DG pros rock - shoutout to Sarah Hokom & Don Smith

[Timeetyo]

So yesterday I went out to Chili DGC to get another round in to prepare for the upcoming trilogy challenge (my 1st tourney) after Chili kicked my butt the day prior. When I pull in the parking lot after work there is only 1 other car there - with out of state plates. I figured I'd have a chat and see if they needed someone to show them around...and they were on there way through town and playing this & parma to prepare for the upcoming NT event on their way to maple hill. In my usual clueless self I get their names and only catch the first names....and off we go to play our round. I knew they were playing open & obviously way better than I am, but they were cool with me showing them around. They were awesome & supportive throughout the round and thankfully I played better than normal for myself - so I didn't embarrass myself too bad. It was just amazing to see some of the lines they could throw.

So as we are on 18 I am chatting with Sarah & I realize that they are touring pros, get her name again - and it hits me....oh...that Sarah Hokom. Oh. So I pick up some plastic from them in the parking lot, wish them well in their tourneys, and call it a night.

It is great that the touring pros in this sport are so down to earth, friendly, and willing to play a round with random noobs they run across on the course.

And in retrospect...I think I'm glad that I didn't make the connection at the start of the round.

 

[bradharris]

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

 

[Timeetyo]

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

Exactly why I wanted to tell it.

 

[MrFixIt]

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

Exactly!

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Met Sarah at on the Toboggan at DGLO... she was quite down to earth.

 

[Mixed Bag Madness]

I'll add to the positivity. I was playing the Lemon Lake gold course recently and told a lone player that he could play through because it was my first time playing. He thanked me but stated that we should play the final holes together because it was his first time as well. He introduced himself as Mike and said he was in town on business from Utah. He had a small starter bag with all Discraft. The next hole we played was about 325 uphill with a tight fairway and rough on both sides. I parked my new disc (moonshine Escape) and was quite pleased. Mike parks the hole with the same line....with a Buzzz. When we were putting out he checks out my Escape and says that he hasn't tried any new plastic because he's still throwing his Discraft stock. He looked familiar so I asked him what his last name was and I discovered that it was old Discraft pro Mike Milne! We played the rest of the day together and talked tour golf etc. He was an absolute class act and even chatted in the pro shop with us and the maintainers of the courses. IMO bad attitudes are the exception in Disc Golf and not the rule. :clap:

 

[mattdabbs]

There is one pro who is extremely popular right now...first time I met him he was having a really bad day and a horrible round at a tournament. He was using a few choice words and I thought the guy was a complete jerk. As I got to see him play more and spend more time around him, turns out the guy is an amazing ambassador of the sport with a great personality and very respectful. I just happened to catch him in one of his rare off moments and then formed an opinion of him based on that one snapshot. We have to be careful in how we judge people. Don't judge too quickly.

 

[JC17393]

In my experience, almost all instances that I would deem "bad" involving players happened either on the course during a tournament round or immediately following such a round where clearly they let the heat of the moment get to them (some require less heat than others to be set off). Off the course and/or away from competitive play, I've found every player I've ever spoken to to be pleasant and personable, even the ones with alleged bad reputations. And I've heard and read plenty of stories like the OP's that just confirm that notion.

The unfortunate thing is that the on-the-course, heat-of-the-moment stuff is where they are most in the public eye and therefore the strongest impression they give off to the observing public. The more behind the scenes stuff is easy to miss.

 

[erock216]

Tiger woods swears and hits his bag sometimes. Fyi.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

In my experience, almost all instances that I would deem "bad" involving players happened either on the course during a tournament round or immediately following such a round where clearly they let the heat of the moment get to them (some require less heat than others to be set off). Off the course and/or away from competitive play, I've found every player I've ever spoken to to be pleasant and personable, even the ones with alleged bad reputations. And I've heard and read plenty of stories like the OP's that just confirm that notion.

The unfortunate thing is that the on-the-course, heat-of-the-moment stuff is where they are most in the public eye and therefore the strongest impression they give off to the observing public. The more behind the scenes stuff is easy to miss.

