While construction may often be seen as nothing but inconvenient, there are still plenty of fun activities you can enjoy even amidst the hustle and bustle of development. One activity is exploring the fascinating sport of disc golf, a pastime that combines precision, strategy, and outdoor enjoyment.
As the construction gradually moved closer to the nearby flats, anxiety began to spread among the disc golf enthusiasts. Many feared that the beloved disc golf course they had come to cherish would ultimately be taken down, robbing them of their cherished recreational spot. However, efforts have been made to savor the course by moving the holes away from the construction site.
Disc golf, often referred to as frisbee golf, is a sport that shares some similarities with traditional golf but with a twist. Instead of clubs and golf balls, players use frisbee discs to complete a course typically consisting of 9 or 18 holes, each with its unique curves and challenges. These holes are typically baskets with hanging chains, which players aim to land their discs in the holes with the fewest throws possible. Just like in golf, the player with the lowest score at the end of the course is declared the winner.
Many students at TWHS have taken to the sport, senior Eli Fennie, is a disc golf fanatic. He began playing “during the shutdown in the pandemic to be able to get out of my house and be able to hang out with my friends,” says Fennie. There are many disc golf courses around including the one right down at the flats. Fennie’s explains that his “favorite course to play is the Brent Hambrick Memorial at Hoover reservoir”, he thinks the course is the perfect mix between being a tournament course and being an intermediate course. It may be intimidating to start something new but Fennie suggests watching some YouTube videos for solid throwing form, or asking someone you know who plays and “knows what the numbers on the disc mean about its flight path.” Just like traditional golf, disc golf includes a variety of types of discs that all throw differently. “My favorite disc is an Innova Star Shryke, which is a 13-speed driver that has a slight anhyzer [a forced unnatural flight path] when thrown with a lot of wrist, but overall is a pretty straight distance driver. I can throw it around 400 feet” Fennie describes.
Another avid disc golfer is junior, Thomas Hayward, who has been playing since he was 13, but recently picked it up again. With so many courses to pick from, Hayward favorites the Pickerington disc golf course but spends much of his time at the course at TWHS. There are many ways to begin playing, the best way is to “find friends to play with, it’s fun alone, but it’s much more fun to learn with other people, especially if one knows how to play” explains Hayward. The best way to learn and improve is just by playing.
Adam Brown, a junior at TWHS, has become a frequent disc golfer since he started playing 2 and a half years ago. Although it’s on the far side of courses, Brown’s favorite place to play is Glacier Ridge Metro Park disc golf course. The options for courses are plentiful. Starting off it’s important to learn control; “don’t throw the disc as hard as you can, it doesn’t help a lot,” Brown explains. Just like any sport it takes practice.
Even if you’ve never picked up a disc or never heard of disc golfing, it can be a great way to get outside and try something new and fun!
