MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Lauren Cupp is always on the run.
She’s the men’s and women’s golf coach at Hamilton College in New York, her alma mater. She and her husband, Wes, own Rome Country Club. The couple has three children, ages 10, 7 and 3.
When she’s not running around the country coaching her teams, handling her duties as a mother and more, she’s running on the golf course.
No, literally.
Cupp is a speedgolfer. And not just any speedgolfer. She’s a world record holder and the best female speedgolfer in the world.
Cupp’s women’s golf team is at Sandestin Resort’s Links Course this week for the Golfweek October Classic, which comprises one of the strongest fields in Division III history. Not only did she start the women’s team at Hamilton, building them into a top-25 power, she has become a global star in speed golf, even if the sports isn’t as popular in the United States as places like Japan, where she’ll head in a couple weeks to compete in the Speedgolf World Championships.
Golfweek October Classic: Scores
“I’ve been able to connect with people from all over the planet, which is pretty cool, through this little dorky sport,” Cupp said.
Hamilton golf coach Lauren Cupp is the top-ranked female speedgolfer in the world. (Photo provided)
Cupp is an accomplished golfer herself, but when her daughter was born 10 years ago and her time became more restricted, she wanted golf to remain a part of her life.
Enter speedgolf.
Speedgolf is scored with two results: the number of strokes taken plus time elapsed from the first tee shot to the final putt dropping. If Cupp shoots 75 in 55 minutes and 30 seconds, her score would be 130.30.
She started when her daughter was in a stroller, pushing her around while starting with 9 holes at a time. She and Wes watched an ESPN clip of the sport, and while there were frustrating moments at first, they were hooked immediately.
“I could do like nine holes and like 48, 49 minutes with the stroller just jogging,” Cupp said. “Then I found out it was a sport you could play competitively.”
And in speedgolf, you don’t need a lot of time to finish a round.
Cupp lives at Rome Country Club, and she can look out and see when the final groups of the day are nearing the 16th and 17th holes. That means it’s time to sprint off the first tee and get a quick 18 in.
Hamilton golf coach Lauren Cupp is the top-ranked female speedgolfer in the world. (Photo provided)
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