Midwest Disc Golf News

Philly, Augusta and Okie Disc Golf News

2007-04-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Upper Merion to consider disc-golf course in park
Philadelphia Inquirer - Philadelphia,PA,USA
Disc golf is a game in which plastic discs are thrown into metal baskets along a natural course. The player who completes the course in the fewest throws ...
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Disc golf ready for the spotlight
Augusta Chronicle (subscription) - Augusta,GA,USA
Disc golf - a sport in which players toss a disc toward a basket similar to how golfers hit golf balls to a green - will take center stage April 20 at ...
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Brickfest postponed, other May 5 events go on as planned
Pauls Valley Daily Democrat - Pauls Valley,OK,USA

Disc Golf In The News

2007-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Disc golf tournament
Forest Blade - Swainsboro,GA,USA
The East Georgia College Disc Golf Club is hosting a disc golf tournament Saturday, April 7, from 10:30 am to 4 pm, at the East Georgia College Disc Golf ...
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Cheap Date: Let Vic Ferrari kick off your weekend in classic style
Appleton Post Crescent - Appleton,WI,USA
If you haven’t become part of the disc golf movement in the Fox Cities yet, it’s not too late to pick up the hobby. (Ladies, even you might like it). ...
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Council approve disc golf course at Ford Park
Redlands Daily Facts - Redlands,CA,USA
REDLANDS - The City Council approved the establishment of a nine-hole disc golf course in Ford Park Tuesday, with no cost to the city. ...
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IJ Weekend: Clubs get the shaft by disc golfers
Marin Independent-Journal - San Rafael,CA,USA

Disc Golf In the News

2007-02-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Fundraiser to feature disc golfing
The Desert Sun - Palm Springs,CA,USA
The Palm Desert Disc Golf Club will inaugurate a new desert tradition with its first annual Sand and Ice Bowl. The event will begin 10 am on Saturday at the ...

Bluegrass Winter Games begin March 3
Princeton Times Leader - Princeton,KY,USA
23 (basketball, racquetball and shooting); March 2 (archery, bowling, chess, flag football and 5K road race); and March 9 (disc golf, fencing and martial ...

Resolution of expenditures to be discussed
King of Prussia Courier - King of Prussia,PA,USA
The park and recreation board, the supervisors and township officials were lambasted at three public meetings recently for allowing a nine-hole disc golf ...

Diamond on the Bluff
DU The Duquesne Duke - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
Vesch is also a card-carrying member of the Professional

Canadian Ice Bowl, New NC Course

2007-02-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

Veteran, rookie ‘disc-over’ way to win
Comox Valley Record - Courtenay,British Columbia,Canada
The Comox Valley Disc Golf Club held the 2007 Ice Bowl at Kin Beach Park on Sunday. It was a coolish morning and could better have been named the “2007 Ice ...

County improving North Cabarrus Park
Kannapolis Independent Tribune - Kannapolis,NC,USA
The third phase of the park is under construction and will feature new walking trails, a disc golf course and a big playground. ...

Disc Golf vs. Ball Golf

2005-11-11T13:27:00.001-08:00

An article in today's Chico Enterprise Record discusses the pros and cons in a debate over whether a disc golf course can peacefully co-exist on a ball golf course in Bidwell Park in Chico, CA.

In the Chicago area, we're lucky to have two such courses: The Edgebrook Disc Golf Course and the White Mountain Rec Center are both located on existing ball golf courses.

I've had the pleasure to play Edgebrook, and it was one of the most enjoyable disc golf experiences I've ever had.

One concern mentioned in the article is cost. Disc golfers are used to playing for free, which is one of the great advantages of disc golf.

But at Edgebrook, a round with a cart costs only $12. To me this is a great deal, especially when you're playing on a beautifully maintained course with amenities like a pro shop, concessions, bathrooms, and water coolers. And you get a cart! If you haven't had the pleasure of playing with a cart, let me tell you, your legs will thank you!

Still, times are tough right now, and $12 may be out of reach for many disc golfers. It would be interesting to know what the attendance has been at the two Chicago fly 18 courses.

I take issue with a couple of points raised in the article: One is that having two sets of players on the course could be dangerous for the players, and the other is that older ball golfers don't like younger disc golfers on the course.

Based on my experience, I see no reason to worry. Playing the course with discs was no more dangerous than playing with clubs, and the older gents seemed to get a kick out of us younger disc throwers. In fact, last the last time I played I ended up giving throwing lessons to some old timers.

My biggest gripe in this article comes from disc golf advocate Lon Glazner who said "local disc golfers probably wouldn't be happy on manicured lawns." This guy obviously doesn't have a roller in his shot repertoire. In my opinion, there is no greater thrill in disc golf than throwing a roller 600 feet or more on a perfectly manicured fairway. Does he think we'd be happier in weeds up to our ankles?

