What about Steve Scott (the runner)? Didn't he invent speed golf as a sport?
can we put this myth to bed because it comes up here pretty often and it is, I'm afraid, just a myth. Steve Scott did not invent speed golf. he didn't even play the first round of speed golf in the United States.
the first round of speed golf was played by 41-year-old American Dick Kimborough, at North Platte GC, Nebraska, over a course measuring 6,068 yards (5,848 metres), on 8th August 1972. he recorded a time of 30:10 using only a 3-iron.
on 22nd March 1981, three sailors in the British Royal Navy played a round of speed golf at Royal Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, with the winner, 42-year-old David H. Brown, who had a handicap of 8 and was Chairman of the Hong Kong Distance Runners Club, recording a time of 29:38 while carrying a bag with 6 clubs. he had a 5-wood, 5-iron, 8-iron, wedge, sand wedge and a putter and used 96 shots to complete the round.
this round was televised in Hong Kong and made a considerable amount of money for charity.
Brown's record was broken shortly after by a man in Australia but I do not have the details to hand other than that there were no bunkers on the course.
then came Scott.
so that's at least five people who had played it before Scott, in three different countries.
cheers.