Friends and family paid tribute today to the founder of the wacky sport of urban golf, who died aged just 34.

Jeremy Feakes, founder of the annual par-72 Shoreditch Open, which is played along the city’s roads and pavements, died of head injuries after falling in his studio.

He first struck upon the idea because he was fed up with golf’s stuffy image and he even managed to get Northern Irish golfer Ronan Rafferty to play in the inaugural 2004 tournament.

Mr Feakes, known to most as Jez, founded London’s Shoreditch Golf Club (SGC) and organised the event.

The 18 "greens" are circles of carpet on the street. The "holes" are open mains water valves with a flagpole stuck in and the fairways rubbish-strewn cobbled streets flanked by graffiti-adorned walls.

Tributes have flooded in to the SGC website. The SGC wrote: "Jeremy was a much loved son, brother and friend. His drive, intelligence, zest and sense of fun will be missed by a great many of us."

Mr Feakes was born in Canterbury, Kent, and worked as an architect. Simon Hadler, a friend and colleague, wrote: "Jeremy’s seat is empty now ... and that is how this has left myself and others feeling.

"He was a talented architect and designer and his vision and creativity developed a unique idea - urban golf which, whilst being great fun, brought people together in a way not seen before.

"Most of all I’ll miss Jeremy’s great personality and sense of humour that made light of life’s every day problems."

Friend Ed Hoskin added: "A wonderfully inspirational guy whose staggering energy stays with us. I will miss him very much... I remember cutting and spraying carpet up until 4am the night before The Shoreditch Open 2005.

"I’m sure he’ll be teeing off from the 14th cloud right now."