The article also misses a big advantage of mixed courses: You can play ball golf and disc golf in the same group! The last foursome I played with at Edgebrook included two of my ball golfing buddies. We played seamlessly, and had a great time!

Read for yourself and let me know what you think:

Will disc golf work on the regular links?
Enterprise-Record - Chico,CA,USA

Is there room at Bidwell Park Municipal Golf Course for disc golf?
Randy Abbott and Christina Aranguren, members of the park's Citizen Advisory Committee for the master management plan, suggested the city investigate that option.
Aranguren told the commission she had talked to Michael Belchik, the professional course designer and professional player who worked on a possible redesign of the upper park disc golf course.
Belchik had told her combining the golf games has been done at other courses.
In a phone conversation with the Enterprise-Record on Wednesday, Belchik said there are pros and cons to combining play.

Read more...

Prairie Park Disc Golf Course Opens in DeKalb

2005-11-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

Northern Illinois University students finally have a place to play Disc Golf, as the Prairie Park course officially opened last week:

Getting into the swing of disc golf
Dekalb Daily Chronicle - Dekalb,IL,USA
DeKALB - It's a sport that doesn't require special shoes, clothing or a lot of equipment, and participants don't have to break a sweat.

“Anyone can do it,” DeKalb resident Bill Flaherty said of the area's newest sport - disc golf.

He and friends played a nine-hole round Thursday afternoon at the county's only course.

DeKalb Park District officially opened the course at Prairie Park, on Glidden Avenue and Clifford Drive, last weekend, although Flaherty and others have been using it for about the two months it has been in place.

Kevin Kaminski and Robyn Ann Vardo, both of DeKalb, have been using the course since about mid-summer. They learned of it from a friend.

Vardo said she learned to play at an 18-hole course in Round Lake.

The availablity to a wide range of particpants, the easy learning curve, and the relativley low cost of installing and maintaining the course is what finally convinced park disctrict officials. And they couldn't be happier with the results. Assistant parks director Brad Garrison said:

"It's a great way to get people in the park,” he said. “Once they're out there for disc golf, they'll see the trail and other things we have available. It's also a good sport for a variety of people."

This isn't the first time someone approached Garrison about disc golf. Somebody tried 8 years ago, but the park district didn't know what the sport was all about. This goes to show how important it is for local disc golf clubs to get involved with park districts to develop courses.

Huntington Beach Course Celebrates 28 Years

2005-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

At 28years-old, the Huntington Beach Calif. Disc Golf Course is the second-oldest disc golf course in the United States. The course course draws up to 50 players a week for weekly tournaments. Many former ball golfers come because the game is cheaper, the rounds are shorter, and it's more fun!

New spin on old game
Canton Repository (subscription) - Canton,OH,USA
The putting greens are bumpy, the “holes” stand five feet above ground, the fairways are far from pristine, and yappy little dogs are allowed to roam the course. But, hey, the green fees are under $3, and shirts are optional.

The Huntington Beach Calif. Disc Golf Course won’t remind anyone of Pebble Beach. But for thousands of devoted disc golfers, the 5,600-foot-long course of tall trees, scraggly grass and sloping fairways in Huntington Beach’s Central Park are magical.

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Disc Golf UK, Chico Could Lose Course

2005-11-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

If not for the internet, this UK gent never would have discovered disc golf. Now he has an 18 hole course, his first tournament, and a website. Read on:

Wood makes a flying start
ic Croydon - UK
... After all, without having twiddled his satellite television channels, Wood might never have discovered the game of disc golf, or frisbee golf, which has become his major sporting passion. So much so in fact that Wood has even become a course designer for this little known minority sport and he is also keen to establish Croydon Disc Golf as an official club within the next month. For further details on joining Croydon Disc Golf contact Wood on 07881 585379 (mobile) or log on to www.croydondiscgolf.bravehost.com

The future of a disc golf course in Chico, Ca. is in question as park commisioners debate a park master plan:

Park recreation: Is this all there is?
Enterprise-Record - Chico,CA,USA
... did not put the question to rest, they did have a discussion about preventing future development in the park - an issue triggered by the disc golf course. ...

Ohio Ball Golfer Hooked on Disc Golf

2005-11-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Golf by any other name is still . . .
Bucyrus Telegraph Forum - OH, United States
... I had wet feet, dirty pants thanks to a successful retrieval from the Sandusky River and a great time playing disc golf. My sincere thanks to Ken Rollins and two brothers from Marion, whose names escape me, for the formal introduction to the sport. When Rollins asked them if it was all right if a "newbie" filled out the foursome, they wanted to know how new -- months, weeks, days or hours?

