Over the River and Through the Woods

Imagine you're on the game show Jeopardy and this was the answer.
Of the two choices below, what would be your correct question?
1. How do you get to Grandmother's house
2. What is a fitting description of a Disc Golf course layout

If you selected question #2 you're probably already a player or you thought it was a trick question, but I assure you it wasn't. Yes, I said disc golf, it wasn't a misprint.

To go one step further with the description, add the lines "in-between the buildings and around the maintenance facilities". This would apply if the course was located on the campus of Douglass / Cook College at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Truth be told the river is actually a pond, but that minor fact didn't matter to over 100 professional and amateur disc golfers who played at the 34th annual Jersey Jam on August 19th and 20th respectively on the Rutger's course. Disc golf ...who would have thunk it? More about this event follows below.

They're real and they're spectacular! Well, maybe that's overdoing it a little, (as a fan of Seinfeld I just like that expression) but disc golfers are for real and the way the professionals make the disc fly is nothing short of magnificent. Yes, there are pro disc golfers and there is a professional tour where men and women compete for prize money. In addition, hundreds of regional events are scheduled year round for amateurs to play and compete (checkout http://www.pdga.com/ for all the details). In fact, disc golf is played in over 22 countries around the world.

Before jumping ahead to quickly, rewind back to the early 1960's when Vince Lombardi addressed his new team the Green Bay Packers, for the first time. To stress the importance of the basics, he uttered his infamous remark (as he held up a football) "gentlemen, this is a football. Am I going to fast for anyone"?

So that I don't make that mistake, it's important to step back and review the basics of disc golf.

What is Disc Golf?
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf, with the exception of the chosen weapons and the intended target. Instead of hitting a ball with clubs into a small hole in the ground, players throw a flying disc, or Frisbee(r) into an elevated metal basket. The sport was formalized in the 1970's, modeled after traditional ball golf.

A plethora of similarities exist between the two sports that include, but are not limited to the following:

- The objective of the games are the same; to complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in the case of disc golf the fewest number of throws.

- A hole begins when a golf disc is thrown from a tee area toward the basket, typically a par three or four, measured in hundreds of feet, not yards. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer (I'm sure there are courses with holes over a river, as the title implies, although I haven't witnessed it). Therefore, the player's strategy can vary from flying the disc over or around the obstacle, or play "a roller", which hits the ground running hard toward its intended target. My observations compare playing roller type golf to "links golf" in that certain shots work out better by keeping the disc on the ground, especially in windy conditions. Remember, disc golf is played all year round, in all conditions. Finally, when "the putt" lands in the basket the hole is completed.

- The game is played in the same sized groups and combinations: singles, 2-somes, 3-somes, 4-somes, partners etc. They play shotguns, scrambles and partner better ball.

- Discs are stored in a bag, described as similar to a gym or small duffle bag with pockets, with anywhere from a few to over 12-15 or more different discs, for the different types of shots required. A large majority of golfers carry the bag, but I'm starting to see more pull carts being used, during the tournaments I observed. During a tournament I saw a wife was caddying for her husband (just like you often see on the pro golf tours).

- Disc golfers share the same joys and frustrations of traditional golfers, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway.

There are some differences, however.

- The most significant is the cost. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee( You won't need to rent a motorized cart. The equipment needed to start includes: One disc (approx $10-$15) and a bag costs around $30( Disc golf uses a rating system to rank each player. There is no handicap system like in ball golf, where any player can play any other player fairly, by giving them strokes on designated holes to make up for the differential in ability. ( Dress code is a major difference. In contrast to the business casual look of khaki pants or shorts and collared shirts worn in traditional golf, disc golfers overall have a much more relaxed look, with jeans, tee shirts and sneakers or hiking type boots (no disrespect intended). Note, in tournaments a collared shirt is typically required.

Who Plays Disc Golf?
Just like ball golf, disc golf is played by boys, girls, men and women from school age to old age. It's designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status. As you would expect, pros are typically strong and athletically built, but recreational players are a diverse group that come in all different shapes and sizes; from king sized "big dogs" to the twiggy thin. The game today is played by the baby boomer generation, predominately men, but women are always welcome and encouraged to join in. Disc golf is easy to learn, so no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there.
The Professional Disc Golf Association, with over 16,000 members, is the governing body for the sport, and sanctions competitive events for men and women of every skill level from novice to professional. Permanent disc golf courses are found throughout the United States as well as in countries worldwide.

Where do you play?
Many city parks have golf courses already set up. Most are free to play as often as you like. Disc golfers who do not have the benefit of a permanent disc golf facility in their area often "make up" courses in nearby parks and green spaces. One of the great features disc golf shares with traditional golf is that they are both played in beautiful settings. A nine-hole disc golf course can be established on as little as five acres of land, and a championship-caliber 18-hole course on 30 to 40 acres. Disc golf courses can coexist with existing park facilities and activity areas. The ideal location combines wooded and open terrains, and a variety of topographical change.
The need for more courses is constant, as the sport continues to grow in popularity. The PDGA has created standards for the design and installation of new golf courses, to ensure their success in the community.

In Summary: Why should you play?
The ongoing fitness boom finds more and more people taking up recreational activities in an effort to improve health and quality of life. Disc golf provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and promotes a combination of physical and mental abilities that allow very little risk of physical injury. Concentration skills increase by mastering shots and negotiating obstacles. Players of limited fitness levels can start slowly and gradually increase their level of play as fitness improves. Scheduling is also flexible; a round takes one to two hours, and may be played alone, eliminating the difficulty of scheduling tee times. And as in traditional golf, disc golfers find themselves "hooked;" increasing the likelihood of frequent participation. Disc golf is played year-round, even in rain or snow. Perhaps the greatest attribute of the sport is the expense - or rather, the lack of it. A professional quality disc costs less than $10, and it only takes one for basic play. And, of course, there's the sheer fun of the game - no matter what your age or skill level!

