The Beginning....

[sidewinding]

My brother got me into in about 10 or 12 years ago. I bought a DX Gazelle, and an X-Clone. After a couple of rounds at my home course at the time, "The Rock" http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=541&mode=ci I got discouraged and put the frisbees in storage and never even thought about the game again until last Superbowl Sunday 2008.

My brother quit playing at the same time I did, coincidentally, right after he played "The Rock".

On Sunday morning before the superbowl he pulled out his bag of discs to show me. He had about 20 various discs he had found and or bought used. He said let's go play. It was about 70 degrees and no wind. We played both Carollton courses that day before the superbowl.

We went to a field first and he said throw all of these and then you can play with the disc that goes the furthest and straightest. It was a Champion Eagle. I lost 4 of his discs that day in the water.

A few months later I could throw a destroyer 350'. I found my old gazelle in Storage and took it to the football field with the destroyer. It would go almost as far as the destroyer but it would land where I was aiming. I have since lost the gazelle and the X-clone.

The moral of this story is: Never take a beginner to "The Rock" :|

 

[sidewinder22]

My old roommate dragged me out to an easy 9 hole course about 2 summers ago. We played it twice cause I liked it so much, even though he kicked my arse! I wish he dragged me out to one when we lived together because there was a nice 27 hole course within 2 miles where we lived! I've been much more serious since this summer and playing everyday I can.

 

[swatso]

Played various made-up frisbee games, including "golf" (e.g. hit the trunk of that tree over there after going around this tree over here) in my teens and early twenties.

Got busy for 25 years, working, playing team sports, getting married, having kids, moving overseas - things like that!

This past summer a co-worker brought his two portable baskets and a bag full of discs to our outdoor summer party. Plenty of people putted for awhile, then he moved the baskets about 250' apart, and five of us played back-n-forth for about 1/2 hour.

I asked him if he wouldn't mind taking me to a real course, and he did (Rockburn - not the most beginner friendly in our area, Calvert probably is, but it was only five minutes away). Despite losing two of his discs, and being scratched multiple times by briars, I was hooked, and have played multiple times per week for the last five months.

 

[ZMan44]

When I was growing up in the lovely town of La Vergne, Tennessee, I never knew that Disc Golf existed. I played baseball into college and had played basketball through high school. I was really starting to enjoy golf. Well anyway, my best friends from high school had started playing disc golf. They would talk about it and I would think "disc golf is for weiners and people who can't play real sports." Anyway...they got so addicted that they stopped playing pick-up basketball. Then they stopped playing golf. And I was getting worried because these were the things we had always done. So I finally broke down and played a round with my friends in early 2004. I played with some borrowed discs and I lost one of them. It was ok. I wasn't really impressed...probably because they were much better than me and being the competitive guy I am, this was not fun. Well, we did a March Madness bracket pool on yahoo and I won. So my buddy buys me a #1 Driver and a Rubber Putter. (woo hoo...Lightining shout out) I actually went and bought 2 other discs. Then I used to sneak out to the course about 3-4 times a week by myself to practice. It took me about 3 or 4 months to be able to compete with them. Now, I am in contention whenever we play. We take at least 1 road trip (2 this year) and we just play disc golf. I have played some of the best courses in the country, and I hope to play as many others as I can. For me it began as a way to be with my best friends...and it couldn't have worked out better. 2 of the guys I play with, I have known since I was in the 2nd grade. The fourth of our group, we met when we were in 4th grade (he is a year older) These are my best friends...and when we tell people how long we have known each other they look at us like "are you kidding?" Disc golf has given us a means to stay close. As of now, all but one of us is married, and some of our wives play. My wife does not play, but she is very tolerant of my disc golfing needs and knows it is good exercise.

 

[ZMan44]

PS...I played a pick-up basketball game on Tuesday night. First time I have played in at least 2 years. All was well for about 2 hours. Then I fell and sprained my wrist. Now no DG for at least 3 weeks as I cannot grip a disc with my lovely brace. Maybe I can add a lefty twist to my game.

 

[bayouace]

That's right. Never give in to the grim reaper! When he wants me he has to earn it.

bayouaace

 

[DWill]

These have all been great to read. My journey started back in 1976, when my best friend's older brother went down to the mall in Washington DC, on the same day they were having the World Frisbee Festival, or something like that. This was the first time he had been exposed to the Frisbee world, and he was hooked. He watched in awe at the Freestyler's and canine events. He also remembers seeing one of the very first poleholes.

