“Steady” Ed Headrick is considered the father of the modern-day frisbee and disc golf. In 1976, he founded the first-ever disc golf company, Disc Golf Association – you’ll know it as DGA.
Looking at you, Catrina Allen.
Though still a relatively new sport, disc golf has a passionate upbringing. With it, of course, comes an equally passionate group of players – some ancient, some seasoned and some new.
In my 10-plus years both playing and covering the sport of disc golf, I’ve noticed something strange: Many disc golfers are ultra-sensitive about how disc golf’s compared with other sports.
Some of these gripes might sound somewhat familiar …
- “Big money and contracts are for sellouts.”
- “If you want gentlemen in polo shirts, go play golf.”
- “The growth of the sport is overcrowding my home course.”
Here’s my take on the matter:
It’s okay for disc golf to be like (and become popular like) other sports.
The name implies as much.
Our sport is literally a combination of Ultimate and ball golf. Because of it, it’s perfectly fine that the game samples rules, strategy, etiquette, vocabulary and techniques from each of ‘em.
More specifically, on Twitter, Reddit or even during club meetings, offense is often taken when suggestions are made to improve disc golf that come from other sports: crowd control, enforcing a dress code or limiting the accessibility fans have with professional players, to name a few …
Anything that adds to the professionalism of it all, oddly enough.
As the years wear on, these voices become smaller in number. But it’s almost as if a select few want to hinder the game’s growth, caging it in the “stoner sport” category it’s (still) known for.
Disc golf is growing, whether you like it or not …
Instead of fighting change, play a meaningful part in making its future a bright one.
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