Who Here Plays Golf?

Oh, yeah. I play golf but it's not the kind of golf you guys are talking about. I play Frisbee Disc golf. I had tried playing golf once as a teenager and all I could do is slice the ball rather consistently. That was, if I even hit the ball to begin with. I'll be honest, I don't know which game would be harder [between golf and Frisbee Disc golf]. Both games take an incredible amount of skill. I'll never forget my first Eagle. 257' and around to the right of trees on hole 1 at Reedy Creek. Got so daggum excited about it, I botched the rest of the game and finished something like 8 over. DOH! Been playing for about 15 years now and to date, I have only 3 eagles to my credit.

I sure would like to throw like Juliana Korner. She can throw about 150' beyond my capabilities and I have no idea how in the world she does it. I have asked her for some advice/techniques and she was more than willing to offer some suggestions but I still can't do what she does and I have studied her throw to the nth degree. It's pretty bad when you get spanked by a girl and spanked pretty bad at that. My hat sure is off to her, though.

If you have never tried the "other" golf, try it. I have a blast playing.

Tom

Steve Williams said:

Never heard of Frisbee Disk golf

Click to expand...

Not many folks have. It's gaining in popularity but it's still unknown to many. I'm lucky enough to live close to the U.S Disc Golf Championship course and I have probably 20 or so courses [beginner, advanced and pro] within 30 miles of me. The PDGA World Championships were also held in Charlotte this past year just North of me and on many of the courses my friends and I play at. Some are easy, some are just incredibly hard to play. Unlike a ball that pretty much goes in a straight arc in the air to reach it's destination, a Frisbee can go straight like a laser for 300' and depending on which Frisbee you choose, it can make a hard left or right at the end of the flight. Then you can throw some of the discs to make an "S" pattern, bypassing any obstacles that are in the way. You can roll the Frisbee to achieve a greater distance, toss it upside down flicking it with one finger in a "S" pattern from up to 40' away to get in in the basket [my specialty shot]. Whatever it takes. Another shot I've gotten pretty good at is to throw the Frisbee at an angle very close to the ground and at a good pace. When it hits the ground, it will take an immediate turn, lift back up into the air and continue to fly gaining valuable ground toward your destination. One of my eagles was gained by this type of throw on a 175' "C" shaped hole.

We have played in the ice, snow, 105 degree weather and everything in between. Some holes "look" easy but can prove to be incredibly hard. I learned that the hard way on this one hole I'll tell you about. Just imagine the basket 150' away. It's a straight shot and perfectly level. Sounds easy enough, right? Thing is, the path is only 4' wide. Leave the path and hit a tree, your score can be shot because now you are 20' off the path in thick woods. Choosing the right Frisbee and the right throwing technique proves just as challenging as with choosing a driver in regular golf and being able to predict where the ball will roll after flight. Add the wind in as a factor and things can get real interesting.

You might think that Frisbee Disc golf wouldn't be challenging or as challenging as real golf but it is. At times, very difficult. Some holes are fairly open, others are knee deep in the woods. Some holes require you to force accuracy and in adding sometimes severe elevation changes, it can prove to be quite challenging. There are blind holes, ravines, creeks and other water hazards, out-of-bounds, trees, lots of hiking and on some courses, seemingly diabolical pin placements. Alright, I've gone off on a tangent here. I'll stop. But first here's a pic of what "our" hole looks like.



Tom