You've sat in the stands on the freezing nights watching the Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies, but have you thought about playing golf at Canberra Stadium?
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The capital's premier sporting venue will turn its pristine turf into a golf course for an end-of-year event at a time the grandstands are usually empty.
Venues Canberra officials launched its "Stadium Golf" initiative on Friday, giving the ageing stadium a reason to be used in the quiet season.
It started with a bang, Canberra Cavalry player Cam Warner nailing a hole-in-one with one of the first shots on the 10-hole course.
"It was pretty cool actually to get the hole in one, it was just my second shot," Warner said.
"I used a little bit of my baseball skills but I've been playing golf for a little bit. It was a golf swing more than a baseball swing."
The idea is to move around tee areas built in the grand stands, aim for the flags placed where the Raiders and Brumbies usually stand and fire balls every 60 seconds.
The idea was trialed at the Adelaide Oval after being first introduced at baseball stadiums in the United States.
Tournament director Mark Brooker says it's a great opportunity for people of all golfing ability to come out and play at such a prestigious stadium.
"Everyone can agree golf is a difficult game especially when you're learning," Brooker said.
"My wife absolutely hates golf so I was trying to think of something she'd still have a go at. It's a really great opportunity for novice and experienced golfers.
"Golf can be really intimidating for people who don't play to get out onto the course for five hours, having to complete every hole and feeling like they're holding up the group... this gets rid of those boundaries."
The ten hole course will give players one minute per hole to hit their balls towards the center of the stadium, with each hole having a certain zone to aim for for more points.
Stadium Golf will run from December 4 - 15 with day and night times available as well as prizes for the lowest scoring male and female of each session.
Brooker, who works at the stadium but is also a former golf professional, hopes to make it a yearly event.
"It's a trial year with the idea we want to do it continuously," Brooker said.
"There has been talk that we take it to Manuka [in the winter], it's a very central location so it would be a really good venue."
"We'll see how it all goes, we wanted to keep it condense to allocate all bookings...but if the demand is there then we would consider it in the future."
Brooker started golfing at the age of seven and was inspired by his dad to take hold of the club before going pro in his early twenties.
Now he wants to encourage kids and families to come and play golf without the added stress of clothes, equipment and handicaps.
"When kids try and get involved in golf there is a lot of boundaries," Brooker said.
"Stadium Golf breaks a lot of those down and encourages them to just come out and enjoy it."
