Familiarity with a course matters.
If you’re obsessed with disc golf and get in multiple rounds a week, you likely know your local disc golf tracks like the back of your hand. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s a knowledge of the subtle intricacies of each course that helps lower your scores. Furthermore, it can cover weaker parts of your disc golf game, too. It’s in this sweet spot that the “local route” thrives.
The local route is knowledge-based.
It’s strategic.
Put simply, it’s to take a line off the tee that’s not obvious. A newcomer to the course wouldn’t see it. In fact, the course designer might not know about it, either. Round after round, it’s years of continuous play by the local disc golf community that leads to its discovery. When executed well, it’s brilliant – ingenious, even. And when flubbed, you look like a complete idiot.
Even so, it’s a hidden gem …
Share it sparingly.
On the course, local routes appear in different ways. For example, a seemingly imperceptible gap through a wall of woods might lend itself to the “local route” moniker. Furthermore, flying in the face of conventional wisdom to get ultra-funky with disc and shot selection could fit the bill. And using the teepad in ways it clearly wasn’t intended is without a doubt a fan favorite.
Here’s a real-life look at Gannon Buhr checking that last box …
Prepare your jaw for the floor:
No, the above didn’t take place during a casual round. Believe it or not, the tournament director added a mandatory to the hole before the next round to prevent Buhr and others from carving up the hole in a way he didn’t see best fit. So it’s not exactly a “local route,” per se …
But you get the idea.
To opt for the local route is to do things differently.
VERY differently.
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that there’s a second way to use the “local route” phrase, as well. As an amateur, you know the following situation more than you’d care to admit …
Thankfully, there’s a happy ending:
- You grip-lock your drive straight into the woods.
- You wait and listen, but hear absolutely nothing.
- You soon notice the disc pop out of the treeline.
UDisc won’t know the difference.
Fairway hit.
In this hyper-specific scenario, don’t be surprised when a cardmate nails you with a quick “local route” quip. The sarcasm is prompted by how obvious of a misfire your drive was. The end result, however, was positive – almost like you intended for the disc to do the improbable.
You know …
Like a local route.
Good or bad, they’re at least fun to know about.
And to attempt every now and again, of course.
Even if by accident.
Have anything to add? Take to X to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- The ultimate flex in disc golf is going straight at the pin
- The 5 best disc golf gifts I’ve ever received on Christmas
- Gripe No. 53: Disc golfers who sign the basket after an ace
Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.
