I don’t know what it is …
But within disc golf, the worst label you can give somebody?
Gatekeeper.
Understandably, it’s a title (and reputation) nobody wants associated with their name. That is, unless you’re Gatekeeper Media – I still don’t know what they were thinking with that one. What’s odd, though, is that disc golf culture has TONS of dumb things that do just that …
Gatekeep.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Complaining about packed courses.
- Judging somebody with a starter set.
- Incessantly bashing on Brodie Smith.
There are lots, but let’s add one more to the list:
The idea that referring to golf discs as “frisbees” somehow makes you inferior …
Newbie alert.
For starters, as a blogger, I’m anal about avoiding redundancy with my words. Seriously, the more ways to say something, the better. Using the word “disc” in every sentence might appeal to Google, but it drives me bonkers when editing my own work. “Frisbee” is a breath of fresh air.
Next, it’s weird to get annoyed at people for referring to something by what it is – a frisbee. Upon first glance, that’s what 99% of the world would call them. Complain all you want …
They’re still “frisbees” first and “discs” second.
But perhaps most mind-boggling of all, the modern-day disc you know and love? Until Dave Dunipace went wild with beveled rims in 1983, all you saw on the few disc golf courses in existence were fastback frisbees – like, the kind of gear that comes with a Kan Jam setup.
Spell it out with me, folks …
F–R–I–S–B–E–E
Oddly enough, many of today’s cult-following discs mimic them: the Glitch, Sonic, Polecat, Armadillo, etc. Thankfully, this disc-vs-frisbee thing isn’t a widespread issue. And I’m not trying to make this out to be a bigger deal than it is, but if this IS you, my message is clear …
Stop it.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
- Disc golf: In defense of floating frisbees
- Disc golf: 4 tips for better circle’s-edge putting
- Gripe No. 31: Guys who only throw overhands in disc golf (and dominate)
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Frisbees suck. So does the name. This is not ultimate.
No, Benji!
You’re one of them!
(forgive and forget – haha)
Well,
It is called frisbeegolf in Finnish. Thats the official name.
So, you play golf with frisbees.
Wasn’t aware of that, Topias – very cool!
Thanks for the insight 🙂
I am an old guy, so I grew up playing Frisbee golf. At college, there was not a real course, so we made it up as we went. That big tree by the cafeteria is the next hole. I have recently started playing again, and am having a lot of fun. Good to know either name is ok:)
Welcome back to the sport, Jerry!
It’s nice to see you enjoying the sport again 🙂
Frisbee is a brand name. Like kleenex. Which is facial tissue. If you were to play a tournament with a Frisbee. I don’t think it would go well for you.
Hahaha …
Probably right.
Try playing with a Frisbee pie tin. The original Frisbee.
Goodness, that’d be brutal …
It’s spelled Frisbie, as in the Frisbie Pie Company. Wham-o commandeered the name with a respelling. The flying disc world would do right to return to the original spelling.
Woah …
That’s incredible.
Thanks for the intel, Phil!
While I agree that calling golf discs “frisbees” is totally fine and acceptable, surely you have to acknowledge the history behind frisbees and recognize the genericide.
Similar to Kleenex being accepted as any facial tissue, or Xerox to refer to making copies, Frisbee was a specific type of flying disc.
At the risk of sounding pedantic, when people say that golf discs aren’t frisbees, they are somewhat correct. However, I like calling golf discs frisbees as a way of changing things up, too.
Another aspect of the debate is the professionalizing of the sport. Gone are the days of courses packed with Fastbacks or ultimate discs. Gone are the days of shirtless hippies throwing frisbees at trees. Back when the sport was starting to gain some traction (in the pre/early Jomez days), there was a concerted effort to separate the image of the professional sport from the image of the weed-smoking hippie game it had been. Part of that separation was being conscious of calling the sport “disc golf” rather than “frisbee golf.”
These days it seems as though that effort has worked. And I think it’s time to start calling our tools frisbees again.
Interesting take, Craig!
And I good one, I might add …
Thanks for reading and chiming in!
2×4 vs board. Complaints are normally voiced by someone who does not “build” as a profession. Professionals know terms for their profession. Evolution of language is constant. Single syllable words typically are substituted for their predecessor. Nothing to see here other than evolution. Who is complaining?
99% is such a redundant term…also, this is a BS statistic. Please list works cited. Rebuttal denied.