I started playing disc golf early this year when a few friends and myself decided to check out a new course in our town. I instantly fell in love with the game, as I was very active in sports growing up and was looking for something new and fun I could get into that my friends enjoyed as well.
Being a female, not many lady friends of mine were willing to give the sport much thought, but I continued to go out, playing about 4-5 times a week with my male counterparts. It was a rocky start, but once I found my stride I couldn't get enough. Another lady friend finally got on board and several of us formed our own small league, always trying to better ourselves, all while strengthening our bond and getting exercise in the process.
I entered my first tournament after only playing a few months and ended up snagging third place in the women's division. While the division was small, it was still a pretty great feeling to place in my first tourney. A tournament is held at our local course in October, so we started to practice even more in preparation. We visited courses in neighboring counties, trying out new obstacles and stepping up our game. Then September came.
I was out with a friend at our local course trying to squeeze in a quick game. As I was in sort of a hurry to get there, I decided to just slip on some old shoes I already had with me that weren't really fit for the course, but thought I would take extra measures to make sure I was careful as the terrain is rather hilly. I made it through the first hole no problem; onto the second. I finally managed to sling my disc into the basket after a few frustrating shots and went to retrieve it, when all of a sudden I lost my footing and slid down the hill. When I slid, my ankle couldn't withstand the pressure and as I was falling I heard a loud "pop" and my heart sank. I knew something was wrong.
As I laid there, the friend I was playing with rushed to my side to see if I was okay. I lifted my foot only to find it dangling there and a sick feeling ran over me. It was dislocated most definitely, and most likely broken. My mind raced to a million places as he dialed up the number for an ambulance and they hurried on their way. He sat there and talked me through it. I don't know what I would have done if I had decided to go out alone that day. He was truly a savior.
The ambulance finally arrived and the EMTs placed me in a temporary splint and rushed me to the hospital. After a series of painful maneuvers and X-rays, I discovered that I had not only dislocated my ankle, but broken a bone completely off and broken another in two places. The doctor told me I needed surgery. Needless to say after all I had been working toward, I was quite upset.
My friends, especially my disc golf buddies, were nearly as hurt as I was. We had become such a tight little team over the previous months that it felt like I had lost a little part of my family, or at least a family tradition. But since the accident, they have all pulled through and taken care of me more than I could ever hope a group of friends could. They came to visit, sat by my side, brought me lunch and kept me company in my downtime, as I couldn't put any pressure on my foot for five weeks after the surgery.
Then last month, the time came for the tournament. And just as my team has been rooting me on throughout my recovery, I rooted them on during the tournament from my couch. I'm happy to say that one friend took first place in his division. Boy, was I proud.
Last week I got to the point where I could finally put pressure on my foot in an air cast that I've been wearing, so I've been a little more mobile and hopeful for what the future holds. Plenty of people have told me I was the first disc golf injury they had ever seen. My doctor even said I was one of the worst sports injuries he had ever worked on (as I had to get 6 pins, 2 large screws, 2 plates and a suture in my ankle to put me back together again). Others asked whether I was going to try to play again after I've recovered. Some seem surprised when I tell them that's been a lot of what I've thought about, just getting back out there and reuniting with my friends and my love for the game.
Now the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever. I started physical therapy last week and have been able to become more independent than I have been for a while. I can't wait for the day next spring when I can finally get out there again, feel the warm sun on my face and wind up for my first "grip and rip" as we like to say. Maybe if we have a decent winter, I can sneak out there even earlier. I've had a lot of time to reflect over the course of these last few months, and it's made me realize how grateful I am for my smooth recovery, but most of all, how thankful I am to have my wonderful friends and family who have been by my side. And be sure if I win this basket, it will not just belong to me, but my team: The Sterling Slaw Slingers.
My buddy Dave is the absolute worst disc golfer I know. He throws directly at right angles, too high, too low and even once, somehow, behind him. But for all his faults he keeps trying. He keeps playing the game he loves and the game that brings together all his friends. He's the perfect person to represent this game. He plays to have fun and to be with his friends.
“Tell Her to Put it Down Her Ass!”
A situation happened at the 2013 PDGA Disc Golf Amateur World Championships that I think embodies the Spirit of the Game, the funniest moment, the worst moment, and the best moment.
It was my first ever major disc golf tournament. I was there with my son, who had been encouraging me to participate in the World Disc Golf Championships for some time, because, as he put it, “At your age, you will easily qualify since there’s not so much competition.” I was 62 at the time and was pumped down to the younger, Women’s Grand Master’s age group since no other women registered to play in Senior Grand Masters.
We signed up in March of 2013, before I knew that in April, I would have surgery to remove one of my kidneys. My surgery went well, but I was left with a 16 inch scar from my breast bone to my waist on my left side. It required a lot of healing, and rehab to even be able to get back on a tee pad, but somehow I was determined to fulfill my promise to go with my son.
At the World Championships, in Emporia, KS, it was 105 in the middle of the afternoon with the sun blazing. A lot of water was needed to keep all of the players hydrated, and the TD and staff did a great job with that. For me it was even more essential to have plenty of water, to preserve my one remaining kidney. Things for the most part were going well.
However on the third day of the tournament, there was a moment, late in the day, when I began to feel somewhat dizzy and weak. One of the women on my card ran back to the group behind us where SueB Lande was playing. SueB had some experience with people who were experiencing medical emergencies, and she knew of my surgery a few months before.
She grabbed her handkerchief from around her neck, grabbed some ice from the water cooler, and thrust it into the hands of Kim McVicar, the person on my card who ran back for advice.
Kim came running back to me and said, “SueB says put this down your ass!” I stared dumbfounded for a while, as she repeated her command, and down the back of my shorts it went. “SueB said it’s the quickest way to cool down someone at their core.”
For the next few holes I walked with the icy cold, but oddly refreshing hunk of wet handkerchief filled with freezing water down my backside. With all the sweating everyone was doing, no one even noticed that water was dripping down my legs.
It did the trick, and I was able to finish the day. After that, I only had one more round to finish, and nothing was going to keep me from my goal at that point. SueB went on to become the eventual champion. She and the other women at the event went out of their way to help me; a gesture that is supremely humbling.
Looking back, it was so ridiculous, so funny, and also so kind for my competitors to help me out. I will never forget it.
A few years back I organized a Disc collection to be sent to a fellow disc golfer that was stationed with the armed forces over in Iraq. I spent a couple month's collect discs at area leagues and events and had the players sign a few of the with their "Thank you" and "well Wishes" inked on them. A good amount of luck with the shipping time and he received the package right around Christmas. Now I know that there were not many Baskets over there in the sand to putt or drive at, but he had all the flat land and wind one could hope for and a little bit of home in his hands. When he returned he told me that it was one of the few packages that he had received in the years spent over there. I only wished I could have sent more but luck has it he was sent home a few months after getting the discs. Glad he made it home, hope those discs made the time fly
Jonathan Meehan, what can I say about this awesome gentleman and scholar. He is a man that we affectionately call the lopper! He is the disc golf course custodian of record here in the Poconos, PA. Fearlessly he goes about his business weekly sometimes in a solitary way and other times he has the help of disc golf minions like myself and others who share his same passion.
