A recent article about Milwaukee-Area DG entrepreneur, open competitor, and course designer Terry Miller, owner of Lifetime Disc Sports and "Disc Golf Guy" video blogger.
Original article in the Lake Country Reporter
Pitching the plastic professionally
Disc golf guy travels area and globe playing sport
By Paige Smaga
Posted: June 14, 2010
Pewaukee resident Terry Miller spent last week enjoying the Nasu Highlands Golf Club in Tochigi, Japan, but he wasn't swinging a club there. He was throwing a saucer, or a Frisbee or "plastic," as many disc golfers call it. Miller was participating in the 2010 Japan Open, one of the most-renowned disc golf tournaments in the sport held on one of the most renowned golf courses in the world - which is transformed into a disc golf course for the weekend. And Miller managed to finish 27th out of 97 of the world's best competitors.
The event is sponsored by the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), and Miller said it's one of several large events for competitive disc golfers that packs a purse of several thousand dollars for first place. Beyond the excitement of the competition, he said, the entire event is second-to-none.
"Every night we're provided with some form of entertainment, and our cottages that we stay in abut an amusement park, so we basically have our own Great America three feet away," Miller said during an interview before he left for Japan with two of his friends June 7.
Miller said the players are treated like celebrities, and every little detail is thought of by their Japanese hosts. He said the first time he competed in the tournament in 2008, when their shuttle from the airport arrived at the resort at about midnight, a line of 50 employees were waiting for them, standing in a line and cheering for their arrival.
Learning to fly
Miller's first experience playing disc golf was when he was a kid at summer camp and threw regular Frisbees into the small shopping baskets you use at the grocery store.
"I loved it and won the little competition at camp. I skipped dinner - which I don't normally do," he joked, "and played all day long."
When Miller returned to his hometown of Appleton, he said he learned that there were actual disc golf courses around, which he began frequenting feverishly. He said by the time he was enrolled at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was traveling the country to compete in leagues and tournaments; he was in his first world championship by age 17.
After earning his double major in information systems and communications, Miller got a job working for Kohl's Corp. He said one day his boss walked in with something less than pleasant to say, but instead of weathering the comment, he immediately turned in his resignation and decided to pursue a career in disc golf full time.
"I was already putting 30 to 40 hours outside my normal job" into disc golf, he said, "I realized I'm not trying to do anything that different than other entrepreneurs who want to start their own business."
The 'Disc Golf Guy'
Today Miller finds himself in "a lot of different pockets" regarding disc golf. He maintains sponsorship and competes as a professional player. He also is hired to do exhibits at area health and wellness events to show people that disc golf is a family-friendly, active way to spend time. He also has taught the sport at park and recreation departments all over the state and has held clinics and demonstrations for a variety of groups. He also teaches a disc golf class at UW-Parkside, which, he said, has been sold out every semester it's been offered.
Known as the Disc Golf Guy, Miller runs his business, Lifetime Disc Sports LLC, out of Pewaukee where he is a vendor, promoter, tournament director and course designer. He did course design and worked with the Village of Wales on its course, worked on the course in Sussex Village Park, and one in Ixonia, and is currently in talks with the Village of Pewaukee to design one. He said he's also had conversations with the City of Waukesha and hopes to get the Waukesha County Parks System on board for a course.
On his website, lifetimediscsports.com, Miller hosts video blogs he records at tournaments and events - he has one up from Japan posted June 7 - where you can see him visit with many of the biggest names in the sport.
Japan Open
Miller said this event is held only every two years because of the immense amount of planning that goes into it. Using the popular course designed by golfing great Bobby Jones Jr., competitors play five rounds of 18. After the five rounds, Miller said the top four people will play an additional nine holes. Miller placed 15th last time he was there and said he's there again this year to compete but also to focus on his video blogs and serve as a quasireporter on the event.
"It's going to have just shy of 100 competitors, and 50 of them will be women. The event is also unique because most tournaments have six or eight brackets divided into amateur, pro, semipro and so on. But this is either pro men or pro women. It's the best of the best," Miller said.
He said it will be a reunion of sorts for the players coming from all different corners of the world. Miller said he met guys from Switzerland and Finland last time whom he's happy to see again.
No matter how he places, when Miller returns, he'll continue his role as the Disc Golf Guy working to help grow the sport.
