Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – so is boredom.
I’ll cut straight to the chase with this thing: As this writer sees it, yeah – it’s pretty boring.
Well, kind of – allow me to explain …
Golf courses weren’t meant to house disc golf tournaments. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, when they were designed, there was zero intention of discs flying on their fairways.
Golf balls fly differently than frisbees. They’re more direct in their flight paths. Yeah, they can hook and slice and do all manner of funky things, but they’re largely point-A-to-point-B flyers. And they also go quite a bit farther. They’re small and dense. A club helps out plenty, too.
As such, it makes sense that golf courses are long – really long. They’re also open – really open.
The occasional tree, pavilion or sand trap might disrupt things, but there’s still plenty of space.
With all of that in mind, let me ask you this …
Come Sunday, why is it that only these pros will be in the running for the title in Vegas?
- Paul McBeth
- Ricky Wysocki
- Chris Dickerson
- Eagle McMahon
- Calvin Heimburg
* Note: For the record, Paul McBeth isn’t registered for the 2022 Las Vegas Challenge.
Actually, let’s broaden our horizons a bit with this thing – for good measure, add these names to the above list, too: Kyle Klein, Kevin Jones, Drew Gibson, Adam Hammes and Ezra Aderhold.
What do each of the above names have in common?
They’re all power-hyzer bombers – therein lies the answer to our original question. With few obstacles to make things interesting, on golf courses, distance is made the hopeful saving grace.
Unintentionally, what it does is shrink a field of 180 down to maybe 15 or so golfers.
Think about it: It’s not like Nathan Queen is strolling into Henderson, Nev. with any real shot of taking the thing down. Heck, some professionals have given up on golf courses entirely, instead choosing to stick to what they know best. They know they can’t compete; there’s just no point.
Don’t believe me?
Michael Johansen would like a word …
Do you remember back in 2017 when a star-studded Golden State Warriors team started the NBA Playoffs on a 15-game winning streak? It made for horrible television. In the finals, they lost one game, bringing their title-winning, post-season record to a never-before-seen 16-1 …
Impressive, but unfortunately for basketball fans, everybody knew the end from the beginning. The Las Vegas Challenge is like that every year for big arms – 2022 won’t be any different.
So, why am I still stoked out of my eyeballs for late February?
It’s the first Pro Tour event of the season – duh. These guys could be hucking plastic through a clown’s mouth, and I’d be pumped. The same, however, can’t be said for far too many stops on the Disc Golf Pro Tour this year. Quality play will be present, but real entertainment power?
Eh, I’m not yet convinced of that …
Are you ready for a “Supersized” helping of rollers and spike hyzers in Sin City?
Actually, don’t answer that: You’ll be force-fed them either way, so learn to love the taste.
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Great piece! Some strong and salient points being made here. Move this event to Scottsdale and find a woods course!
It’s not like “ball golf” courses are the worst thing on earth …
Things will be better this year.
Last season, though, the first half of the Pro Tour was brutal – so many golf courses.
Come play Goat Hill. The elevation, wind and strategically-placed baskets mean that you won’t see a bunch of hyzers on this ball golf/disc golf layout. Sure, distance off the tee is important, but you have to be able to find the flat landing spots for your approach throw and you need to be able to putt confidently to naturally-raised baskets in windy conditions. Boring? Not the Goat!
Layout is everything, obviously.
You don’t need me to tell you that – you’re a freakishly talented tournament director …
You know what works, as well as what doesn’t.
Just out of curiosity, what’s your least-favorite course on the Pro Tour?