Snap. Crackle.
Look away if you’re squeamish …
Pop.
If you’ve never been there, take my word for it: Getting nailed by a golf disc sucks. Appendages, the torso and even the dome – it all smarts like none other. On and off, I’ve been disc golfing for about 18 years. Fortunately, during that time, I’ve only been rocked by a wayward frisbee once.
It was enough for me to swear off the experience for good – I certainly pray that’s the case.
My lone incident took place about five years back. It happened on the fourth hole at Art Dye Disc Golf Park in American Fork, Utah. It’s a fun, heavily wooded hole with a tight tunnel shot off the tee. The only problem with the layout is that the teepad of the fifth hole is somewhat in the way. If you’re teeing off on it and not paying attention, you might well lose your life.
I was paying attention, and still …
I nearly lost a leg.
It felt like it, at least.
It was a max-weight Star Shryke on an attempted hyzer-flip line that did me in. The drive came out low, touched Mother Earth once and then jet-packed its way directly into my right shin. Though subtle, there was a noticeable dent in it. My eyes watered. There was blood, too.
Lots of blood.
Ouch.
Kudos to the golfer, though. He screamed “Fore!” so loud and so repeatedly he came off like a total lunatic. However, gifted with the reflexes of a baby elephant, I failed to get out of the way. As far as “gripes” are concerned, this one needs little explanation – it causes bodily harm.
End of discussion.
Seriously, check out THIS compilation …
These frisbees might as well be flesh-seeking missiles:
If you’re looking for a silver lining, there IS one …
To a certain degree, getting pwned by plastic is a right of passage.
It’s almost to say:
“I disc golf so frequently, my body couldn’t help but get pinged. Eventually, the odds were bound to turn on me. I knew this would happen, but I didn’t care. I’m that committed to this.”
But again, if you can avoid it, all the better. Look. Listen. Keep your head on a constant swivel. Anything short of sporting a helmet, go for it. Go that far, though, and the pain of a wide-rimmed disc to your skull would do less damage than the look of a safety-first dork to your social life.
Have fun. Disc responsibly.
Help others do the same.
“Heads-up.”
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Editor’s Suggestions:
- 4 reasons par exists in disc golf
- Yes, par-twos are PDGA-legal (and why you don’t see them)
- Disc golf myth: What happens when your disc hits someone’s bag?
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Bummer about the shin man. They really hurt when they are hit with something. I’ve gotten hit twice in my years, oddly enough both of them on the same tee at the same course about 3 months apart. Both of them caught me in the back of the leg right around the knee. Both of them were drives off of the tee for hole two. Alexander park tee number three. The real annoying part was neither one of them said that they were sorry. Not that it mattered but still
Oh, gosh, you’re kidding me?
Nah, the guy who drilled me was SUPER nice about the hole thing …
I get it: Mistakes happen.
He checked all the boxes with what he needed to do to NOT hit me, but hey …
Amateur disc golfers are going to “amateur” sometimes, you know?
He even offered me the disc, he felt so bad.
I survived to tell (or type) the tale 😉
Free max weight shryke? If it’s in champion plastic I’ll let you throw at my shin if i can keep the disc!!!
(Also been hit on the shin, leopard3 and a knot as big as a golfball on my shin, no blood)
I didn’t take it … haha.
Maybe next time?
The Shryke’s a squirrely disc …
A total bomber, but not exactly my cup of tea.
I prefer the Nuke SS for that kind of flight.
A helmet only your right….but dressed as The Stig is genius. LMAO
Not gonna lie …
I had to Google “The Stig” to even know what you’re talking about.
Does that make me a non-cool person?
My best golf buddy nailed someone a couple weeks ago. That was awkward! Fortunately the guy was wearing a lot of layers. That was like his 3rd tee shot – was almost enough to call it quits for the day for him.
Oh, the mental anguish must be unbearable …
Nearly impossible to focus afterwards.
If there’s a child 700 feet from the tee, still waiting to throw. Haha.