As he got more and more into Frisbee, he would start sharing with us what he knew. Initially, we were doing mostly Freestyling (trick catches and throws, nail delays, etc) and other Frisbee disciplines like MTA, throw, run and catch, etc.

It was about 2 years later in 1978 when he got home from college that he designed a 18 hole object course in our neighborhood park. That's when he taught us the game, rules and throws. For the next 3 or 4 summers, we played the course to death, as did a lot of other neighborhood kids. It wasn't until the fall of 1982 when I went off to college that I played my first course with baskets. I've been playing (mostly) on and off ever since.

Whenever he's in town, we usually hook up to play a round or two. I'm eternally grateful to him for exposing me to this wonderful sport that's been a big part of my life.

 

[tomschillin]

started barefoot...

summer of 1995 i was a sophomore in high school and a life guard at a local municipal pool. the park that the pool was located in had installed a DGC the previous fall and there was a leg of the Greater St. Louis Open going on during that summer...so I'm sitting on the stand watching all these guys throw frisbees all around the park and I'm having a hard time watching the kids in the pool...in lifeguarding you're usually only monitoring the pool for 15-45 minutes with a 15-45 minute break in between rotations...so on my breaks i started running down to the course an squeezing in a quick round (9 hole course) Manchester Park...anyway, I would play the course in just my swim trunks, no shoes, no shirt...i could get 9 holes in in about 20 minutes...it was a great way to spend the summer. I got to be friends with the Park Maintenance guys and they would give me discs they found on the grounds...i played barefoot that whole summer and the next until Bluebird Park was being installed...a friend and I had heard about bluebird and decided to go give it a shot...we drove there and actually took our shoes off to play, got to what would be hole 2, severe left to right slope lots of rocks and brush, and who's standing at what was soon to be tee #2? Dave McCormak (Gateway Discs Owner) he sees 2 hippie kids playing his newest rugged course barefoot and he laughs and asks "what the hell are ya doing?" he asks me for a disc so he can show us how to throw...keep in mind the course is so new that there aren't baskets installed yet, just stakes in the ground painted orange...so i give him my first disc, an aviar putt & approach, and he stands feet planted firmly and hauls off a beautiful shot that actually broke the stake in half!...he then suggested that we play in shoes...i've never played barefoot again...

 

[Midnightbiker]

About two years ago I was listening to the "Trucking Bozo Show" overnight on XM Radio. On the weekends and on Friday nights Bozo's son would do the show. A guy called the show and said "when are we going to play some more disc golf?" The host said they would meet soon for a game. I had no idea what they were talking about and after them talking about it on several occations, I decided to look it up online. It looked really cool, but I had no idea where to buy discs. I looked them up on Craig's List since I buy lots of stuff on there, and found a lady selling 16 discs for $30. I bought the discs, and my friend and I went out and played and we were hooked.

 

[The Valkyrie Kid]

You guys are all so young, started playing way back in 2001 or whatever. I was working in a small recreation department way back in 1977. My boss was thumbing through a recreational journal and he finds an article about this new "sport" called frisbee golf and about a course in California somewhere. So we designed and built the first permanent course in the Northwest using poles as targets and throwing the old Whamo 119 g., 141 g. and 165 g. frisbees. Been playing off and on again ever since.

 

[lewisville150]

My wife worked with two other ladies at the same company. Two of them have husbands that play DG. We weren't golfing buddies at that time but were occasional drinking buddies. They invited me to play some time in 2006. Just played the one day. I didn't play again until April 2007. Since then I have had the jones. Oddly enough, one of the guys that got me started barely plays anymore. Wish he would.

 

[Ishulebest]

You guys are all so young, started playing way back in 2001 or whatever. I was working in a small recreation department way back in 1977. My boss was thumbing through a recreational journal and he finds an article about this new "sport" called frisbee golf and about a course in California somewhere. So we designed and built the first permanent course in the Northwest using poles as targets and throwing the old Whamo 119 g., 141 g. and 165 g. frisbees. Been playing off and on again ever since.