He designs intimidating holes that you may not like when you first play them but after a few attempts your mindset is freed from the negativity and focuses on the positive improvement in your game.
He is a master at getting the most out of a course already in play by placing holes in obscure but natural areas that get you to say wow, I never saw that line or shaped fairway.
He thinks outside the box and yet somehow conforms to the terrain at hand to challenge you to a better day of disc golf through accuracy and finesse.
He works tirelessly like a busy beaver building out our epic course at the Francis E. Walter dam which provides many a rafter a whitewater adventure all summer long here in the Poconos.
He hosts our fundraiser tourney's to get us more baskets, tools and such to make our course grow from one course into now two and helps others in between with their home courses locally.
His passion is without gratitude or recognition from the masses but a chosen few of us get the pleasure of working side by side when we can make it out to help.
From building awesome new holes to amazing tee boxes and long, varied placements on existing ones he strives to involve all your mental capacity while playing.
If he spots an unfamiliar face while working or playing he always tries to great them, welcome them and instruct them on new hole positions, layouts and mapping so they don't get lost as we are lacking tee box and course signage on 50% of the course.
He always has fundraising discs for sale in the trunk of his car and donates the money back into our course fund.
He hosts the weekly dubs tourney's and cooperatively with Mr. Disc Golf himself Mike Solt, he holds fundraisers for our course maintenance free of profit.
Together I couldn't think of 2 people who embody the spirit of disc golf more than these two extraordinary men I get to call my friends.
Mike hosts dozens of tourney's a year in our local market and goes above and beyond to support our local fire companies with 2 fundraisers a year. He embodies the true spirit of the fastest growing sport in America, Disc Golf.
Mike Solt with his financial and personal commitment to building up the sport, our local courses and supporting us players with economical tourney's, discs etc. needs to be honored for his work and that is why I mention these two fine gentlemen together in this post.
Jonathan Meehan and Mike Solt as good as spirits of the game as you can get!
Thank you for all your hard work, dedication to the sport and most of all your smiles when we play together, build a tee box or talk about disc golf life!
Sincerely,
Tom Williams aka "Taco Tom"
3 years ago I lost my husband, and the best disc golf buddy ever. The man I fell in love with the game with. We didn’t have much money but loved the game so much we started buying a basket a year (the cheapest possible) and started cutting trees and building a course. I was crushed when he passed!!! We only had 11 holes in at that time. I couldn’t do ANYTHING for months after he passed but it was the love of disc golf that got me going again, continuing to build the course alone was like therapy for me. Fast forward to today, I have 22 holes in. I know he looks down on me and is so proud of what I have accomplished. I have met so many new disc golfer friends since he has passed. I love to have new friends come out and play at my course (sage creek, Memphis ,MI). It’s an amazing feeling to have people come out and appreciate all our hard work and love for the game. Getting new people into the game is also a great feeling. Friends and neighbors who have never saw a disc golf basket or heard of the game are now hooked on disc golf and love it. The mayor of Memphis has been out to play my course, and has expressed interest in me designing a 9 hole course for the city at the park along the river. Also working with a friend that has been in talks with the Columbus county park about putting in an 18 hole course. Grow the sport!!! If you build it they will come! :)
One day i was with my group on discgolf and one from our group said that he knows perfect the technic so he showed us rotation and work with legs arms shoulders and all of the perfect technic and in one moment he said a will show you how to do it. He prepare for it and threw the disc. It was i think 4 meters long and all our group felt down and 30 minutes very laugh very good story.
Sorry for my english ( i am from the czech republic ) :))
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME: A group of us including a recently new player(less than 1 year) went out to Selah Ranch for one day as the groups first time to play the courses. It started as a 12:30am drive to stuck sitting in an overnight chemical spill traffic jam until we finally made it to the ranch at 7am from Austin, Tx. 4.5 hrs turned to a 6.5 hr drive. With an hour and a half nap in the car waiting to play a whole day out at the what clearly seemed like a playground for disc golfers. We got up and began our day. From driving in ATV's disc to disc, tee box to tee box and not having a care in the world about how tired and how much time we had left for the day. The only thing that mattered was to make sure we enjoyed every minute out there. The biggest problem was no matter how beautiful the course was.....water holes were everywhere. Each person lost one casualty to the water for the day....except one person. The newer player of the group who sacrificed 7 discs to Selah Ranch. Despite the loss of multiple discs, once we finished what we thought was the last round for the day, our newbie spoke up before all of us. "So we have time to get the front 9 in at the first course. I'm definitely up for it if you guys are!" My roommate(who was one of the guys that traveled to Selah Ranch with us) turned to look at me with a giant smile on his face. He knew just as well as I did, we got this guy hooked on disc golf. It wasn't because of the trip he became hooked but after losing 7 discs to water holes all day and still wanting to play till the sun goes down......That says something. We finally finished the rounds for the day and got back into the car to journey back to Austin, Tx. We arrived back into town just short of 24hrs from when we left the night before. Each person in that group realized that we just had one of the best 24-hr road trip, disc golf playing, ace running, ATV driving, bonding time ever. All disc golfers want to be great at the sport but what is most important is the kind of love and passion you can still have for the game of disc golf. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.
Eight years ago, In the Spirit Of The Game I co-designed an 18 hole disc golf course and then in the Spirit Of The Game, I recruited volunteers and together we spent over 100 hours per hole to hand clear and groom the fine course. Two years later and six months after we finished the final grooming, the property owner sold and the disc golf course was closed. Then in The Spirit Of The Game I again became involved with furthering the sport when I was contacted to design an 18 hole disc golf course at the local State Park. Four years later the project was stalled because of funding, so along with the Friends Group for the Park, I wrote a grant and received the commitment for $10,000.00. Within 30 days of getting the funds, the Park decided that they didn't have room for an 18 hole course and the funds went back to the donating agencies. The project has been moth balled since 2011. Not discouraged and in The Spirit Of The Game, I contacted the city officials where a course had been built in 1989 with no funds and by one individual that definitely knows and continues to promote The Spirit Of The Game. The course mentioned was on city property, was built with the cities permission but never was looked at with any seriousness. In The Spirit Of The Game, I began a campaign to redesign the course and to replace the 18 targets (6" aluminum poles) with real baskets. Twelve months later, the city and all of it's officials celebrated the Grand Opening of the redesigned course, now 20 holes and now all with real baskets as targets. Since the Grand Opening on September 23rd the course has had over 300 groups enjoying the open fairways and tight wooded holes. In The Spirit Of The Game, over $200.00 has been left in the donation post just since the Grand Opening. Next summer we will all be working on installing the 20 tee pads. I live about 60 miles from this course and have four other courses within 25 miles of my home so I don't get to play this wonderful course as often as I like, but In The Spirit Of The Game, I couldn't be happier knowing that one more small town in Michigan now has the completed course allowing all to come and experience just what The Spirit Of The Game is all about.
I love this sport and have introduced many of my friends to it. I take everyone out that has any interest and I give a disc to every person I introduce to the game as way to invite them to keep playing and practicing and eventually I hope they will do the same for people they meet in an effort to grow the sport.
