By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
FlingGolf has taken flight with an educational purpose through the partnership with Moorefield High School.
Jonathan Bellingham, a two time national FlingGolf champion, is the founder of FlingForAll and has roots in Hardy County which makes this joint effort more meaningful.
“It has been a blessing to work with Moorefield High School. My vision was to have students understand how easy it is to play FlingGolf from the early stages and plan to document their journey with a world renowned filmmaker and see how much they have enjoyed discovering and learning this game. I am happy to work with local teachers like Jordan Ours and Tyler Mongold to implement the program we have. I needed people to help keep the fire going, so the embers never go out for this FlingGolf endeavor. We hope all the students have gun and aim high for the sky,” FlingForAll founder Jonathan “AquaJon” Bellingham remarked.
This Highlandeers nickname of “AquaJon” came about from bringing Capon Springs bottled water to all the competitions.
“One of our Capon Springs and Farms employees, Morgan Armentrout, joined my FlingGolf Highlandeers team and she is from Moorefield. She helped with the introduction of the program to Moorefield teacher Mary Catherine Slack, who secured a grant and her class developed a curriculum for FlingGolf to be featured in upcoming tutorials for classes around the Mountain State. I am appreciative of this collaboration and look forward to seeing these students at our tournaments,” Bellingham explained.
Bellingham has hired Mountain River Media award winning film producer Justin Harris from Tucker County to create this special documentary featuring Moorefield High School students learning about FlingGolf.
FlingGolf under the direction of Bellingham has been incorporated into all the West Virginia State Parks with golf courses.
Bellingham has introduced FlingGolf to Hampshire and Hardy counties and hopes that students will be able to have an international competition in Scotland in the near future.
Bellingham was the first to play FlingGolf at the historic Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Bellingham and his Highlandeers team have played nationwide and always looking for new members to champion this sport.
“FlingGolf is a fun activity for our students. The don’t have to be athletes to play it. Our students did a pretty good job out there on the Valley View course. A handful of the kids challenged me for the distance throws on the fairway, but nobody could match me. This is a new educational resource for our school and hopefully it will benefit other schools through the curriculum developed here,” Moorefield teacher Tyler Mongold stated.
FlingGolf eliminates the need to carry around a huge golf bag around the course.
There is just one stick to hurl the ball across the course and one adds a slug for putting to make it a simple piece of equipment to carry.
The objective is to forget what you learned about regular golf and just aim for the clouds in slinging the ball down the fairway.
“You know you are doing it right if you aim high and hear the whoosh sound on the release,” Bellingham noted.
Moorefield High School students along with health and physical education teachers Jordan Ours and Tyler Mongold have been learning about FlingGolf and had the opportunity to test out their skills at Valley View Golf Club.
“It was very special. I think the kids had a great time, while experiencing and learning a game that is growing fast in FlingGolf. Jonathan Bellingham introduced our students and school to the game two years ago. Without him, this special opportunity wouldn’t even be possible. He is a true pioneer for the sport and we are grateful for the opportunity to be apart of his journey in the sport. It was also an opportunity for the students to see the beauty of places in our area. I want to thank Valley View Golf Club for allowing us to use the course for our field trip. They did it without hesitation and accommodated our students with first class service. It was a special day and it’s something I hope to make an annual event,” Moorefield teacher Jordan Ours explained.
Harris provided GoPro units for the students at Valley View and used a drone to capture different aspects of the experience for the documentary.
The Hardy County Community Foundation has been extremely helpful in this new endeavor to help keep students active with a fun adventure.
Moorefield alumna Morgan Armentrout learned about FlingGolf at Capon Springs and Farms and helped promote the sport during her time working as the hospitality director at Eastern WV Community and Technical College.
“I discovered FlingGolf while working as a Reservations Specialist at Capon Springs and Farms Resort. Jonathan Bellingham is incredibly passionate about the sport, and his enthusiasm sparked my interest in giving it a try. He took a coworker of mine, Tanner McDonald, and me out for a round, and the rest is history. I immediately fell in love with the game because it is the perfect mix of fun and challenge,” Armentrout remarked.
“Playing on the Highlandeers team has meant so much to me. The people I get to play alongside are truly wonderful, and it gave me a strong sense of community at a time when I really needed it. Through FlingGolf, I have had the opportunity to travel to places like Florida, California, and North Carolina. Even with those experiences, my favorite place to play will always be where it all started for me at Capon Springs and Farms,” Armentrout commented.
Armentrout appreciates how FlingGolf is a sport anybody can play.
“What I love most about FlingGolf is how accessible it is. It is a sport that anyone can pick up and try, and the community is incredibly welcoming. People are always willing to help newcomers learn and feel comfortable,” Armentrout added.
Armentrout has benefited from the connections formed through FlingGolf and was thrilled to help introduce it to Moorefield High School.
“Although I was already involved in FlingGolf, my work in hospitality at Eastern helped open doors by connecting me with the right people. I had already known Mary Catherine Slack, and through my connections and experiences, I was able to help create an opportunity for Jonathan to share his startup, Fling For All, and bring FlingGolf into local schools. We saw this as a great way for students to stay active while learning a new sport, while also giving them the chance to explore Capon Springs and Farms. This connected well with the Hospitality and Tourism Pathway at Moorefield High School, which is tied to Eastern’s Hospitality and Tourism certificate program. FlingGolf has been an amazing part of my life. It has helped me stay active, build friendships, and experience new places. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something fun and different to do in their free time. It has also been exciting to see it grow locally. Valley View Golf Course has welcomed FlingGolf, and local high school students have already had the chance to play there thanks to Fling For All,” Armentrout concluded.
Moorefield High School administration was excited to be part of this endeavor helping students stay active.
“When I was first introduced to FlingGolf, immediately I knew this outdoor recreation sport would be a great addition to our Heath and Physical Education programs in Hardy County. The Moorefield Hospitality Services Tourism program had the opportunity to write a grant to extend recreational activities in our schools,” Moorefield Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Mary Catherine Slack commented.
“Hardy County Community Foundation supported our vision! With their financial support we were able to purchase school classroom sets of equipment for both Moorefield and East Hardy. Additionally we assisted Mr. Bellingham in developing a teacher training program and a classroom curriculum. Our Tourism students led in filming and rollout of the first training and promotion film during the Spring of 2025. They had a blast learning this sport! We knew our students would love the opportunity to get outside and play! We appreciate John’s willingness to share his time and expertise with our teachers and students!
Morgan [Armentrout] and I worked together to get the classes in the Tourism program dual credit. She knew what the Tourism program at MHS could accomplish and she and John pitched the sport, from that pitch meeting, the work with John grew into an amazing partnership.”
Local students were welcome to participate in the first annual FlingGolf Field Festival at Capon Springs and Farms this past weekend.
Bellingham is looking forward to having Moorefield students come to the Pro-Am Tournament at Capon Springs and Farms on May 30 to culminate the documentary series.
The documentary release should occur in August.
Bellingham has a new book covering his journey in FlingGolf called “FlingGolf Tales” with copies available at Capon Springs during the tournaments.
FlingGolf isn’t just a sport now, it is an educational resource for teachers.
Bellingham’s son Stephen Hott graduated from East Hardy High School and currently serves as an evaluator for the Air Force, so look out for the scores on the next FlingGolf flight.
