The Masters kicks off today at Augusta National and is always my favorite golf tournament of the season. Every hole has a familiar face, conjuring up memories of the high drama that has occurred there.
And yes, I’m just the kind of dork who will watch all four rounds in their entirety. Of course, any PGA event will grab my attention for a weekend given an open schedule for me and a compelling leaderboard for the field. This is an interest of mine that puzzles my family and close friends, who would all rather do just about anything (including a gander at the proverbial drying paint or growing grass) than sit through a televised round of golf.
But I’ve been an avid golfer since I was 13 (well over a decade, I’m old). I played on the Klamath Union High School team but never exceptionally well. I never broke 90 for 18 holes and played in just one varsity event in my career – as an alternate, no less. Still, even though I sucked pretty badly, golf held me in its sway.
Unfortunately for my swing, once I left high school I didn’t get the opportunity to play much, largely due to greens fees. You see, in high school it was free, so I could do it everyday with no worries.
Man, that was sweet.
So my swing fell apart. I play occasionally, but always notch triple-digits at the end of the day, and I just can’t afford to play enough to get back on my game, as weak as it might have been.
A few years back I heard about a golf spinoff that was cheap, easy and growing in popularity, leading to new courses popping up all over Oregon.
It was disc golf, and I loved it instantly.
It is what it says: golf with discs. Tee boxes are usually cement or wood-chip pads that you start from, throwing until you get in the basket that serves as the hole’s end. Despite the fact that it is clearly not golf, with none of the nuance of swing and club selection, it is thoroughly enjoyable and accessible to a much broader audience. I find it a good way for me to enjoy a “golf-like” activity with my friends and family who just don’t get golf.
First, it’s pretty easy. Maybe not to be great at, but at least to have a good time. I can achieve pretty respectable scores on many of the courses I’ve played, something I was never able to do on a golf course.
Second, it’s cheap. A good portion of the courses are free, and the others charge for parking: usually about $3. Add 20 bucks to that for a couple of discs your first time out and you are still far short of the 18-hole greens fees at most public golf courses. That’s big for me. I’ve got a few discs, and now the most it costs for my whole family to play is three dollars.
Last, it’s more inclusive. You’ll never find the kind of snobbery you may encounter at a golf course while out playing disc golf. People bring their dogs or kids along and just enjoy the park rather than obsess over the score.
The Eugene Disc Golf Club (yep, that’s right) is working on several new courses here locally, and Dexter (just south of town on Highway 58) has a course that is top-notch and free. So for all you golf junkies out there who might be a little light in the wallet this spring, give it a shot. Just don’t call it “Frisbee” golf, please.
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