I tip my hat to you. I have had the pleasure of getting to know a couple of guys in my local club here in Fla who played back in those days. The wealth of information, and the stories these guys share is priceless.I don't like to name drop so I won't. But one of them, in a matter of 1 round I played with him, was able to look at my technique, and and advise me on my flaws, and tell me some adjustments I should make. A couple months later, I reached 300 -350 ft on my drives.After another month , I hit the 400 ft mark. Now every chance I get, I try to warm up with him before our league play begins.Thank you for pioneering the sport all of us here love so much.

 

[JR Stengele]

Was the first course in WA. Stilly? I heard the first course in WA. was at the park below the Woodland Park Zoo. Due to some guys being too liberal they were asked to leave and not come back. However, I heard that there might be a tournament there sometime this year. Have you heard anything Valk Kid? Also, jsut played Mossy ROC the other day and shot a hole in one on hole #20, THE Mossy ROC. Just thought I would tell you since you have played it.

Back on topic, I learned to play on De Laveaga which was great but very frustrating at first. Nate Doss's dad sold me my first disc, a classic cobra. It had the S.F. Disc Golf Club on it wayyy before the course came about. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

[chairman63vt]

Great thread idea, some great stories.
I'm another one of those old schoolers. My family is from New England originally, but when I was growing up we lived in Minnesota. So we spent a lot of summer vacations in Vermont to visit family. Our last trip before before moving back east was 1979, we co-ordinated with my three older siblings (and their families), to all be in VT at the same time and go camping in the White Mountains. The KOA we stayed at had an object course with numbered posts as targets. And that was about all I remember about that campground.
Later that year we moved to the Syracuse NY area and I soon discovered Green Lakes state park and played there a few times. Over the next 5 years or so I played a handfull of times at maybe half a dozen courses in NY and Delaware, not really an active player. In the mid 80s I moved "home" to Vermont and Disc-golf kind of fell off the radar. About 2000 I got online for the first time and eventually did an online search for Frisbee Golf. OMG!! The changes in the sport from when I'd last played! Basket targets I'd seen in Delaware, but golf discs?! And the PDGA? And a PRO TOUR!!! And only one course in Vermont Two years later and the only Disc golf I'd played was making object courses at near by parks teaching my daughters to play w/ catch discs. Fall 2002 and my oldest starts middle school up by the High School, one day her first week she comes home and says "Hey Dad, you know that Disc-Golf you're always talking about? Well they put a course behind the High School!". Ive been playing regularly since, gotten my brother hooked, taken DG road trips, and last spring we played in our first formal tourney. My love of the sport even saw me thru my divorce (Disc-Golf widower?)
So I kind of got into the sport backwards; grew up in the upper Midwest where its been big, never heard of DG; discovered it in New England where it was not widely played till the last decade!

 

[SoCal-Wraith]

A couple of friends started playing last year and got me into it.
I sank a 90 foot approch shot like my 3rd or 4th time playing and since then I have been hooked.

I have introdueced the game to more people. ... It's funny my sister and her husband were like.... "that's what they (the baskets) are for, We have always wondered"...... I guess they would see them in a park by thier house.

 

[flash86]

I was in college and one day I was walking with some friends when we saw some other guys playing a safari/obstacle course through campus. We thought it looked fun so we went and talked to the guys about what they were doing. We went out and bought frisbees and joined them the next day. Needless to say the frisbees sucked but the guys were cool and let us borrow some discs. After a round or two, my friends and I were hooked and went out bought our own golf discs and have been playing ever since.

 

[thenamesben]

Waaaaay back in April 2008 was when I caught the bug. A newly hired co-worker of mine played and kept asking me to come out and try it. I kept putting it off because I never really like playing with Frisbees and I hate ball golf. So finally one day after work (I work 3rd shift so we played at 7am) I went to the course two minutes from my work with the co-worker and his brother. They brought along all their extra discs and let my just rip 'em for 10 mins or so, then we actually played a round. Needless to say I sucked, but I had so much fun. After I got home, I went to sleep for a few hours, woke up extra early while there was still sunlight, went out and bought an Innova Champion starter pack for me and the Innova DX starter pack for the gf. 30+ courses and 70+ discs later I'm still loving this damn game. Also, the co-worker hardly plays anymore, but I've become good friends with his brother and he is usually my golfing buddy.