None of the above, I told them, "Minutes." I had watched others play several times at courses elsewhere. I had even tried my hand at throwing regular Frisbees at golf targets. But Saturday was the first time I played a hole, much less a complete round.

I'm hooked and as soon as the city is able to commit to making the course permanent at Aumiller Park, I'm going to buy a couple of my own discs. I know I've got some pars and birdies somewhere in this arm.

Feldberg and Jenkins Go Back To School

2005-11-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Community Sports: Spotlight, Notes & AnnouncementsThe Register-Guard - Eugene,Oregon,USA David Feldberg, 28, of Springfield, capped his most successful year on the professional disc golf tour this month by winning the United States Disc Golf Championship held in Rock Hill, S.C. The $11,000 prize brings his winnings to more than $27,300 for the year, with several smaller tournaments left to play. To date, he has won seven of the 21 tournaments entered in 2005, never finishing out of the top nine. Feldberg, who took up the sport in Michigan in 1997 and turned pro in 2000, arrived at the University of Oregon three years ago to work on dual undergraduate degrees in business and education. Although his professional career takes him throughout the country and occasionally overseas (he is also studying for a minor degree in Japanese), Feldberg and roommate Avery Jenkins, also a professional disk golfer, aim to expand the local community's understanding of the sport. The duo are establishing a club team at the university and will organize an on-campus tournament in mid-January that is open to the public as well as UO students. The tournament will include an introductory clinic and entry details will be announced following the holidays.

Disc Golf Coming to Corning, Sandy Creek, and Oregon

2005-10-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Disc golf tourney coming to CorningElmira Star-Gazette - Elmira,NY,USACorning's Twenty Percenters Disc Golf Club will host the "Haunted Waters Fall Classic," a one-day Professional Disc Golf Association D-Tier tournament at 9:30 Nov. 5 in Denison Park in Corning.The club reports that this is the first sanctioned tournament to be held in the Corning area.Professional disc golfers will get a 100 percent payout, with additional funds being contributed to the final payout.Amateur players of all levels can look forward to substantial prizes for the top players as well, the club said.For more information, contact Hank Foss at 607/937-8153 or visit the club's Web site at www. TwentyPercenters.com....

Disc golf coming to Sandy CreekAthens Banner-Herald (subscription) - Athens,GA,USAAthens-Clarke County Leisure Services is responding to local interest in disc golf with plans for a state-of-the-art, 27-hole disc golf course at Sandy Creek ...

Take a disc and tee off for casual, low-cost golf gameOregonLive.com - Portland,OR,Disc golf is a game of accuracy and spin, friends and fun, according to Jerry Miller and others who practice the sport on Portland area courses and compete in tournaments throughout the United States.
The spin -- created by the player's hold on the disc and arm speed -- affects speed and direction of the thin, Frisbee-like disc. And it's just one of dozens of variables disc golfers must manage while playing the game, said Miller, who has played for 25 years and is a passionate proponent of the sport.
Miller, 45, also sells the metal baskets, discs and other equipment and has helped develop courses throughout the Northwest.
The sport became central to his life in 1980, when the first course in Oregon was built at Rockwood Central Park, near his parents' Gresham home. Miller, who was playing semi-pro soccer at the time, said he was hooked immediately.
"It's just a fun activity, and it's a lifelong sport -- relaxing and fun for all ages," he said.
Miller estimates that 4,000 Oregonians play disc golf, in which players try in the fewest number of throws to get a disc into metal baskets placed in a park or woodland. The Professional Disc Golf Association puts the national number of regular players at a half-million.
Oregon has more than 40 disc golf courses, including two in Estacada, said Steve Orcutt, 39, a Beavercreek resident who plays the Timber Park course owned by PGE in Estacada almost every weekend.

David Feldberg Wins Triple Crown Of Disc Golf!

2005-10-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

David Feldberg played his first game of disc golf just 8 years ago. On Saturday, he won the triple crown of disc golf. His victory in the 2005 United States Disc Golf Championship held in Rock Hill, South Carolina, beating 183 of the worlds top players, enabled Feldberg to capture the National Tour Title and Cash Title.

I wanted to post something about this last week, but I decided to wait until I had a chance to talk to my buddy Kyle, who was there as a spectator.

We both agreed that the USDGC win and National Tour Title couldn't have gone to a nicer and more deserving fellow. David has been grinding it out on tour for awhile now, and this has to be the biggest win of his career. He took home $11,000.

Kyle remarked that David won it despite carding an 8 on the par 5 13th hole in the final round, beating Michigan's Scott Martin and Tulsa's Kevin Mccoy . As you can see from the USDGC Live Scoring Archive , that final round must have been exciting!