In 2009 I returned home from my final deployment in the U.S. Army. I was then promptly asked not to reenlist. My body had borne the brunt of a number of traumatic events and wasn’t up to the task of any more deployments apparently. Lots of time in the hospital, and months of physical therapy didn’t help either.
Despite all the good things that were happening in my live, getting married, reuniting with friends and family, I was slowly finding myself becoming quite depressed. Couple this with me being mildly physically disabled now due to some serious back problems, it lead to me becoming quite the couch potato, and gaining roughly 50lbs over the course of a few years.
After working with a number of physical therapists, we were running out of idea’s for exercise that would hold my attention. I wasn’t interested in going for walks, or really getting out of the house. This just seemed to make things worse.
Fast forward to April 2013. Some friends invited me out to play disc golf. I was instantly hooked. I found myself wanting to be at the course every extra hour of the day. I was so excited I invited my family and friends to start playing with me, and my parents even said they enjoyed it.
Well, a few weeks after my first game, I was out throwing 3x a week and having a blast. Come to find out, my parents had enjoyed it so much, that they were playing almost every morning at the local course as well.
Here we are in November of 2013, and my health (both mental and physical) are excellent. I have lost almost 30lbs playing disc golf, and so has my Father. I have met an excellent group of people through my local course, purchased a basket to practice putt on the days I don’t have time to hit the course, and my entire family plays at least once a week.
Disc golf has brought a community to my life and family that I was seriously lacking. It has increased my quality of life, and my family and I have become quite active in the local groups.
The 2nd Annual Breaking Chains Open had the opportunity to host 10 children, juniors from the ages of 11 to 17 to play their very first tournament. The children all were from a group home. Denise Gentry, Breaking Chains Ministry and Funkytown Flyers sponsored the children.
At the last minute I was asking for people to donate old disc and trying to gather up Disc Golf Magazines to put together something extra for the kids. In all my preparation I had forgotten the children had very little equipment until the last minute.
Our tournament was on a Sunday, and on Friday night before the Awesomeness of the Disc Golf Community took flight.
Funkytown Flyers of Ft. Worth stepped up to the plate and donated 10 brand new bags, with a driver, putter, mini, mid range and included a bag tag for the kids to compete for during the tournament. Rebecca and Eloy Rodriguez led the effort, we are so grateful.
Dewayne Furr of Straight Line Disc gave each child a $30 voucher to spend on whatever they wished.
Brian Beatty and Evan Jones also brought what made up a whole box full of used, new and slightly used disc for the kids to have.
Pro player Akeem Williams took pictures with the children and gave them an encouragement. At the end of the day, he gave his Hot-Shot round trophy to the top player in the junior division. Simply priceless!
The spirit of Disc Golf is something that no one can measure or even truly see. Disc golf is the spirit of friendship, adventure, and peace. My first time playing the sport was at a local nine hole course with discs my cousin had lent me, I looked and looked and I couldn't even find hole one. Then suddenly this guy with a bag and 20 discs is walking away from one of the baskets and right at me. I feel like an idiot! He walks up and just says, "First time at the course?" in which I respond, "yes".
"Hole one is over here, in fact I was just gonna play another round! I will show you the course." he said
I go to hole one with him and there are two sets of tees, he goes to the longs, then asks, "how long you been playing?"
"This is actually my first time." I reply.
"No kidding, well I guess I haven't played the shorts in a while." We both go to the short pad, me with an Innova starter pack him with his tournament size fade bag. He then insists I throw first, which all of us have been there, throwing about 100 ft up and about 30 ft forward. I look down so embarrassed and he steps up to the pad and puts it 20 ft from the basket! He then just says, "If you want some help I will give you some pointers."
"Please I am more than helpless" we both laugh. He then starts letting me throw discs from his bag and teaches me about correct form and how to putt he even gives me the disc I was throwing the best. The round lasts about 2 hours on a dinky 9 hole, but that dinky nine hole course is the reason I am now obsessed and passionate about the sport. I know want nothing more than to see the sport grow and have helped install courses, and am now trying to pitch a course to my college. The spirit of disc golf is that no matter what level you are at you will always take time to help others when they ask and make it a great experience for everyone!
Every Year since 2008 I have ran an Ice Bowl Called K-Town Ice Bowl...It only gets bigger and better with more players and volunteers, prizes, raffle and auction items...... This is my one big gig every year that i get to help my community threw the sport I love! We raise money and collect food our local charities...Last year we had 83 players come out to play in sub zero tempatures and helped raise nearly 4200 dollars for our local Meals on Wheels Program and collected about 800 lbs of food for our local food pantry...Every year i set my goal extremely high and every year i have exceeded those goals...In 2014 my goal will be to raise 5000 dollars for our local charity and collect 2000 lbs of food for our local food pantry..I stop at nothing to reach my goals for this event...My heart and soul goes into this event every year.....If i was to win this basket i would probably use it as a raffle basket for my event as i already have 5 baskets of my own...I hope you will consider me to win this basket...
My name is Finlay and i am 13 years old and my spirit of the game story comes team dga itself. I had contacted team dga captain Jon baldwin through facebook, asking him if i would be able to caddy for him. Jon being the great guy, he is accepted my offer. I met him a few days before the eric c yetter champions cup at tyler state park in newtown pa, to introduce him to the course and play some disc golf with him. The day of the tournament finally dawned and i was caddying for the final round, a tough round of 27 holes. Jon was paired with Matt Peckham and Mark Schoettle. Both of these guys were super nice and inviting. It was awesome to watch all three rip 450 foot drive and weave their discs through the tight wooded fairways of tyler so effortlessly. It was very enjoyable talking to Jon and the two other guys and i learned alot about control and mental game. Jon ended up winning and i went pn to caddy for him the following weekend at the delaware disc golf challenge. The information i learned here definitely beats youtube videos. This was a great experience and i will cherish this memory as long as i play disc golf
The Spirit of the Game, for me, is remembering back to when I was only seven or 8 years old, playing disc golf with my dad and his friends in the Rattlesnake Recreational Area in Missoula, MT.
They (and I) would throw our Wham-Os, our Midnight Flyers and 86 Softies, at marked trees, and we had a blast doing it. With the crisp, mountain air in my nostrils, we would hurl our Frisbees on our 200 foot holes and have a blast doing it.
Everytime I get down on myself for having a bad round or for not playing up to my perceived potential, I think back to those days. The days when I fell in love with the simple flight of a flying disc, floating elegantly towards the target.
I have been playing this game for many years and have introduced several people to the sport. However, within the past couple years, I introduced a couple good friends to the sport. They have latched on and enjoy the sport so much, they ended up joining me in starting a website/podcast so that we could spread the word to others. I am continually inspired by those who get satisfaction from sharing their interests in disc golf and am lucky to have the support and the opportunity to share this venture with them! Disc Golf Show has only been going for a little over four months now and we are already trying to get a charity tournament going in which others can participate and enjoy as much as we do, while being able to help the disc golf community in what ever way we possibly can! Thank you to all those who support the sport of disc golf and we hope to continue to provide some entertainment for you! Good luck to all!!!
