What it means to ‘nice’ someone in disc golf

Disc golfers are weird …

Yeah, the beards, long, unkempt hair and tie-dye t-shirts might stand out, but these days, the sport’s hippie population is on the downswing. Risking life and limb for lost toys is another oddity – you don’t see much of that from our ball-golf counterparts. And while frisbee golf doesn’t have a monopoly on passion, once the disc-golf bug bites you, you’re done for …

There’s no escape.

Disc golf culture is rich – it’s one of my favorite things about the sport. If you’re part of it, everything I’ve mentioned makes perfect sense. And if you’re not, on the surface, it’s dumb. Still, there are things not even a plastic-obsessed lunatic like myself can me his head around …

Superstitions.

They aren’t unique to disc golf, though …

You see ‘em all over the sports world. They’re especially big in more individual-driven pursuits. To date, Tiger Woods rocks a red shirt on Sundays. During the early 2000s, relief pitcher Steve Kline was infamous for hocking loogies in his hat before every mound appearance. And Lyoto Machida still drinks his own urine every morning leading up to a key MMA bout …

On this date, in 2000, the Cards acquired this guy in a trade with the Expos. Happy Steve Kline day. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/Yf3bUwy1rA

— Jim Hayes (@TheCatOnBallyTV) December 14, 2021

Those are all legit.

Naturally, most disc golfers have their own personal quirks – there’s nothing wrong with it. But one of them has somehow managed to transcend the realm of individual idiosyncrasies, instead firmly entrenching itself in the aforementioned “culture” of our sport – and it’s SO stupid …

Out on the course, be careful with your compliments …

Otherwise, you might “nice” somebody.

Here’s how things shake out:

• Some dude on your card throws a smooth shot.
• Mid-flight, you hit him with a quick, “Nice toss!”
• Straight from the underworld, some bad juju appears.
• The solid shot now fails miserably – and you’re to blame.

Slow Clap: You just “niced” somebody.

Generally speaking, this is more of a joke than anything …

Wind picks up. Rollaways happen at the most inopportune times. And impossible to see from a teepad with the naked eye, phantom twigs appear and swat down frisbees. Should you share a card with a future serial killer or an anger-prone psycho, though, things can get tense …

And fast.

Years back, one league night, I shared a card with a guy who was playing poorly – he was visibly frustrated. On a shorter hole, he threw a great shot off the tee. Trying to offer what I felt was some much-needed encouragement, I enthusiastically shouted, “Nice shot, man – get in!”

His near-ace proceeded to bounce off the cage and roll down the hill atop which the basket was placed. After it came to rest, he’d advanced all of 15 feet off the front of the teepad – that was it. He immediately picked up his bag, drop-kicked it then looked directly at me and screamed:

“Shut the f*ck up, dude!”

To his credit, after a VERY silent hole, he apologized on the next teepad …

All’s well that ends well.

Obviously, there’s nothing devilishly mystical about complimenting a good shot. Still, on the off chance you’re playing with Hannibal Lecter’s long-lost twin, it might be best to wait until a disc finishes its flight before offering any words of praise. Or, just choose a different adjective …

“Stellar,” “superb,” “fantastic,” “gorgeous” and “outstanding” shouldn’t offend anybody’s fragile ego, but they’re likely to get you beat up in the parking lot afterwards – you’ve been warned.

My preferred solution?

Play with people who laugh at bad breaks …

The game’s more enjoyable that way.

Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

Editor’s Suggestions:

• ‘If you’ve ever __________, you might be a disc golfer’
• Disc golf: Nobody practices upshots (and why you should)
• Disc golf: You don’t have to reach straight back (Here’s why …)

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