Why you should consider disc golfing without a smartphone

I get that this isn’t always possible. I have a wife and three small children. For as much as I use disc golf as a “release” from the responsibilities of everyday life, if needed, I’m available.

My smartphone makes this possible.

But that’s not always necessary …

And when it isn’t, trust me:

Leave the phone in the car. Or at the very least, bring it with you – and then turn it off. Should an emergency arise, it’s there. And if life proceeds without issue, at least it won’t bother you. It’s the best of both worlds. Ironically enough, the reason this is my preferred way to disc golf?

One word …

Connection.

The very thing a smartphone is alleged to do better than anything else.

When I’m disc golfing alone, I want to connect with my game – for better or worse, to really sink my teeth into the task at hand. From a slightly hippie-centric standpoint, absorbing more of the natural beauty around me is great, too. I don’t get near enough of this sort of thing during the workweek with my butt firmly planted in front of a computer, so the more vitamin D, the better.

And when I’m throwing 18 holes casually with one or two buddies, it’s them I want to focus on. You know, the guys who actually carved a couple of hours out of their busy schedules to spend some quality time with me. Sadly, the same can’t be said for my followers on social media.

Lastly, don’t forget the real, data-backed studies on the proven benefits of not constantly being glued to a six-inch screen: WAY less stress and anxiety. Which is funny, because getting rid of both of those is why many people disc golf in the first place. Resist the knee-jerk urge to undo the mental-cleansing effects of disc golf with constant smartphone use while you’re doing it.

That’s dumb.

Here are two lines from James’ 2008 smash-hit “Waterfall.”

This about sums it up for me:

“Watching too much TV, I'm an actor in a puppet show.”

“There's so much stuff in my life, no room for me to grow.”

The entire song (and its lyrics) is incredible.

It’s more of the same message:

Phones, tablets, computers, television sets: Abused, they’re a whole lot of “stuff” that does more harm than good. UDisc is cool. Making TikToks is trendy. And catching an ace on camera is awesome. But every now and again, don’t be afraid to do what next to no disc golfer does …

Ditch the phone.

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