I was playing the round of my life. It was the fourth ice bowl, in February here in northern Kentucky at Lincoln ridge park. Just my fifth tournament, and I had been playing less than a year, but I was throwing like I actually knew what I was doing. We started on hole 11, the first in a stretch of open holes before the course dives down a hill to follow a creek bed for a few holes. I hit my pars on the open holes, but I could feel myself getting loose. When we got down to the woods, I played very well. I birdied 3 of the 5 holes, parred the other two. I should emphasize that these are very difficult holes that rec players don’t par often.
Coming out into the semi-wooded holes, I struggled, doing +3 through 6 holes, but then we were heading back to hole 1. I birdied 1. I birdied 2… The birdie train continued through 3, 4, 5. A par on the very difficult hole 6, then a birdie on 7 and 8. I shot a disappointing par on a very birdieable hole 9, but I was high on life going into the last hole, and threw a fantastic drive.
Now let me tell you about hole ten. It runs about 320 feet along the side of a steep hill, and from the lower tee we played that day, it is a gentle annhyzer the entire length of the hole, with two trees in the middle of the fairway at the beginning, another midway down, one 30 feet short of the basket, and more surrounding the basket. I threw a great drive that set down right under the tree 30 feet from the basket.
As I approached my lie, I contemplated the possibility of another birdie to finish off a great round. I stepped up, and took a knee to get an angle under the branches. I took a shot at the basket, but was just low. I hit the basket and my putter tipped up on it’s side. I knew right away this turned bad. I remorse going for it as I walked the 25 feet down the hill to where my putter had finally stuck on a twig after a long roll. I decided to play it safe coming back up, taking an approach route to the right of the basket and sitting about five feet away. About the time I was taking a sigh of relief as I layed down my marker and picked up my putter, I went to make my putt… Only problem was, I didn’t make my five foot putt… It edged off the left side chains and… rolled all the way back down the hill. Worse than that, it was behind a tree. I made the best approach I could from behind the tree, but from 15 feet out again, I decided to sit down, take my 7, and hang my head all the way back to the shelter. The moral of the story: a great round isn’t a great round until you finish the last hole.
A side note: Credit to the other players on my card, as much as they were hassling me when I was playing well, they tried hard to console me after that last one.
The spirit of the game
When I play disc golf,
I relax and clear my mind,
I am happy
When I am happy,
my mind is clear and I relax,
I am playing disc golf
Standing in front of my favourite band,
I hear disc golf
When I look at a beautiful painting,
I see disc golf
When the lights dim and I sense a hand on my back,
I feel I am getting some disc golf
When I breathe in slowly through my nose,
I smell disc golf
When I eat my most cherished dish,
I taste disc golf
When I started playing I have been given discs for free,
Now I keep up that tradition
Wherever I play, Putts go in and trash goes out
I hand out tips to players who will beat me over time
I take time explaining rules and etiquette
I am a disc golfer
I am the spirit of the game
FEW dam needs a new basket. I take every opportunity to make it happen; like this one.
I live fairly close to one of our local courses which sits on a lake, so I periodically go disc hunting just for fun. A few months back, I found yet another disc lost by a gentleman I'd never met, so I called him. After a brief conversation, he realized that I'd returned 5 of his discs in the last 4 or 5 months. Upon realizing this, he promptly called our local DG shop and told the manager to let me pick out any disc I wanted the next time I came in and he would pay for it. It was a wonderful surprise for doing a good deed. To this day, that Champion T-Bird is my goto disc on anything shorter than 300 ft.
I have only been playing disc golf for about 18 months now. But for the last 18 months I have been addicted to the sport. And every time I get the chance to grow the sport I do. My fiance's brother, Joe, is 21 and just had his first kid while attending the University of Oregon this past spring. Until March of this month Joe had never played the game of disc golf before. He had heard plenty about it from myself and his friends though. My fiance and I had a trip planned down to Eugene to see Joe and his girlfriend, Marissa. Marissa's due date was a week prior to Katie and I coming down to visit. So my goal was to get Joe out of the house to relieve some stress. Once we got down to Eugene it was game on! Strangely, there is only one disc golf course in the city limits of Eugene, Oregon. That is just plain sad actually. So it was a trip out to Dexter Park Disc Golf Course we went! Dexter Park is a very well known course with just about every golf shot coming into play. Joe and I got to the course around 2pm and got to huking. Since Joe had never really played disc golf before I gave him three of my first ever purchased discs. A aviar, wraith, and skeeter. The round went well from the get go. What I mean by going well is that we didn't lose any plastic. Once we get to hole 16 it starts raining buckets. We decide to skip hole 16 and run over to hole 17 because it was a covered tee pad. Low and behold on the tpad there is a disc with no name or number. Score! I get up to the tee pad and unleash my drive. Not too shabby, a little short and left. Joe gets up to the tee pad and heaves his wraith with all his mite. As soon as he lets go of it he turns around and starts talking to me. I watch quietly as the disc skims the outer ring of chains. Joe sees my facial reaction and asks "Did I get close?". Yes Joe, you were three inches away from an ace on the first day you have ever played the sport.
So now it has been 7 months since then and Joe is now hooked just like I am. I guess that was my best way of passing on The Spirit of the Game.
I don't have a great story, but the one thing I try to do everytime I play is help my friends that are just getting in to the sport. I like to give them pointers as much as I can when playing. Just last week my friend was having trouble with putting, I'm not that great at putting myself, but I gave him some advice and as soon as he started doing what I told him he said it was working a lot better than how he was putting before. Little things like that is what I try to do for the people I play with so they can learn to love the aport as much as I do.
That being said, i need a basket at home so I can practice a lot more so I can give better tips to my friends that are just getting started.
When defining the “Spirit of Disc Golf,” one needs look no further than to Norman Eckstein. Norm is the most dedicated disc golfer I know, as well as an exemplary advocate of the sport and a gentleman in every sense of the word. Norm was a key player in establishing the Druid Hill Disc Golf Course 27 years ago, and his enthusiasm and contributions have continued unabated to this day. Norm was the principal designer and key player in making Baltimore’s Lake Montebello Disc Golf Courses a reality in 2011, and he is front-and-center again in the effort to bring the Hillway Disc Golf Course and the expansion of the X-Holes Disc Golf Course, both in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park, to fruition.
Norm can be found at the Druid Hill Disc Golf Course nearly every day, managing the growing job of returning “found” discs to their owners, picking up trash and debris and dispensing his disc golf knowledge and anecdotes to the many “newbies” who visit the course. Norm says that, whenever he sees new players or first-timers at Druid Hill who don’t know their way around, he gets “an itch that I just have to scratch,” as he offers his help in the art of throwing a disc or in navigating the course.
In between, Norm has weathered more than his share of physical ailments, including a hip replacement, which would have deterred many from ever playing the game again. A favorite personal anecdote of Norm’s relates how a disc golf injury led to a physical exam that identified a previously-unknown cancerous tumor, which was successfully treated. When describing that experience Norm says, “I can truly say that disc golf saved my life.”
Norman Eckstein carries and dispenses the “Spirit of Disc Golf” with him every day and is the true embodiment of the term. It is my privilege to know him and to offer this glimpse into his life.
R. C. L. Olson
You can't judge a book by its cover.
