Lots of folks have probably thrown a frisbee at some point in their life, or at least seen one. Turns out, it’s also a great way to explore the outdoors. A few years back, my fabulous partner discovered the sport of disc golf. A former ultimate player, he’s always been pretty great at throwing a disc, sometimes to the point where the dogs won’t even chase it as its gone too far! However, ultimate requires a good number of players and can be pretty hard on the body, plus the whole running back and forth thing. Disc golf, however, whole different story! Now, don’t be put off by the word ‘golf’. Yes, it does involve different holes, some level of frustration at times, and if you’re really good even a caddy. However, the wardrobe requirements are a lot looser, for better or worse there is often lots of time spent in the trees, and you are less likely to loose a disc than ball (though it still happens, hence why we’ve trained up the dog to be a disc searcher extraordinaire, particularly when spending time in the trees…).
Trying to describe the sport is fun. It goes something like ‘You throw a piece of plastic at some chains.’ However, the chains are part of this metal basket thing, which the ‘fun’ course designers like to put on top of things like rocks, tractors (‘merica), or tree stumps, or even better at the top of a hill where if you miss, the disc may end up even further away from where you initially threw it from. In Europe they like to ensure you know how much you f-ed up by chanting ‘disc goooolf, disc goooolf’ as your disc rolls down the hill to a guaranteed double bogey or beyond. Also, the pieces of plastic have all different details to them. While all round, some have curved edges, some are thinner, some heavier, and even some floppy (to minimise your risk of ‘disc gooolf’ when throwing at a dodgy basket position). Basically, different discs are like different clubs in your golf bag…there are drivers, mid-range, putters, and the ‘close your eyes and hope for the best’ ones like when trying to get out of a sand trap (or thick patch of brambles/ hedges as is more common in disc golf). Also, like golf balls those suckers sink fast, so my first year of playing has seen me spend many a hole in some body of water trying to find my disc before the dog goes too hard-core scuba Steve and makes seeing through the muddy water impossible.
Unlike golf though, disc is much more enjoyable (I think) for newbies. You make take a million strokes still to get to the hole, but there’s no risk of completely missing and going nowhere, as the disc is held in your hand instead of the cruel game of trying to connect awkward length metal pole to small hard ball. Plus, you’re not carrying this heavy bag around, paying $$$ of greens fees (many courses are free!), and some courses are even dog-friendly! It’s also a cool way to explore new places, and the gear is waaay easier to travel with than stick golf stuff. For example, two years ago I persuaded my partner to take a romantic week holiday to the south island of New Zealand, envisioning a week of hiking, saunas, wine, and candlelit dinners. What I got was seven different disc golf courses, a significant number of thorns in my legs, and almost murdering a sheep with a disc gone wild. However, I also got a river-side course with the most amazing mountain views, a unique way to see the Queenstown gardens (there’s a course that runs through them!), and my mandatory holiday 20,000+ steps per day, not to mention quality time with lover boy while he shared something he loves with me. And, there was still time for wine. These are definitely the kind of chains I think he, and I, are happy to be attached to.
Salt + Soul Adventures 