I had a chance to meet David at the Kansas City Wide Open a few years ago. We were both waiting in line for food in one billion degree heat and he struck up a conversation, friendly as can be. He taught a couple throwing clinics that weekend, and was always available for fans.

So here's to a guy who has worked hard on his game and has given back to the sport as well. Congratulations Dave!

About the tournament: According to Kyle, this was the best run event they've held there yet. The course was in terrific condition. You might remember that this was the same course that Climo and Shultz put to shame in a round and round playoff battle. It's much tougher now.

Congratualtions also go out to the lone Illinois representive Brett Comincioli .

In the news, David was featured in this article from the Oregon Daily Emerald:

360 degrees from ordinaryOregon Daily Emerald - Erb Memorial Union,OR,USAFeldberg and Jenkins, both accomplished Professional Disc Golf Champions, are competing at the professional level. ... Feldberg is relatively new to disc golf. ...

If you were at the USDGC, let us know what you thought.

Is Disc Golf Still a Sport if You Bring a Chair?

2005-10-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

This blog post from Dave Nalle laments the rising cost and complexity of disc golf equipment.

I can't say I agree with everything in the article, disc golf is still a very inexpensive sport. There are no greens fees, and all you really need to spend is $6 to $18 on a disc or two. A fancy bag and strap aren't really necessary. In fact, many veteran players do without.

I agree that chairs and carts, partcularly those Rube Goldberg home made carts, look bad. I doubt you'll ever see Tiger Woods sitting on his ass between holes.

Anyway, click below to read for your self. There's an interesting thread following the article.

Is Disc Golf Still a Sport if You Bring a Chair?Blogcritics.org - Aurora,OH,USAWhen I first started playing Disc Golf one of the things which attracted me to the sport was the relative informality. It wasn'ta ...

PDGA Site Crashes, Cheap Disc Golf Baskets

2005-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Terry Calhoun sent the following message to PDGA members:

FYI, in case you haven't noticed. The PDGA website, http://www.pdga.com is having some serious server difficulties. Not a good thing because this is the time of the year that a lot of members join up for the very first time, due to getting extra copies of Disc Golf World News, and other benefits for 16-14 months by paying only for 12, when they join now.
We'll be back up shortly. Thanks for your patience.

He also included a couple news items:

DISC GOLF ISN'T JUST A WALK IN THE PARK
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/12877651.htm
"Jehan played on the Professional Disc Golf Association Tour in 2001, more for fun than profit.
He made money in only a handful of events and ended up spending about $7,000 of his own just to cover expenses.
But it was four of the best months of his life as he toured the country and made new friends.
Disc golfers, being that there aren't many of them, are a tight-knit bunch. When one of them unexpectedly runs into another, it's as if they were lifelong friends.
"We're kind of on an island by ourselves," Jehan said."

DISC GOLF IN THE WILDERNESS
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/01/182448.php
"Dave Moody's course is a tribute to the ambitious vision of the disc golf entrepreneur. It's in Red Rock Texas, about 40 miles east of Austin and just a little bit south of Bastrop. Not exactly the center of civilization. But he's done everything he can to turn a family ranch into a disc golf mecca with the power to attract players from far and wide.
To start off with, it's a pretty nice course with a nice variety of holes spread over about 100 acres of land with attractive scenery and a nice mix of long leaf pine, pin oaks and cedar trees. It also offers a pro shop and campsites for travelling players. But the real key to getting players there is promotion. It helps that Dave Moody is the course pro at the enormously active Pease Park course in the heart of Austin's university community. That gives him a captive audience to advertise his home course to when they're ready to move on to something more ambitious. With all the players who go to Pease there are going to be more than a few willing to drive a few miles to try out a new course.
Another good promotion is holding a PDGA pro-tour event like the Octoberfest tournament. This brings in players from all over who'll spread word of the course, plus it's an excuse to produce promotional discs which get sold and traded throughout the disc golf community, further spreading word of the course."

Then there is this post about making some cheap disc golf baskets:

Disc Golf Baskets on the CheapBlogcritics.org - Aurora,OH,USAI've got enough land around our house to install a functional 9 hole disc golf course on with decent-length fairways and what ought to be some fun holes. ...

Chico Considers Redesign, Willow Creek Open Lamar, CO

2005-10-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Disc golf may fly in ChicoThe Orion - Chico,CA,USA... Wednesday night in the Chico City Council Chambers, as they held green and yellow bumper stickers with bold letters that read: "I support disc golf in Chico ...

Disc golf tourney set for October 16Lamar Daily News - Lamar,CO,USAThe weather is going to cooperate for the 1st Willow Creek Open Disc Golf Tournament to be held on Sunday, Oct. 16th at the Willow Creek Park. ...