In my last job I did a lot of travelling for work. I usually flew wearing a suit, as I needed to head right to the office when I arrived at my destination. I was on a shuttle bus from off site parking heading to Newark Airport one morning. I noticed one of the kids (they were probably about 20, and I was 40 at the time) on the shuttle had on Vibram Five Finger Shoes, I asked him how comfortable they were, and we started talking. I said that I knew Vibram because I am an avid disc Golfer. He seemed taken aback when I told him this, and asked if I was really into Disc golf. I opened up my suitcase and showed him that packed in with my clothes I had 10 discs! I always travelled with discs so
I could get in some golf after work. He and his friends thought it was so cool that "A Businessman" had golf discs in his suitcase. It felt pretty good to change a group of kid's perspective.
Fresh prince of disc golf
Now this is a story all about how my disc got flipped turned upside down, id like to take a minute just sit right there, I'll tell you about how I threw my disc in the air.
In west Des Moines, born and raised. In the tee box is where I spend most of my days, chillin out maxin drinking some brews, shooting some putters outside of the school. When a couple of guys that were up in the woods, started losin discs in my neighborhood. I felt bad for their plight and they were scared. I said you can have my Valkyrie now throw it up in the air!
I whistled for my lab and when he came near his breath wasn't fresh and he had ticks in his ears. If anything I could say this lab was rare but I thought nah forget and threw my disc in the air!
I pulled up to the tee box about 7 or 8 and I yelled for my labbie "yo Holmes come here Tater!" I looked for a birdie it was finally there, gripped my disc and threw it up in the air
There are so many moments to choose from, But...
MY DISC GOLF MOMENT
was an entire day long St Jude one day Fundraiser. Everyone who came to play WON a prize. Even though it was a Tournament, there was so much fun being had, everyone forgot to compete. The money prizes that were given out were given back in to the Fundraiser. Nobody lost, everyone won. $2,430.30 raised. It was that moment when you realize how much good can come from Disc Golf. So many smiling faces and not a single person walked away feeling left out or like they were not winners. Greatest day I have seen in my 3 years of playing.
I have been a disc golfer now for a few years. I can honestly say, the game gets to be more fun the longer I play! One of the things about disc golf that I have always admired, is the people that play the game. As a whole, disc golfers are a unique type of people!
Many disc golfers will bend over backwards to help others. This has never been more apparent to me than what I witnessed recently at a PDGA tournament. A friend and I were out trying some new plastic while scores were being tallied. My particular friend is one of the top players in the state, and has always been a mentor to me. While on a hole a family approached us and asked if they could play through. Since we were throwing many discs on that hole, we were more than happy to let them pass. As we watched them, my friend noticed they were having trouble keeping the discs in the fairway. He polity asked if they would like some advise on throwing.
This took me by surprise, here was one of the top players in the professional field offering to coach a family just because. He was not there to gloat about how good he was, or how much better he could throw, just to give some friendly advice. The family welcomed the advice and seemed very excited to get some great tips!
This type of behavior is what is going to impress people and continue to grow our sport! Its not the big events, or being on TV that makes a real difference, but taking time to help people and show them the true character of disc golfers.
Standing on the first tee, I turn to face my group. “Hi, my name is Kevin Morrow and I’m an 825-rated player.” I then get that true support-group reaction, in unison. “Hi, Kevin!”
Sometimes, I feel like my playing in disc golf tournaments equates to being an addict. It’s a lot of self-abuse and nothing good comes from it.
Let me back up a little bit.
I began playing disc golf in 1986. By the early 1990s, I was playing tournaments and finishing in the middle of the pack in Am2. I stopped playing tournaments in 1996 and by 2002, I had stopped playing entirely and began playing again in 2006. Thanks to a great local club environment I was encouraged to start playing competitively again.
Being at the back end of the masters division and being an 825-rated player has unique situations. As a player who isn’t new, do I enter the rec division or intermediate? Or do I man up and play advanced masters?
I had no grand illusions. I know how I play and no matter what group of club members I play with, I always end up with the worst score. I’m pretty sure there are 50 bag tags in our club. I have No. 49 and the only reason I don’t have No. 50 is because they didn’t hand it out.
In 2012, I entered five tournaments — one in the rec division, two in intermediate and two in advanced masters.
My goal heading into any tournament is the same — don’t come in last.
Sometimes, it hasn’t been easy to meet that goal. I knew I was going to struggle playing in advanced masters, and I did. I finished last in the division by six strokes, having the second-to-worst score of the day. Take note — the worst score was a DNF.
My next adventure put me in the rec division. I did feel a little guilty and ashamed for dropping down, but I figured it’s where I belonged.
After finishing seventh out of nine players, I wondered if I needed to petition the PDGA for a lower division.
In my next tournament, I jumped up to the intermediate division. After the first round, I was in 12th place out of 36. I felt pretty good about it. I was able to hold onto that spot and finish in the prizes (payout was to 13th) for the first time!
My prize haul? Three Discraft Crystal Z Buzzzes, one of which I eventually dyed into a trophy disc that sits on my desk at work. The best feeling about this finish was being able to join my club members who had all either won or finished second in their divisions.
That feeling didn’t last long. To the next tournament, which I also played intermediate.
Not only did I finish last, but for the final two rounds, I was paired with the intermediate women. That actually wasn’t a bad thing. They were a lot of fun and a lot better looking than those who I usually play with. If I had played in rec, I would have finished in the middle of the pack.
For my last tournament, I went back to advanced masters. The good news was I placed fourth. The bad news was there were only four players in the division. I’ll still take that fourth-place finish.
It never failed, though. At each tournament, I asked myself — at least once — “why am I doing this?” Sometimes I even questioned why I played this game at all.
Then I remembered — I’m a disc golfer. This is all part of the game. I gripe, just like others from winners to anyone else who finishes in front of me. There’s a comfort for me knowing, even before a tournament starts, where I’ll likely be finishing.
Some call it a defeatist attitude. I counter that by saying there’s no pressure. It’s all about having fun. I might even put together a couple of good rounds and cash. After all, it’s happened before.
I realize I do complain a lot during a round. I try not to, but once the gripe is done, it’s out of my system and on with the next shot. And, back to fun mode. After all, the game is supposed to be fun. That’s why I play as much as I do. That’s why I’ll play more tournaments in the future.
This year, I get to play advanced grandmasters. I’ll set my goal a little higher — to finish in the middle of the pack. That shouldn’t be too hard if there are only two or three entered.
I finished the season with a rating of 841.
Ahh, the promise of a new season.
In 2013 I was able to accomplish something I thought I would never do. I won a PDGA event in the advanced grand master division. Not once but twice. There were only 3 other players in my division but I was able to play solid disc golf and get a victory. I also ended the season with a rating of 854.
If I keep improving I might make 900 by the time I turn 60.
Spirit of the Game Contest
A great example happened at Masters Cup in 2002 when DGA founder “Steady” Ed Headrick showed up during the awards ceremony with a portable basket for the person who finished last place in the recreation and women’s division. Ed did this out of the kindness of his heart which is exactly where a Spirit of the Game story should come from.
Share your own Spirit of the Game Story for a chance at winning a not-yet-released Mach X basket. So make sure to submit your best story and get your friends to up-vote it as often as possible! DGA will chose one finalist each week and the grand prize winner will be chosen from the four finalists at the end of November.
