After just getting off the ground last year, club disc golf will rely on head coach Dave Feldberg and a heavy dose of enthusiasm going into this weekend’s West Coast College Open in Seaside, Calif.
The Ducks are taking 11 participants to the meet, hosted by California State University-Monterey Bay.
“(We are) stoked about going to California,” said captain Cody Cornett, who placed 12th at nationals last year. “There’s a lot of excitement and we have the skills to compete.”
Feldberg says the Ducks could win the tournament, but he is not sure how good the other teams are because of the newness of the sport. Club disc golf at the University is only in its second year, and the West Coast Open is only in its third year.
“Kids might be really good, or we might wipe the floor with them,” Feldberg said. “I really have no idea.”
Disc golf’s roots are in California, and because of that, coordinator Ralph Alvarado is expecting a challenge.
“(There are) really good players in California. The sport was invented there and there’s some really good talent,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado said there is a good mix of young and veteran talent on the team. Cornett is the best player on the team; he finished 12th in nationals last year. Nate Bush and Colin Arbogast are flashy up-and-coming players, and Alvarado and Logan Grasseth are more experienced, older players who provide a steady presence.
Head coach Feldberg is the top-ranked disc golfer in the world, and makes his living as a disc golfer. He plays in tournaments overseas in places such as Japan and Denmark and is the first player to win every major once. As such, he gives the Ducks a significant competitive advantage.
“His instruction is timeless. It’s an unbelievable edge,” Alvarado said.
Feldberg is a graduate of the University with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Business Administration. After he graduated, the University’s Physical Education and Recreation department asked him to teach disc golf, which he agreed to. He was taught by disc golf legend Ken Climo, and he said he benefitted tremendously from his instruction. Now he wants to give back to disc golf.
“My goal is to have somebody someday play better than I did,” Feldberg said.
Feldberg’s mere presence gives Oregon a big edge; other teams know who he is and respect the team because of it, Alvarado said.
“It brings an intimidation factor,” Alvarado said. “At nationals, it was the talk among the coaches.”
Just as in golf, scores from each participant are combined to get an overall team score. Disc golf is almost exactly like regular golf, but instead of hitting a small ball with a club into a hole, one throws a disc into a basket. The rules as concepts are essentially the same, and to be good, one must master tricky technical shots.
This is the first time the Ducks have played in the Open.
Cornett says it will be useful for the Ducks to get more experience. The Ducks leave tomorrow for the tournament, and will play courses in California on the way to the tournament and on the way back.
“It’s about going to courses, building experience, seeing shots,” Cornett said.
Everything the Ducks do, including the Open this weekend, is building toward peaking at the 2010 Collegiate Disc Golf National Championships in North Augusta, S.C. in the spring. Feldberg is optimistic the team will be ready.
“If I train the team well, (it) could compete for the national title. We’re not quite at the level of a national champion yet, but hopefully by the spring we’ll get there,” Feldberg said.
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