"YOU'RE taking this far more seriously than I thought you would..."

These were the words greeting me when I turned up for what was supposed to be a gentle kick-about to trial the permanent Kick Golf UK course at Vallum Farm, just off the Military Road.

Prudhoe resident Graeme Watson, who showed great potential in football as a youngster before getting injured having signed on for Gateshead, is the man behind the initiative and has rolled out an innovative form of the growing activity of football golf.

I challenged him to a round of nine holes at Vallum ahead of its recent launch, but got whipped up in my overly competitive state as I wanted a win; nothing else.

I'm fully convinced Graeme wasn't treating the encounter the same; chatting casually to let me know about why he has made the decision to go full time with the venture, and the benefits of it.

What he has at Vallum is a good, little nine hole course which will only get better once the grass obstacles grow more, while the opportunities to run leagues and competitions are exciting.

So giving it a shot, I took a one stroke lead into the fifth hole as we more or less matched each other early on.

Arriving on the fifth, one of two really short holes, Graeme hinted that it was a good chance for someone to sink a hole in one.

I'm pretty certain he was mugging me off, as I needed seven attempts to clear it to his two - my frustration bubbling over as I failed to negotiate the mini ramp to the hole.

I did claw a shot back on the seventh despite going out of bounds, but it was too late as the damage had already been done.

But while my competitive edge came through, it was really good fun at the same time and it seems perfect for somebody wanting to perfect their range of passing on a football pitch.

It is certainly something a bit different for the entire family to enjoy, and a great alternative to sporty children looking for something to keep them entertained during the summer holidays.