Read the full Rules and Regulations here.
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Powered by WishpondBeing a female, not many lady friends of mine were willing to give the sport much thought, but I continued to go out, playing about 4-5 times a week with my male counterparts. It was a rocky start, but once I found my stride I couldn't get enough. Another lady friend finally got on board and several of us formed our own small league, always trying to better ourselves, all while strengthening our bond and getting exercise in the process.
I entered my first tournament after only playing a few months and ended up snagging third place in the women's division. While the division was small, it was still a pretty great feeling to place in my first tourney. A tournament is held at our local course in October, so we started to practice even more in preparation. We visited courses in neighboring counties, trying out new obstacles and stepping up our game. Then September came.
I was out with a friend at our local course trying to squeeze in a quick game. As I was in sort of a hurry to get there, I decided to just slip on some old shoes I already had with me that weren't really fit for the course, but thought I would take extra measures to make sure I was careful as the terrain is rather hilly. I made it through the first hole no problem; onto the second. I finally managed to sling my disc into the basket after a few frustrating shots and went to retrieve it, when all of a sudden I lost my footing and slid down the hill. When I slid, my ankle couldn't withstand the pressure and as I was falling I heard a loud "pop" and my heart sank. I knew something was wrong.
As I laid there, the friend I was playing with rushed to my side to see if I was okay. I lifted my foot only to find it dangling there and a sick feeling ran over me. It was dislocated most definitely, and most likely broken. My mind raced to a million places as he dialed up the number for an ambulance and they hurried on their way. He sat there and talked me through it. I don't know what I would have done if I had decided to go out alone that day. He was truly a savior.
The ambulance finally arrived and the EMTs placed me in a temporary splint and rushed me to the hospital. After a series of painful maneuvers and X-rays, I discovered that I had not only dislocated my ankle, but broken a bone completely off and broken another in two places. The doctor told me I needed surgery. Needless to say after all I had been working toward, I was quite upset.
My friends, especially my disc golf buddies, were nearly as hurt as I was. We had become such a tight little team over the previous months that it felt like I had lost a little part of my family, or at least a family tradition. But since the accident, they have all pulled through and taken care of me more than I could ever hope a group of friends could. They came to visit, sat by my side, brought me lunch and kept me company in my downtime, as I couldn't put any pressure on my foot for five weeks after the surgery.
Then last month, the time came for the tournament. And just as my team has been rooting me on throughout my recovery, I rooted them on during the tournament from my couch. I'm happy to say that one friend took first place in his division. Boy, was I proud.
Last week I got to the point where I could finally put pressure on my foot in an air cast that I've been wearing, so I've been a little more mobile and hopeful for what the future holds. Plenty of people have told me I was the first disc golf injury they had ever seen. My doctor even said I was one of the worst sports injuries he had ever worked on (as I had to get 6 pins, 2 large screws, 2 plates and a suture in my ankle to put me back together again). Others asked whether I was going to try to play again after I've recovered. Some seem surprised when I tell them that's been a lot of what I've thought about, just getting back out there and reuniting with my friends and my love for the game.
Now the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever. I started physical therapy last week and have been able to become more independent than I have been for a while. I can't wait for the day next spring when I can finally get out there again, feel the warm sun on my face and wind up for my first "grip and rip" as we like to say. Maybe if we have a decent winter, I can sneak out there even earlier. I've had a lot of time to reflect over the course of these last few months, and it's made me realize how grateful I am for my smooth recovery, but most of all, how thankful I am to have my wonderful friends and family who have been by my side. And be sure if I win this basket, it will not just belong to me, but my team: The Sterling Slaw Slingers.
A situation happened at the 2013 PDGA Disc Golf Amateur World Championships that I think embodies the Spirit of the Game, the funniest moment, the worst moment, and the best moment.
It was my first ever major disc golf tournament. I was there with my son, who had been encouraging me to participate in the World Disc Golf Championships for some time, because, as he put it, “At your age, you will easily qualify since there’s not so much competition.” I was 62 at the time and was pumped down to the younger, Women’s Grand Master’s age group since no other women registered to play in Senior Grand Masters.
We signed up in March of 2013, before I knew that in April, I would have surgery to remove one of my kidneys. My surgery went well, but I was left with a 16 inch scar from my breast bone to my waist on my left side. It required a lot of healing, and rehab to even be able to get back on a tee pad, but somehow I was determined to fulfill my promise to go with my son.
At the World Championships, in Emporia, KS, it was 105 in the middle of the afternoon with the sun blazing. A lot of water was needed to keep all of the players hydrated, and the TD and staff did a great job with that. For me it was even more essential to have plenty of water, to preserve my one remaining kidney. Things for the most part were going well.
However on the third day of the tournament, there was a moment, late in the day, when I began to feel somewhat dizzy and weak. One of the women on my card ran back to the group behind us where SueB Lande was playing. SueB had some experience with people who were experiencing medical emergencies, and she knew of my surgery a few months before.
She grabbed her handkerchief from around her neck, grabbed some ice from the water cooler, and thrust it into the hands of Kim McVicar, the person on my card who ran back for advice.
Kim came running back to me and said, “SueB says put this down your ass!” I stared dumbfounded for a while, as she repeated her command, and down the back of my shorts it went. “SueB said it’s the quickest way to cool down someone at their core.”
For the next few holes I walked with the icy cold, but oddly refreshing hunk of wet handkerchief filled with freezing water down my backside. With all the sweating everyone was doing, no one even noticed that water was dripping down my legs.
It did the trick, and I was able to finish the day. After that, I only had one more round to finish, and nothing was going to keep me from my goal at that point. SueB went on to become the eventual champion. She and the other women at the event went out of their way to help me; a gesture that is supremely humbling.
Looking back, it was so ridiculous, so funny, and also so kind for my competitors to help me out. I will never forget it.
He designs intimidating holes that you may not like when you first play them but after a few attempts your mindset is freed from the negativity and focuses on the positive improvement in your game.
He is a master at getting the most out of a course already in play by placing holes in obscure but natural areas that get you to say wow, I never saw that line or shaped fairway.
He thinks outside the box and yet somehow conforms to the terrain at hand to challenge you to a better day of disc golf through accuracy and finesse.
He works tirelessly like a busy beaver building out our epic course at the Francis E. Walter dam which provides many a rafter a whitewater adventure all summer long here in the Poconos.
He hosts our fundraiser tourney's to get us more baskets, tools and such to make our course grow from one course into now two and helps others in between with their home courses locally.
His passion is without gratitude or recognition from the masses but a chosen few of us get the pleasure of working side by side when we can make it out to help.
From building awesome new holes to amazing tee boxes and long, varied placements on existing ones he strives to involve all your mental capacity while playing.
If he spots an unfamiliar face while working or playing he always tries to great them, welcome them and instruct them on new hole positions, layouts and mapping so they don't get lost as we are lacking tee box and course signage on 50% of the course.
He always has fundraising discs for sale in the trunk of his car and donates the money back into our course fund.
He hosts the weekly dubs tourney's and cooperatively with Mr. Disc Golf himself Mike Solt, he holds fundraisers for our course maintenance free of profit.
