I’m addicted to a number of things.
Fortunately, none of my vices are all that serious.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Running
- In-N-Out
- British Sitcoms
- Watch-Collecting
Those first two don’t exactly jive, but somehow, I make it work.
I’m no quitter.
Of course, it goes without saying that disc golf is on the list, as well. Having been in the game for nearly two decades, I’m not as big into buying plastic I don’t need as I once was. I do blog about the sport multiple times a week, though. And when I’m not writing about it, I’m thinking about it. Best of all, when none of the above are going down, I’m actually hucking plastic.
Talk about a novel idea, right?
Brilliant.
However, there’s one symptom of disc golf addiction I don’t believe gets enough play: It’s my inability to go anywhere or do anything without internally analyzing how well my immediate surroundings would house a disc golf course of some kind, if given the chance to build one.
Leave it to Obi Bogey to catch this exact vibe in a single tweet:
*trying not to say "a course could go here" for the 10th time during a road trip pic.twitter.com/9Kph55S3YT
— obi bogey (@BogeyObi) October 20, 2023
It doesn’t matter if I’m on a hike deep in the Rocky Mountains with my wife or crammed in a relative’s backyard for a Memorial Day barbecue: The back of my mind can’t help but scout the lay of the land for possible mandos, creative obstacles or intriguing pin placements in disc golf.
It’s in my DNA.
My internal thoughts:
- “The koi pond is out-of-bounds, but the bird bath plays as casual.”
- “The grassy knoll surrounding the garden gnome is an obvious drop zone.”
- “The grand-daddy death putt of ‘em all has to be aimed right at the bay window.”
- “The basket placed atop grandma’s gazebo would make for a nice elevation change.”
This isn’t only an outdoor thing, either.
JomezPro’s now-defunct “Putting Game” series on YouTube ruined me for indoor settings, as well. Arcades, shopping malls, trampoline parks and swimming pools all make sense – they’re unusual. But when you’re thinking critically about how your local dentist could maximize the patch of grass directly in front of his office for a quick par-two, you’ve got a problem, man.
Hate to break it to you, but you’re a bonafide …
A–D–D–I–C–T
And that disc-obsessed brain of yours?
“It’s bananas.”
B–A–N–A–N–A–S
Welcome to disc golf.
The sooner you accept it, the better off you’ll be.
Have anything to add? Take to X to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- What’s a ‘brick’ in disc golf?
- Perk No. 13: Golf discs get better with age
- Gripe No. 75: Shouting ‘Leave it there!’ at well-meaning park-goers
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🙋♂️Guilty as charged!
Especially since my local club literally did this with a neglected 20 acre lot that became a homeless encampment/drug den/shop lifting trading center across from our local shopping mall.
After seeing the transformation it’s hard not to see the potential everywhere. Oh and of course the local 9 hole pitch n putt has room for 9 more holes EASILY!
One last thing… I love In n Out. If I go to Oregon or California there’s a good chance I’m eating In n Out for lunch and dinner multiple days. The good news… we are finally getting our first in n out burger here in Washington state. Bad news it’s a 3.5 hour drive… good news… there’s disc golf courses in the area! I’m calling that a win!
Kurt, congrats on the new In-N-Out!
Utah didn’t get them until about 10 or so years ago, and it changed everything …
Okay, that’s on overstatement, but you get the idea: There’s not a better burger out there.
(at least that I’m aware of)
Now back to this 20-acre lot of land …
What was it originally?
Did your local club have to pay for it or was it donated?
Epic story!
https://kpug1170.com/news/007700-work-on-new-disc-golf-course-near-bellis-fair-is-underway/
Basically they have entered a “land use agreement”. And in doing so they took on the cost of clean up.
It’s just a piece of land that will most likely be developed one day. Maybe more shopping, maybe a hotel or apartments/condos etc. but during Covid a homeless camp on the property grew to the point that it was a public nuisance and environmental disaster. Also because of its proximity to the shopping mall it was super common for our Target and Kohl’s to get hit with shoplifters who would run to the woods with their stolen goods.
I was aware of my local course but not a member til I saw what they did here. It’s not exactly a Kayak Point or Maple Hill, but it was the first 18 hole disc golf course in our city of 90,000 people. It’s really been awesome to see the slow transformation as the fairways get beat in and work parties happen. It’s truly a gem. Who knows maybe it won’t ever get developed and will stay a disc golf course for a long time.
That’s awesome, Kurt!
And thanks for sending the article my way …
Fingers crossed it proves to have some “staying power” in the next decade or so 🙂
People like you (and your daughter) make that kind of outcome that much more possible.
Remember, “It’s only an addiction if you are trying to quit”.
Ah, how could I have forgotten?!
Thanks for the reminder, Boomer 🙂
TIL: I’m not as addicted as you. Never played this imaginary course game. But did you just plant that seed????
Yes, the seed has been planted …
Do your absolute best to prevent it from growing, though.
I think this largely stems from me wanting a solid, three-hole loop in my backyard.
Now to acquire the land to do that … haha.
My addiction is constantly replaying my last round in my head. What was my worst throw off the round? Why did it suck? What could I have done different???? What was my best throw? Why?
(My home course moves every basket the first of the month. Which means new mental game planning each hole every month)
My name is not fletch. I’m a disc golf addict.
Bahahaha …
I do this, too.
But when things start off poorly and head south from there, I want nothing more than to forget the entire thing ever happened.
And even then, it’s STILL hard to not think back on things.
I hate it. Haha.
Yep…I have that addiction. If someone gifted me 30 acres and 100k, I’d be in business.
Question for you…in the free land/free funding scenario…would you design on your own, or seek help?
I’m not an arrogant guy at all, but I’d like the challenge of designing alone(my biggest concern would be drainage).
This is where my disc golf obsessed brain goes most often.
Oh, that’s a good question …
I’d probably design it myself, but with the hep of the local disc golf club.
There are so many guys around these parts who’ve been in the game WAY longer than I have …
They’d have a good idea of what to do and how to do it, so I think it’d be silly to not consult them.
But no, I don’t think I’d pay someone to help, you know?
Feels unnecessary.
Here in rural east/central Nevada we have some interesting terrain, and its all public. We make two hole courses in fun spots….just need more baskets. Lighter baskets would be further broaden my horizons. Point is….why limit the addiction to hypothetical when you can mainline the real thing?
Amen to that, Stefan!
I hear the wind can get pretty nasty in Nevada for disc golfers …
Is that true?
Keep on hucking, my man!