So I guess that's my DG story. To Joel, where ever you are, thanks man.

 

[Geoffro]

I had played frisbee since I was a little kid, and have always had dogs. All of my dogs have loved frisbee, and rarely did I ever go on a walk without taking the frisbee along for the dog (or dogs, depending on how many I had at the time.) To make frisbee dog throwing more fun, I would shoot for distance, or aim at a certain area. I never thought of this as a sport, just one more way to play with the dogs. I think I also threw every type of flying disc known to man, including those "ring" discs that just go forever (Aero is the brand if I remember right?) - every disc except disc golf discs.

I moved to a new town in 2004; where I used to live had no course. I had heard of disc golf, but never really given it a second thought. My new town had a course, and exploring my new surroundings I happened to walk through the park where the course was (with the dogs), and saw all these guys playing. I thought, "man, I bet I'd be really good at that," while at the same time coaxing the dogs away from the course - they wanted to chase the discs.

I went to the local sporting goods store, and bought an Innova "disc golf starter pack," that came with a Shark, a Beast, an Aviar P&A, and a cheap bag. I drove immediately to the course to play a round, still thinking I'd be good at it. I lost the Beast in the river in record time, and of course I didn't even have my name on the disc. Needless to say, I wasn't good, but after one ching of the chains on an admittedly not very difficult putt, I was hooked. I must have lost 10 discs that first two weeks. That original Shark is still in my bag, and I still use it for an approach disc where minimal fade is required. The Shark also was my first and only Ace disc.

 

[Cradical]

I got into frisbee golf as more of an accident than anything. About 6 years ago, when I was in 8th grade, my little sister had soccer practice at this little park. My dad and I loved soccer so we would always go with, plus it was summer and a nice day, so we decided to bring a pair of ultimate discs with. As we were driving to practice, my dad saw the course and some people with frisbees out there throwing them at some weird metal things with chains on them. My dad and I both being the curious types, we walked over to the course right after getting my sister to soccer practice(they were only about 500 yards apart).
On the first hole, my dad and I threw out discs and watched as they slowly glided down the fairway, and stopped about 100 feet away from us. Oh by the way, these weren't regulation ultimate discs, one was probably the same size but only 110 grams or so and the other was smaller and about 100 grams, so it made throwing far impossible. Anyway, I played that one round with my dad and I really liked it and asked if we could go again. He said yes, but of course it was time for school to start around there. Anyway, my mom bought me a starter pack from lightning discs, a #1 driver, a #2 slice, and an upshot. After buying them for me, I took one outside my house and just lightly tossed it right onto my neighbors roof. He got it down, but that's the last time I used those discs for a long time.
Then, my sophomore year in highschool, some of my buddies got me into ultimate frisbee. I played at least once a week with that team for about 2 years, and after that I got a different school into ultimate and ended up playing for them my senior year.
Anyway, I got back into disc golf when I was a senior just after school had gotten out, but we hadn't graduated yet so we had this practice graduation ceremony in downtown St. Paul. Well it was a nice day, and we got done with it about 11 in the morning. So I said to three of my buddies "hey let's go play some frisbee golf, I know where the course is" and they looked at me skeptically and I was like "come on, we just have to stop by my house to get the discs." So we got the discs and headed out. I gave the three of them the three real disc golf discs and I used an ultimate disc. We only played one round, but I'd guess I averaged a 5 or so on a nine hole pretty easy course ( my friends faired a bit worse cause they had never played any disc games before). Anyway, right then and there I was hooked. Turns out, in that round, I found a leopard and even though it was ridiculously light, it behaved just like an ultimate disc.
After about a month or so, I had found a few more discs so I was up to 6 or 7. I then invited a bunch of my friends to play and one guy had bought an innova monster. He couldn't throw it at all, so I traded him a disc for it. About a year after I got the monster, I got my first hole in one with the monster.
I started out being lucky to get a 4 at my home course to now where if I get a 4, I get super pissed. I guess a lot can change in a year and a half.

 

[Ty9339]

i've been playing for about 4 years, before that i was very into ultimate frisbee. but after a while we couldn't get enough people to play ultimate so i drove by a disc golf course and pulled in and met the local salesman in our area at one of the pavilions and got a run down on the sport and i've been a die hard ever since... best activity ever !
bang chains!