Together I couldn't think of 2 people who embody the spirit of disc golf more than these two extraordinary men I get to call my friends.
Mike hosts dozens of tourney's a year in our local market and goes above and beyond to support our local fire companies with 2 fundraisers a year. He embodies the true spirit of the fastest growing sport in America, Disc Golf.
Mike Solt with his financial and personal commitment to building up the sport, our local courses and supporting us players with economical tourney's, discs etc. needs to be honored for his work and that is why I mention these two fine gentlemen together in this post.
Jonathan Meehan and Mike Solt as good as spirits of the game as you can get!
Thank you for all your hard work, dedication to the sport and most of all your smiles when we play together, build a tee box or talk about disc golf life!
Sincerely,
Tom Williams aka "Taco Tom"
Sorry for my english ( i am from the czech republic ) :))
Despite all the good things that were happening in my live, getting married, reuniting with friends and family, I was slowly finding myself becoming quite depressed. Couple this with me being mildly physically disabled now due to some serious back problems, it lead to me becoming quite the couch potato, and gaining roughly 50lbs over the course of a few years.
After working with a number of physical therapists, we were running out of idea’s for exercise that would hold my attention. I wasn’t interested in going for walks, or really getting out of the house. This just seemed to make things worse.
Fast forward to April 2013. Some friends invited me out to play disc golf. I was instantly hooked. I found myself wanting to be at the course every extra hour of the day. I was so excited I invited my family and friends to start playing with me, and my parents even said they enjoyed it.
Well, a few weeks after my first game, I was out throwing 3x a week and having a blast. Come to find out, my parents had enjoyed it so much, that they were playing almost every morning at the local course as well.
Here we are in November of 2013, and my health (both mental and physical) are excellent. I have lost almost 30lbs playing disc golf, and so has my Father. I have met an excellent group of people through my local course, purchased a basket to practice putt on the days I don’t have time to hit the course, and my entire family plays at least once a week.
Disc golf has brought a community to my life and family that I was seriously lacking. It has increased my quality of life, and my family and I have become quite active in the local groups.
At the last minute I was asking for people to donate old disc and trying to gather up Disc Golf Magazines to put together something extra for the kids. In all my preparation I had forgotten the children had very little equipment until the last minute.
Our tournament was on a Sunday, and on Friday night before the Awesomeness of the Disc Golf Community took flight.
Funkytown Flyers of Ft. Worth stepped up to the plate and donated 10 brand new bags, with a driver, putter, mini, mid range and included a bag tag for the kids to compete for during the tournament. Rebecca and Eloy Rodriguez led the effort, we are so grateful.
Dewayne Furr of Straight Line Disc gave each child a $30 voucher to spend on whatever they wished.
Brian Beatty and Evan Jones also brought what made up a whole box full of used, new and slightly used disc for the kids to have.
Pro player Akeem Williams took pictures with the children and gave them an encouragement. At the end of the day, he gave his Hot-Shot round trophy to the top player in the junior division. Simply priceless!
"Hole one is over here, in fact I was just gonna play another round! I will show you the course." he said
I go to hole one with him and there are two sets of tees, he goes to the longs, then asks, "how long you been playing?"
"This is actually my first time." I reply.
"No kidding, well I guess I haven't played the shorts in a while." We both go to the short pad, me with an Innova starter pack him with his tournament size fade bag. He then insists I throw first, which all of us have been there, throwing about 100 ft up and about 30 ft forward. I look down so embarrassed and he steps up to the pad and puts it 20 ft from the basket! He then just says, "If you want some help I will give you some pointers."
"Please I am more than helpless" we both laugh. He then starts letting me throw discs from his bag and teaches me about correct form and how to putt he even gives me the disc I was throwing the best. The round lasts about 2 hours on a dinky 9 hole, but that dinky nine hole course is the reason I am now obsessed and passionate about the sport. I know want nothing more than to see the sport grow and have helped install courses, and am now trying to pitch a course to my college. The spirit of disc golf is that no matter what level you are at you will always take time to help others when they ask and make it a great experience for everyone!
They (and I) would throw our Wham-Os, our Midnight Flyers and 86 Softies, at marked trees, and we had a blast doing it. With the crisp, mountain air in my nostrils, we would hurl our Frisbees on our 200 foot holes and have a blast doing it.
Everytime I get down on myself for having a bad round or for not playing up to my perceived potential, I think back to those days. The days when I fell in love with the simple flight of a flying disc, floating elegantly towards the target.
Coming out into the semi-wooded holes, I struggled, doing +3 through 6 holes, but then we were heading back to hole 1. I birdied 1. I birdied 2… The birdie train continued through 3, 4, 5. A par on the very difficult hole 6, then a birdie on 7 and 8. I shot a disappointing par on a very birdieable hole 9, but I was high on life going into the last hole, and threw a fantastic drive.
Now let me tell you about hole ten. It runs about 320 feet along the side of a steep hill, and from the lower tee we played that day, it is a gentle annhyzer the entire length of the hole, with two trees in the middle of the fairway at the beginning, another midway down, one 30 feet short of the basket, and more surrounding the basket. I threw a great drive that set down right under the tree 30 feet from the basket.
As I approached my lie, I contemplated the possibility of another birdie to finish off a great round. I stepped up, and took a knee to get an angle under the branches. I took a shot at the basket, but was just low. I hit the basket and my putter tipped up on it’s side. I knew right away this turned bad. I remorse going for it as I walked the 25 feet down the hill to where my putter had finally stuck on a twig after a long roll. I decided to play it safe coming back up, taking an approach route to the right of the basket and sitting about five feet away. About the time I was taking a sigh of relief as I layed down my marker and picked up my putter, I went to make my putt… Only problem was, I didn’t make my five foot putt… It edged off the left side chains and… rolled all the way back down the hill. Worse than that, it was behind a tree. I made the best approach I could from behind the tree, but from 15 feet out again, I decided to sit down, take my 7, and hang my head all the way back to the shelter. The moral of the story: a great round isn’t a great round until you finish the last hole.
A side note: Credit to the other players on my card, as much as they were hassling me when I was playing well, they tried hard to console me after that last one.
When I play disc golf,
I relax and clear my mind,
I am happy
When I am happy,
my mind is clear and I relax,
I am playing disc golf
Standing in front of my favourite band,
I hear disc golf
When I look at a beautiful painting,
I see disc golf
When the lights dim and I sense a hand on my back,
I feel I am getting some disc golf
When I breathe in slowly through my nose,
I smell disc golf
When I eat my most cherished dish,
I taste disc golf
When I started playing I have been given discs for free,
Now I keep up that tradition
Wherever I play, Putts go in and trash goes out
I hand out tips to players who will beat me over time
I take time explaining rules and etiquette
I am a disc golfer
I am the spirit of the game
So now it has been 7 months since then and Joe is now hooked just like I am. I guess that was my best way of passing on The Spirit of the Game.
That being said, i need a basket at home so I can practice a lot more so I can give better tips to my friends that are just getting started.
