The other day, I spoke with a buddy about the “luckiest” breaks in disc golf. In fact, we were actually disc golfing while having the conversation. We weren’t trying to zero in on a specific incident from recent Pro Tour memory or anything. Instead, we were focused on everyday stuff.
You know, the things on which both casual and professional disc golfers slap a “lucky” label with some sort of frequency, even though the concept’s entirely ludicrous – luck, that is.
These sorts of things:
- Anti-skips.
- Tree-directions.
- Favorable winds.
What did we ultimately settle on in this subjective debate? Sadly, it wasn’t anything I came up with. In this case, it was my D.G. buddy who found the pot at the end of the proverbial rainbow.
In my mind, at least.
The scene: You’ve shanked a drive and immediately begin the hunt for your missing flier. Deep in the nasty of the thickest woods known to man, in shorts and a t-shirt, you’re prepared to do battle with ticks, stinging nettles, poison oak and a homeless man to find your fallen comrade.
Spoiler alert …
You don’t find it.
But in the process of trying to bring it back from the dead …
You find another disc.
And there you have it …
The luckiest break in disc golf.
On account of my mild OCD, this scenario speaks powerfully to me. When I lose a disc, new or used, I feel the instant urge to replace it with another one. When this happens – and on at least a half-dozen or so occasions, it has – the disc golf gods scratch the itch for me. #Grateful #Blessed
No, it’s never been the exact same mold, so there’s an issue on that front. And even if it was, due to weight, plastic type or degree of use, rarely do two seemingly identical frisbees fly alike.
But when you’ve been sweating buckets while having a mini panic attack over a piece of mother-freaking plastic for 15 straight minutes, even the tiniest reward feels like a victory.
One out. One in.
Even-Steven.
And after your bout of good fortune, should you find your misplaced frisbee, even better.
Because now, on that upcoming water hole, you’re teeing off with house money. If you toss it in the drink, screw it – it wasn’t yours to begin with. However, make the island for a tap-in birdie, and you’ve got a new disc in the rotation, as well as a cool story for how you found each other.
It’s a beautiful thing.
It’s lucky, too.
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I love it when this happens. Of course it’s usually an 11 or 12 speed driver that my noodle arm has no business throwing. This actually happened to me Tuesday night at random dubs. I found a dyed champion beast (with no name or number) while looking for my Gorgon. I eventually found the Gorgon too.
I might counter this though. The luckiest break might be when that gem of a disc gets found and returned by a Good Samaritan. We’re all haunted by those discs that never came back to us. This recently happened to me. Champion Teebird goes missing in weeds 5 ft tall. Consolation prize was a purple (no wonder it got lost) DX destroyer. It looked like it may have only been thrown once or twice. I poured my heart and soul into finding my perfectly seasoned champion Teebird. I gave up…
Two weeks later I got a text that they’re dropping it off at the local lost n found at Far From Par. THAT may be the luckiest break in disc golf.
Moral of the story… mark your discs, return marked discs and hopefully the favor is returned. Being reunited with a disc you lost hope in ever seeing again is a really special feeling.
Love the story with a happy ending!
The best part?
It took a couple of weeks …
But she came back to you.
My guess is that, after 48 hours or so, you figured she was long gone …
You might’ve even forgotten about it.
But boom – back in the bag!
Nothing wrong with that 🙂
Oh ya, I had completely given up on her. I figured some toothless inbred found her.
Same course earlier this year my daughter threw her Star IT into a seasonal pond. It was her favorite driver after moving up from a dx leopard. We went back trying to find it but had no luck. It was gone for over a month and someone found it. That thing STUNK! Like manure. But 3 days in the backyard practice basket killed the odor and turned it from hot pink to a very light almost white pink.
There is no better way to change the color of a disc than leaving it in the backyard practice basket …
At least during the Summer.
I’ve got a stack of putters that are proof of this exact thing. Haha.
The first disc I ever lost was a yellow DX leopard. Threw it off an elevated tee pad into some thick woods with a small swamp. Looked for quite a while and couldn’t find it but I did find a red DX leopard. Dropped it in my bag and continued on. That was many years ago, I just gave it to my girlfriend who is learning to play
The universe smiled on you that day …
And still, you’re reaping the benefits of it:
Your girlfriend is now getting into the game.
Congrats!
I do have one caveat to add that makes this slightly less satisfying. Couple weeks back the whole fam is at our local 9 hole and in the basket for 4 we find a very fresh DX leopard just chillin’. My wife is a lover of leopards and leopard3 so she immediately starts smiling and calls dibs on it. Very next whole my youngest using my most seasoned putting putter throws it into the tall grass behind the basket. After 20 minutes we finally gave up and I had to have ANOTHER conversation with him about not always throwing as hard as he can and maybe, just maybe attempting to aim at the basket…..
I guess i shouldn’t complain though. Since I started playing 4 years ago (yes I’m a covid addition) I’ve found more then I’ve lost.
Just to clarify the disc was unmarked and there where no other players on the course to attempt to return it, but yeah the disc golf gods definitely have a sense of humor. But long story short it’s always better to have a smiling wife! (plus then i had an excuse to go the store and pick up a new putter)
I also find it funny that the spell check your comment box uses wants all “I” contractions capitalized but doesn’t care about I by its self. lol.
Thanks for the details, man!
Losing a putting putter is rough, because it almost never happens …
I don’t think I’ve ever lost one, actually.
I’ve had ’em shatter in cold weather, but I’ve never lost one.
At least your son was having a good time with the game …
Hard to fault him for that 🙂
(and didn’t know about the spell-check thing, so that’s good to know – thanks, WordPress)