A few years ago, our family walked around a vacant field with random bushes and trees here and there and also with a little bridge that crossed over a dry stream into a lower field. This field branched out into a beautiful park called Bicentennial Park. These three areas had something in common. They had steel and chain baskets placed strategically around to equal 16 in all. The whole area made up one of the 5 disc golf parks in the Utah Valley area. At the time, we had frisbees and we did our best to find the tee pads where you start and throw to the basket. I think my frisbee finally made it into the basket in about 12 throws! That was four years ago and humiliating to think about since I now make it in 4 throws and sometimes even 3! Since then, my husband took it up as his pastime and I also took it up as a fun sport to do maybe 4 times a month. Greg wound up winning this last year as one of the division champions of the newly formed Wasatch Disc Golf Club. I have since played in one tournament with not as dramatic results, but happy I did it! We each have Revolution disc golf bags, an assortment of discs, which are definitely not of the frisbee variety! This is a great sport to take up for a "hecka" family fun or a way to meet up with other disc golf enthusiasts and get some great exercise.
To get started, the best way to do this right now is go out and have fun. You're sure to meet up with someone who will be willing to give you a pointer or two! Don't let more experienced players intimidate you with their distance and accuracy. Some experienced players with proper technique can easily throw 400+ feet! Throw an easy to control disc, such as the Discraft Elite Z-Glide and focus on accuracy. Distance will come with time and experience, so focus on putting your disc down in the middle of the fairway. Keep it simple and don't try advanced techniques until you have learned some basic form and control. Throw with 1-step rather than trying to attempt a run up. Try to keep the disc close to your chest and keep it flat as possible. Wait until you feel you are consistent and accurate before trying to add to your throw!
There are quite a few terms specific to disc golf. For instance, hyzer is the common term for releasing the disc with the outer edge at a lower angle than parallel to the ground, which usually causes the disc to curve left! Anhyzer means to release the disc with the outer edge at a higher angle than parallel to the ground, which usually causes the disc to curve right! And don't worry, I still have problems getting the two terms straight in my mind. The most important thing is to just get out there and start throwing!
Don't know where to find a disc golf course near you? Try this disc golf course locater! If you know about one in your area, you can review it and get points for free stuff at Disc Golf Station!
I like disc golf. I like my husband for introducing it to me. He bought me the bag, the discs, and I actually know what over-stable and under-stable are and a few other choice terms.
Greg is the most urgent and intense driver (of discs). He can chuck those puppies over 350 ft. When I watch them,they look like birds in flight, rising up and down with the wind. Just last night, he placed 2nd in doubles, adding $12 to the family pot! This is no small feat since he is the old man of the bunch. One comment that was made was, "Wow! For an old man, you have a hell of an arm."
I must tell you, he thinks I'm a heck of a putter, too. Whenever I make a nice putt, especially in front of a bunch of guys, he starts talking to me in ways that to the normal ear, may sound dirty. But it's actually a lot of disc golf phrases strung together with "my wife" in there somewhere. I have a slight hearing problem and sometimes it is hard to distinguish between consonants, like p and b. But I have no problem distinguishing between those two vowels when we're out playing. It is ALWAYS "nice putt."
Seriously, ladies, disc golf with your man is fun. You're out in a beautiful park, the weather is nice (but not necessarily), you're getting fresh air and exercise, quality time with the hubby, etc. etc. If I was single, I'd take up disc golf, for sure, as a strategy. There are hardly any good women players out there and single, athletic guys aplenty. Greg tells me about some of those he meets. Airline pilots, CEO's of small companies, millionaires, you name it. Heck, Greg plays with a certain BYU quaterback's dad and some of his friends. Of course, there are also the pot heads and nerds.
Sometimes I'll see guys out introducing the sport to their dates or girlfriends. I have to laugh at times. The girl will be wearing a flowing dress or flip flops or a halter top, her hair perfectly coifed. She looks like she needs to be mall shopping or something. The thing that she feels is most important is to look beautiful for her man. And then she throws. It is embarrassingly unwieldy, but the guy gallantly compliments her and urges her on. Hopefully, she will be persistent and the guy will be patient. If so, she will have it made and she doesn't even know it!
I think it's fun to see families playing together. One time there was a couple playing, with baby stroller in tow. He was obviously a player and I assumed she was along for the outing, not necessarily the playing. Then came her turn. She let loose a throw that outdid mine by a few feet and she wasn't even trying. By the time their little guy gets to be three, he'll be a player for sure. The other day I saw a little guy tagging along with his player dad and possibly his grandpa. He wss carrying his own disc. I thought, "how cute, the little guy might be out of his element trying to keep up with the big boys." But no, this little guy was a bonefied player and he let those discs rip. So there are a lot of little disc golf virtuosos coming up the pipe.
Greg taught me how to play. It used to be that every time I made a throw, there he'd be, with another and another suggestion. "Please, just let me throw and enjoy my time here!", I'd say. I really didn't care how many feet my disc went or if I made the basket in 4 or 8 tries. So he'd let up for awhile until he just couldn't stand it and there come the comments and coaching once again. He's a lot better now....because I'm a lot better now! I may even enter my first tournament this year. And tomorrow he is playing a tournament in Ogden. We're trying it out today though!
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