"I say if it's not getting bigger, then I'm in trouble," he joked.
Original article in the Lake Country Reporter
Pitching the plastic professionally
Disc golf guy travels area and globe playing sport
By Paige Smaga
Posted: June 14, 2010
Pewaukee resident Terry Miller spent last week enjoying the Nasu Highlands Golf Club in Tochigi, Japan, but he wasn't swinging a club there. He was throwing a saucer, or a Frisbee or "plastic," as many disc golfers call it. Miller was participating in the 2010 Japan Open, one of the most-renowned disc golf tournaments in the sport held on one of the most renowned golf courses in the world - which is transformed into a disc golf course for the weekend. And Miller managed to finish 27th out of 97 of the world's best competitors.
The event is sponsored by the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), and Miller said it's one of several large events for competitive disc golfers that packs a purse of several thousand dollars for first place. Beyond the excitement of the competition, he said, the entire event is second-to-none.
"Every night we're provided with some form of entertainment, and our cottages that we stay in abut an amusement park, so we basically have our own Great America three feet away," Miller said during an interview before he left for Japan with two of his friends June 7.
Miller said the players are treated like celebrities, and every little detail is thought of by their Japanese hosts. He said the first time he competed in the tournament in 2008, when their shuttle from the airport arrived at the resort at about midnight, a line of 50 employees were waiting for them, standing in a line and cheering for their arrival.
Learning to fly
Miller's first experience playing disc golf was when he was a kid at summer camp and threw regular Frisbees into the small shopping baskets you use at the grocery store.
"I loved it and won the little competition at camp. I skipped dinner - which I don't normally do," he joked, "and played all day long."
When Miller returned to his hometown of Appleton, he said he learned that there were actual disc golf courses around, which he began frequenting feverishly. He said by the time he was enrolled at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was traveling the country to compete in leagues and tournaments; he was in his first world championship by age 17.
After earning his double major in information systems and communications, Miller got a job working for Kohl's Corp. He said one day his boss walked in with something less than pleasant to say, but instead of weathering the comment, he immediately turned in his resignation and decided to pursue a career in disc golf full time.
"I was already putting 30 to 40 hours outside my normal job" into disc golf, he said, "I realized I'm not trying to do anything that different than other entrepreneurs who want to start their own business."
The 'Disc Golf Guy'
Today Miller finds himself in "a lot of different pockets" regarding disc golf. He maintains sponsorship and competes as a professional player. He also is hired to do exhibits at area health and wellness events to show people that disc golf is a family-friendly, active way to spend time. He also has taught the sport at park and recreation departments all over the state and has held clinics and demonstrations for a variety of groups. He also teaches a disc golf class at UW-Parkside, which, he said, has been sold out every semester it's been offered.
Known as the Disc Golf Guy, Miller runs his business, Lifetime Disc Sports LLC, out of Pewaukee where he is a vendor, promoter, tournament director and course designer. He did course design and worked with the Village of Wales on its course, worked on the course in Sussex Village Park, and one in Ixonia, and is currently in talks with the Village of Pewaukee to design one. He said he's also had conversations with the City of Waukesha and hopes to get the Waukesha County Parks System on board for a course.
On his website, lifetimediscsports.com, Miller hosts video blogs he records at tournaments and events - he has one up from Japan posted June 7 - where you can see him visit with many of the biggest names in the sport.
Japan Open
Miller said this event is held only every two years because of the immense amount of planning that goes into it. Using the popular course designed by golfing great Bobby Jones Jr., competitors play five rounds of 18. After the five rounds, Miller said the top four people will play an additional nine holes. Miller placed 15th last time he was there and said he's there again this year to compete but also to focus on his video blogs and serve as a quasireporter on the event.
"It's going to have just shy of 100 competitors, and 50 of them will be women. The event is also unique because most tournaments have six or eight brackets divided into amateur, pro, semipro and so on. But this is either pro men or pro women. It's the best of the best," Miller said.
He said it will be a reunion of sorts for the players coming from all different corners of the world. Miller said he met guys from Switzerland and Finland last time whom he's happy to see again.
No matter how he places, when Miller returns, he'll continue his role as the Disc Golf Guy working to help grow the sport.
"I say if it's not getting bigger, then I'm in trouble," he joked.
