbee golf, and, of course, traditional golf, all of which are offered at the resort. So when he first heard of FlingGolf at a local rotary meeting, he knew he wanted to get up to speed fast. “Not being a golfer myself,” he says, “I thought, ‘Well, maybe this is a form I could actually do and enjoy.’”
That was in 2016, and in the years since, FlingGolf has been added to Capon Springs’ roster of activities and Bellingham has become enamored with the sport in ways he couldn’t have anticipated. In essence, FlingGolf is a version of golf in which, instead of players hitting a ball with a club, they throw it with a “fling stick,” somewhat similar to a lacrosse stick. “Think of the way you would throw a football or baseball,” Bellingham says. “It’s such an easy crossover. Anyone who’s done any other sports knows that motion.”
Bellingham started the company FlingForAll, in which he offers individual coaching, education programs for middle school and high school physical education classes, and opportunities for golf courses to accommodate the sport on their grounds. He’s spoken at national physical education conferences and is developing a book on his experience with the sport. Capon Springs and Farms’ course has even been at the center of some exciting milestones. In 2023, it hosted the first World League FlingGolf Potomac Highlands regional event—an occasion captured by an award-winning local filmmaker for a short currently under consideration for outdoor recreation film festivals. The resort also hosted the first World League FlingGolf Doubles Only Event May 30 through June 1.
FlingGolf is particularly exciting because of its adaptability. Whether you’re young or old, athletic or a little more low-key, you can enjoy the sport and do so with your entire family. P.E. teachers can break up the monotony of more traditional activities, and even folks who need an adjustment due to physical challenges can be part of the action: Bellingham is in early FlingGolf talks with a school for deaf and blind children, and wheelchair users who aren’t as easily able to play traditional golf have taken up this new version as well.
Bellingham encourages those who want to try the sport to head to the West Virginia state parks that accommodate it—such as Cacapon, Canaan Valley, Twin Falls, Pipestem, and Stonewall resort state parks. They can also visit the sport’s online “home base,” which is managed by New Swarm Sports, the creators of FlingGolf, which has a course locator tool. And, of course, Bellingham himself is always around to lend a hand, show you the ropes, and “spread the gospel.” “I’m just that passionate about it,” he says. “I want to see everyone find out about it and enjoy it.”
3818 Capon Springs Road, High View, caponsprings.net, @caponspringsandfarms on FB; flinggolf.com
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