Below is a recap of two events which occurred in our region during July and August of 2006.

Skylands Classic Pro / Am event - July 22 & 23 Warwick, NY
Brakewell Steel / Warwick Town Park Disc Golf Course is a beautiful park like setting in lower upstate New York. The 18 hole course was designed and created between August 1998 and April 1999 by many volunteers around the area that share a love for disc golf. The course features challenging terrain that includes wide open fields and narrow wooded fairways nestled in a scenic environment that offers beautiful vistas and pronounced elevation changes. Rolling hills and natural boundaries along the wonderfully manicured landscape provide a dynamic golf experience, while wind currents that vary from day to day, will occasionally require tricky shot adjustments.

The Warwick course has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most versatile, challenging, and fun courses in the United States. What makes Warwick especially unique is that they have two permanent baskets on all 18 holes. Combined with two concrete tee pads per hole, the Warwick "Animal" course offers four distinctly different layouts that range from a Pro Par of 54 to a Pro Par of 68.

This event attracted the best men and women pros from around the country as well as International players from Sweden, Finland, Japan, and other countries, plus many of the areas top amateurs, 90 in total. I attended as a spectator on the second day, following the top men's and women's groups during their final round. Congratulations to:David Feldberg, Des Reading, Bryan Motley, and Jay Gobrecht for winning the 2006 Skylands Classic!! The leader board also featured others who cashed at this event. For the men: Nate Doss, Ken Climo, Barry Schultz, Brian Schweberger, Steve Rico, plus New Jersey's own Steve Brinster and Bob Graham. For the women, Carrie Berlogar, Val Jenkins, Leslie Demark, and Mandi Snodgrass. Not exactly household names like Woods, Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus, but in the game of disc golf these are some of the game's best.

Jersey Jam - August 19-20, 2006 the 34th annual
The Jersey Jam is the longest running tournament in the country, now in it's 34th year. Two 18 hole rounds are played each day with a lunch break in-between, Saturday for professionals and Sunday for amateurs.

Early on a hot and sunny Saturday morning, 47 pros from NJ, PA and the surrounding states throughout the Delaware Valley and the Northeast and further south were scattered all over the course warming up. Then, tournament director and principal figure of the NJ Disc Devils Eddie Nathan yells out to all players BRING IT IN, for the pre-game meeting. Just saying that Eddie yells out does not do it justice, so trust me when I say that this isn't just any yell. It sounds more like a good imitation of the horn on the TV show Survivor, as he screams at the top of his lungs. After the meeting the players proceed to their opening hole, anxious to hear Eddie yell out TWO MINUTES, as play is about to begin.

I attended this event as a sponsor. My product, The Cardkeeper is a wallet style scorecard and pencil holder, which I donated for use as prizes to the winners of CTPs (closest to the pin contests). During tournament play each group of four players stored the official scorecards in The Cardkeeper wallets. As a commercial plug, my product is quickly becoming a popular accessory item by disc golfers throughout the country. Marshall Street, http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/, one of the game's top on-line distributors of disc golf products sells The Cardkeeper.

On this day I volunteered to help out on the course, so they put me on Hole #1 as a spotter. The opening hole is a par 3, 291 feet. From the tee the hole is straight ahead, however there are a few obstacles to avoid along the way. At about 120 feet out, there are several trees 15 -20 feet high spread across a landing area 100 -120 feet wide. Next, you need to fly the disc over a large hedge 8 feet high and 20 feet wide before landing safely for the next shot. Don't go too far right on the tee shot or you'll be blocked out by a thickly wooded row of trees that separate the course from the Eagleton Institute building and parking lot (it's out of bounds and a 1 stroke penalty). Go too far left and you hit another university building or one of two large trees that stand near bye it.

For the better pros the obstacles hardly seemed to exist, as their discs flew over the hedge and safely onto the fairway, within 100 feet of the hole (actually it's a basket). Just like in ball golf, the objective is to get the second shot close enough to putt for a par. Throughout the round I saw only a few birdies and many pars, plus several that went very right or very left that resulted in bogies. It was actually a tough opening hole. After a fun morning round (and a great sun tan) they served a barbeque lunch for all. A special thanks goes out two Andrew Sweeten, the President of the Bucks County Disc Golf Alliance for his efforts through the sweltering heat as main cook AND for the awesome burgers and hotdogs.

The afternoon round paired the players with the lowest scores together to determine the winners of the total purse of $3,270. In a playoff, Steve Brinster defeated Joseph Mela to take the first prize of $550, followed in third place by course pro Bob Graham who won $255.

On Sunday, with the weather equally beautiful and a gusty wind, 55 amateurs and recreational players went through the same drill as the prior day. As you would expect, there was A LOT more for me to spot on this day, compared to the pros. The obstacles I described earlier did their jobs rather well, as many shots hit the first rows of trees or the hedges caught them. I must admit that there were a few laughs to be had, from some of the positions in the hedge the players had to take, in order to play the next shot. Like ball golf you have to play it from where it lies or move it and take a one stroke penalty. For many that made it over the initial trees and hedge, their banana shaped shots found the wooded area to the right, which left no bargains for their second shot either.

I witnessed the same joys and frustrations from the players as those experienced in traditional golf. At the end of the day, everyone enjoyed themselves and the event was once again a success. After all, that's what playing disc golf is all about.