Excellent point. How would you react if the extra stroke from that missed putt or shot into the rough cost you $$$ or even $$$$? While it's not entirely about the money, doing something as a profession certainly amplifies the impact when the results are unsatisfactory.

 

[JTdisc]

Glad to hear it.

Of course, Sarah Hokom throws mostly forehand, so you knew right off the bat that she was cool.

 

[gregwil2]

I had a good experience with Nikko when I didn't know who he was and ran into him on a course. I had only been playing for about 5 months and came up on him on him about half way though the course. He introduced himself and just realized he had a weird name (didn't really catch it). I only played three holes with him but he was pretty nice and explained the next hole to me. I moved on because he was taking about 4-5 shots off the tee and about 3 or more putts from almost each shot for practice. Didn't realize who he was until later in the round when someone yelled his name to say hi and then I goggled it :wall:

 

[bhadella]

I've had nothing but good experiences playing thru/with touring pros in casual rounds. MJ, Schwebby, The Champ, Ricky Wysocki and Val Jenkins all come to mind as being really courtesy/friendly in realz.

 

[tom12003]

I've had nothing but good experiences playing thru/with touring pros in casual rounds. MJ, Schwebby, The Champ, Ricky Wysocki and Val Jenkins all come to mind as being really courtesy/friendly in realz.

^^^^

 

[SteezeOG]

That's pretty cool. I'm sure they appreciated you showing them around and supporting them with the disc purchases.

Completely not directed at anyone here just me babbling but I'm not really sure why some people find it rare that disc golf touring pros are just friendly down to earth people. I mean they're not really famous beyond our little niche sport and even then only a small percentage knows them or even care about their attitudes. It would be funny to me if Feldberg was a complete jerk to someone and walked off saying "I was on Conan you peasant!"

 

[E_Rock25]

Gregg Barsby is fun to party and play a round with awesome guy. Cale is cool as hell too. They are different people when in the mix in a big tournament though. Not in a bad way but they take tournaments seriously, not so much Barsby but Cale does for sure.

 

[E_Rock25]

Completely not directed at anyone here just me babbling but I'm not really sure why some people find it rare that disc golf touring pros are just friendly down to earth people. I mean they're not really famous beyond our little niche sport and even then only a small percentage knows them or even care about their attitudes. It would be funny to me if Feldberg was a complete jerk to someone and walked off saying "I was on Conan you peasant!"

Hahaha this is spot on... First time I played with Cale I saw him on a local course and recognized him asked if I could throw with him and kindda fanned out on him a bit. He was like "you know who I am" hahahah

 

[bhadella]

That's pretty cool. I'm sure they appreciated you showing them around and supporting them with the disc purchases.

Completely not directed at anyone here just me babbling but I'm not really sure why some people find it rare that disc golf touring pros are just friendly down to earth people. I mean they're not really famous beyond our little niche sport and even then only a small percentage knows them or even care about their attitudes. It would be funny to me if Feldberg was a complete jerk to someone and walked off saying "I was on Conan you peasant!"

I've ran into plenty of jerks on disc golf courses so when world class players are friendly, encouraging and courteous; it should be appreciated.

 

[SteezeOG]

I've ran into plenty of jerks on disc golf courses so when world class players are friendly, encouraging and courteous; it should be appreciated.

Yeah I get that and I do. We all find jerks on the course, they're just genuine jerks, probably the type of guys who yell "My Life!" that's just your average jerk though. I didn't say it shouldn't be appreciated I just wonder why some people don't expect that more often. They're not celebrities to anyone but us and I wouldn't even say that for me. I just find them to be really good at something I enjoy. Just me thinking out loud. Wondering if disc golf ever does become more mainstream if you'll find a difference in the sponsored touring pros or not. I've just never had a time that a player was around me and I thought man he's rude or he's a snob, who does he/she think he is? Yet for some they almost expect this to happen at times like the guy is Lebron shunning some kid in a wheelchair for a picture.

 

[tbird888]

Tiger woods swears and hits his bag sometimes. Fyi.

It's more than some times. At one point he was the most fined golfer on the tour. Not sure if that's still true or not.