I get in one of these rounds every couple of weeks …
Right off the bat, I bogey the first hole. I then follow that up with another bogey – or a double-bogey. To atone for the atrocious start, I get overly aggressive – the hole gets deeper. Before you know it, I’m knee-deep in a “just-for-fun” round, trying to launch three-sixty drives off the tee and smash 100-foot turbo putts like I’m the second coming of Mr. JohnE McCray.
There’s good news, though …
Tag rounds put an end to throwaway golf.
If you’re new to tag rounds, they’re the product of local disc golf clubs. In late winter or early spring, the club will hold a one- or two-round event for anybody who wants to participate – no PDGA number required. Based on the results of the unsanctioned tournament, golfers are awarded bag tags with numbers that correspond to the position in which they finished.
These are pay-to-play events, but they’re hardly expensive. The funds brought in through event registration – the purchase of your tag, really – are used to improve future tourneys and maintain (or upgrade) nearby courses. If you can’t make the kickoff gig, they can be purchased later on.
Throughout the season, during casual play, the idea is that club members will get together and play each other for tags. If you have the No. 75 tag and take down a guy with the No. 32 tag, the two of you switch tags. Groups can compete, as well, with tags awarded from best to worst.
* Note: Tags might operate differently where you live, but some iteration of the above is likely.
The communal benefits of this are obvious …
It’s the COMPETITIVE ones I want to discuss.
First, if you’ve never played in a tournament before, when you finally do, you’ll feel the need to soil yourself throughout the entire thing – it’s normal. Tag rounds hardly mimic the actual nerves of tournament play, but they help those new to competitive disc golf familiarize themselves with throwing (and putting) under pressure. Again, I can’t emphasize this enough – it’s different.
Nervous about your first tournament?
Tag rounds are a great way to prepare.
Next, if you’re at all like me, you play 95 percent of your casual rounds with the same three bozos. Without having to resort to something overly gimmicky like Ript Revenge, tag rounds do a great job of spicing things up. Yes, putting a buck or two down on the occasional hole is cool, but even though the three of you just played hot potato with the same tags for months on end, finishing the year with the lowest of the lot means an off-season of bragging rights …
Legendary.
And lastly, the three guys you play with on the regular are great, but there are WAY more peeps out there worth 18 holes of your time. When done right, perhaps the biggest benefit of tag play is that it forces you to throw with new disc golfers – many of whom are quite a bit better than you.
It doesn’t matter how shy you are – if you’ve got a top-15 tag, you’re getting called out …
You’ll have to defend it.
And if you don’t have a top-15 tag, you can be the one making the challenge – this is usually done on a club’s Facebook page. You might get your butt whooped up and down a course, but one of the best ways to elevate your game is to play with the kinds of players who push you …
So you might lose, but you’ll win – you get the idea.
Don’t be a wallflower.
Make somebody’s time with a low-number tag a short-lived experience.
If you’re not sure if there’s a tag-round system within your local club, ask somebody who knows more than you. And if there isn’t one, see if you can get one going – there’s not much setup required. Worst-case scenario, you and a few buddies can make something happen …
Go for it.
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