Norm can be found at the Druid Hill Disc Golf Course nearly every day, managing the growing job of returning “found” discs to their owners, picking up trash and debris and dispensing his disc golf knowledge and anecdotes to the many “newbies” who visit the course. Norm says that, whenever he sees new players or first-timers at Druid Hill who don’t know their way around, he gets “an itch that I just have to scratch,” as he offers his help in the art of throwing a disc or in navigating the course.
In between, Norm has weathered more than his share of physical ailments, including a hip replacement, which would have deterred many from ever playing the game again. A favorite personal anecdote of Norm’s relates how a disc golf injury led to a physical exam that identified a previously-unknown cancerous tumor, which was successfully treated. When describing that experience Norm says, “I can truly say that disc golf saved my life.”
Norman Eckstein carries and dispenses the “Spirit of Disc Golf” with him every day and is the true embodiment of the term. It is my privilege to know him and to offer this glimpse into his life.
R. C. L. Olson
In my last job I did a lot of travelling for work. I usually flew wearing a suit, as I needed to head right to the office when I arrived at my destination. I was on a shuttle bus from off site parking heading to Newark Airport one morning. I noticed one of the kids (they were probably about 20, and I was 40 at the time) on the shuttle had on Vibram Five Finger Shoes, I asked him how comfortable they were, and we started talking. I said that I knew Vibram because I am an avid disc Golfer. He seemed taken aback when I told him this, and asked if I was really into Disc golf. I opened up my suitcase and showed him that packed in with my clothes I had 10 discs! I always travelled with discs so
I could get in some golf after work. He and his friends thought it was so cool that "A Businessman" had golf discs in his suitcase. It felt pretty good to change a group of kid's perspective.
Now this is a story all about how my disc got flipped turned upside down, id like to take a minute just sit right there, I'll tell you about how I threw my disc in the air.
In west Des Moines, born and raised. In the tee box is where I spend most of my days, chillin out maxin drinking some brews, shooting some putters outside of the school. When a couple of guys that were up in the woods, started losin discs in my neighborhood. I felt bad for their plight and they were scared. I said you can have my Valkyrie now throw it up in the air!
I whistled for my lab and when he came near his breath wasn't fresh and he had ticks in his ears. If anything I could say this lab was rare but I thought nah forget and threw my disc in the air!
I pulled up to the tee box about 7 or 8 and I yelled for my labbie "yo Holmes come here Tater!" I looked for a birdie it was finally there, gripped my disc and threw it up in the air
MY DISC GOLF MOMENT
was an entire day long St Jude one day Fundraiser. Everyone who came to play WON a prize. Even though it was a Tournament, there was so much fun being had, everyone forgot to compete. The money prizes that were given out were given back in to the Fundraiser. Nobody lost, everyone won. $2,430.30 raised. It was that moment when you realize how much good can come from Disc Golf. So many smiling faces and not a single person walked away feeling left out or like they were not winners. Greatest day I have seen in my 3 years of playing.
Many disc golfers will bend over backwards to help others. This has never been more apparent to me than what I witnessed recently at a PDGA tournament. A friend and I were out trying some new plastic while scores were being tallied. My particular friend is one of the top players in the state, and has always been a mentor to me. While on a hole a family approached us and asked if they could play through. Since we were throwing many discs on that hole, we were more than happy to let them pass. As we watched them, my friend noticed they were having trouble keeping the discs in the fairway. He polity asked if they would like some advise on throwing.
This took me by surprise, here was one of the top players in the professional field offering to coach a family just because. He was not there to gloat about how good he was, or how much better he could throw, just to give some friendly advice. The family welcomed the advice and seemed very excited to get some great tips!
This type of behavior is what is going to impress people and continue to grow our sport! Its not the big events, or being on TV that makes a real difference, but taking time to help people and show them the true character of disc golfers.
Sometimes, I feel like my playing in disc golf tournaments equates to being an addict. It’s a lot of self-abuse and nothing good comes from it.
Let me back up a little bit.
I began playing disc golf in 1986. By the early 1990s, I was playing tournaments and finishing in the middle of the pack in Am2. I stopped playing tournaments in 1996 and by 2002, I had stopped playing entirely and began playing again in 2006. Thanks to a great local club environment I was encouraged to start playing competitively again.
Being at the back end of the masters division and being an 825-rated player has unique situations. As a player who isn’t new, do I enter the rec division or intermediate? Or do I man up and play advanced masters?
I had no grand illusions. I know how I play and no matter what group of club members I play with, I always end up with the worst score. I’m pretty sure there are 50 bag tags in our club. I have No. 49 and the only reason I don’t have No. 50 is because they didn’t hand it out.
In 2012, I entered five tournaments — one in the rec division, two in intermediate and two in advanced masters.
My goal heading into any tournament is the same — don’t come in last.
Sometimes, it hasn’t been easy to meet that goal. I knew I was going to struggle playing in advanced masters, and I did. I finished last in the division by six strokes, having the second-to-worst score of the day. Take note — the worst score was a DNF.
My next adventure put me in the rec division. I did feel a little guilty and ashamed for dropping down, but I figured it’s where I belonged.
After finishing seventh out of nine players, I wondered if I needed to petition the PDGA for a lower division.
In my next tournament, I jumped up to the intermediate division. After the first round, I was in 12th place out of 36. I felt pretty good about it. I was able to hold onto that spot and finish in the prizes (payout was to 13th) for the first time!
My prize haul? Three Discraft Crystal Z Buzzzes, one of which I eventually dyed into a trophy disc that sits on my desk at work. The best feeling about this finish was being able to join my club members who had all either won or finished second in their divisions.
That feeling didn’t last long. To the next tournament, which I also played intermediate.
Not only did I finish last, but for the final two rounds, I was paired with the intermediate women. That actually wasn’t a bad thing. They were a lot of fun and a lot better looking than those who I usually play with. If I had played in rec, I would have finished in the middle of the pack.
For my last tournament, I went back to advanced masters. The good news was I placed fourth. The bad news was there were only four players in the division. I’ll still take that fourth-place finish.
It never failed, though. At each tournament, I asked myself — at least once — “why am I doing this?” Sometimes I even questioned why I played this game at all.
Then I remembered — I’m a disc golfer. This is all part of the game. I gripe, just like others from winners to anyone else who finishes in front of me. There’s a comfort for me knowing, even before a tournament starts, where I’ll likely be finishing.
Some call it a defeatist attitude. I counter that by saying there’s no pressure. It’s all about having fun. I might even put together a couple of good rounds and cash. After all, it’s happened before.
I realize I do complain a lot during a round. I try not to, but once the gripe is done, it’s out of my system and on with the next shot. And, back to fun mode. After all, the game is supposed to be fun. That’s why I play as much as I do. That’s why I’ll play more tournaments in the future.
This year, I get to play advanced grandmasters. I’ll set my goal a little higher — to finish in the middle of the pack. That shouldn’t be too hard if there are only two or three entered.
I finished the season with a rating of 841.
Ahh, the promise of a new season.
In 2013 I was able to accomplish something I thought I would never do. I won a PDGA event in the advanced grand master division. Not once but twice. There were only 3 other players in my division but I was able to play solid disc golf and get a victory. I also ended the season with a rating of 854.
If I keep improving I might make 900 by the time I turn 60.