Golf Pool – Gool in Goole

The residents of the Goole in the East Riding of Yorkshire are famous for having invented the sport of Gool – a portmanteau word obtained from the sports of Golf and Pool. Originally the town council had decided upon Gooker but realized that this name wasn’t synonymous with their town as was also the case with Snoolf and Polf. So the sport of Gool was first played in Goole in 1956. The reason for this was the growing popularity of pool and the number of golf courses and putting greens that weren’t being used to their capacity.

There are two versions of the sport of Gool depending on whether a putting green is being used or a green on a golf course. The version played on a green on a golf course, called Green Gool, is much the easier game as all the balls have to be potted into the one hole. The only complications arise if a ball disappears into a greenside bunker. In this case, the player whose ball is in the bunker is allowed to take a free drop at the side of the green nearest the bunker without penalty other than playing their next two shots with their wrong hand.

Extract from Sports the Olympics Forgot