Context Statement: This is an experiential review that demonstrates recording and reviewing an experience.
If you’re like me, exercise has always been…a struggle. Whether it’s getting up early to do push-ups or taking a walk around the block, I can never find the incentive to follow through with it. Beyond occasional peer pressure, I’ve never had a lot of motivation to venture to “the Land of Blood and Sweat,” known colloquially as the gym, and, with the era of Corona, it’s even less desirable.
Of course, the solution many have turned to for getting some exercise outside the house is finding a local park and walking around awhile. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for beautiful, natural scenery; cute, little wild life munching on berries; and cool, fresh air that doesn’t trigger one of my many allergies. However, I’m that type of person that hikes for five minutes, looks around while dramatically huffing asthmatic breaths and goes, “Now what?” Even when I was in Boy Scouts as a kid, I was perfectly content staying at the campsite and cooking while everyone else was off exploring. So, what’s a solution for us sad-saps that need more of a motivation to be out in nature than getting from A to B? Well, one tactic some friends of mine introduced me to is called Disc Golf.
Is that even a real sport?
Surprisingly, yes it is. With its beginnings dating back to the 1970’s, there are now courses and competitions, not only all over the United States, but across the world. They even have their own official sports association , the PDGA. As for rules, it’s fairly similar to golf. There are nine to eighteen holes (which are actually baskets, shown on the left), with a goal number of throws for each throw. As with golf, you want to get the lowest score possible, so sinking the disc before the goal is a Birdie, or -1 point; sinking at the goal is Par, or 0 points; and sinking after the goal is when you start getting Bogeys, double- Bogeys, etc.
Equipment, however, is much simpler then the mother sport. While there are many, many, discs with different weights and functions, there are three main classes: long-range drivers, mid-range wedges, and short-range putters. All you really need to get started are one or two discs that can be bought pretty inexpensively online. Or, if you’re cheap like me, you can borrow a couple from that one friend who’s secretly a disc-hoarding goblin. Also, a lot of courses are in national parks, so the most you have to pay is a small parking fee, and not the exorbitant golf course fees.
Speaking of which, you might think disc-golf discs fly the same as a normal frisbees; they do not. They are very specifically weighted for different distances and curves; instead of the usual “yeet” needed for a regular frisbee, it has be a very precise, level throw. As I mentioned, baseball was my primary sport in my youth, and the muscle memory I have retained…is not helpful at all. At least for me personally, I usually know by third hole if I should keep score or not. The answer is usually no.
My first experience with the sport was actually a professional coarse near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee called Panther Creek State Park Disc Course. One of my roommates over that summer was semi-pro disc golfer, and on one of our free days he talked us into taking the hour drive out there. I’m not gonna lie; between half-mile hikes between holes and that one hole that went straight up hill, I…almost…died. But I still had a blast; luckily, there are some more mild courses right in our back yard.
Oregon Park
One of those courses is in Oregon Park, about 15 or 20 minutes away from the Kennesaw State University main campus. When my friend Daniel first invited me to play there, I was surprised the coarse existed. As a kid, I had actually played in a home-school baseball league at the park for several years, and had never put meaning to the weird baskets in random places all over the park.
Finding the first hole can be a little tricky. The course has its own, small parking lot, between Dallas Highway and the main entrance to the park. Off to the left side of the building is a concrete pad along with a marker sign, (pictured to the right). Technically, the course is actually a 2 in 1; a gold course and a silver course, with gold being designed for more experienced players (I’ve only done the silver). The marker gives the location of the basket, distance to said basket, and the amount of throws for par on the hole.
On this particular outing, My friend Daniel and I were lucky enough to go on a Friday morning that was just on the cusp of raining, so we had the course nearly entirely to ourselves. There have been other times we have gone when it was packed to gills with people, especially on a nice day during the weekend. There was also an instance during the spring when we got to course but it was closed off for a competition, so make sure to double-check if any events are happening before going.
The Experience
Despite being just down the road from a major road, as you go deeper into the park, the dense foliage soon tune out the near-by roar of cars. It was the up-keep day at the park, and the smell freshly-cut grass absolutely permeated the air. Besides the concrete slabs that act as launch points for the holes, the trails are simple dirt roads with an occasional wooden bridge. All in all, it was very quiet, relaxed atmosphere that allowed Daniel and I to chat as we progressed through the course. While I’ve gone with a large group before, I would not recommend going with a group of more than three or four, as it can take a while for everyone to take their turn, not to mention an increased chance of a lost disc. Although there is nothing wrong with going alone and refining your skill, but if there’s no one to laugh at your horrible throw, what’s even the point?
While the dense trees add to the ambiance, they also add a element of challenge. A lot of good throws end with an unfortunate smack into a tree. I even had one throw that stayed in the tree. If you look closely at the picture on the right, you can see it poking out of the middle. There was also an instance of one of extremely skilled throws ended up at the bottom of a gully and had to fished out, as you can see in the picture to the left.
Lack of Direction but a Healthy Community
My one critique of the course is that there is not a lot of direction to the next hole. For the most part the trails lead in the right direction, but there are a couple crossroads that lead off in the wrong direction. My friend and I were about to walk off in the wrong direction after Hole 6, but an experienced player behind us called out and pointed us in the right direction.
Even from my limited experience of community, this an excellent example of it. It’s very relaxed, patient sport, and the other players going through the course are always willing to help. It’s also nice that a lot of benches sprinkled through the course have dedications to players that have passed away.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for some unstructured exercise, some time in nature, or an excuse to hang out with some friends, I can’t recommend Disc Golf enough. Oregon Park is great (free to visit) coarse to get your feet wet. No really, you’ll get your feet wet if you throw a disc into one of the creeks.
Related Links:
Best Disc Golf in Marietta, GA
