This Labor Day Steve introduced Nick and I to the world of disc golf. I would probably say before Monday I might have described disc golf as a novelty sport like riding a tiny go-kart with a fez on or keeping a puck sliding on ice by sweeping brooms in front of it; you know, games you make up with your friends when you were a kid.
Disc golf was pretty fun though. Not that those other things aren't fun but made up games tend to lack structure and complexity which make them boring to play after a few broom whisks. The course we played on at Golden Gate Park, really felt like a real course. It took itself seriously and that made the game a lot more fun and more challenging than what I'd imagined. Each hole had a concrete pad to use as a tee off point. Each tee off had a small map painted on a stump with the yardage and location of the pin. There were obviously techniques required in order to play certain holes rather than a slapdash assortment of pins strewn throughout the forest.
There are also several different types of discs you can buy that are better for different situations. Some will cut right when thrown, some left. This can be very useful to get around the tree thats between you and the pin. Some are heavier to be more stable for 'putting'.
It was a great day and at the end of 18 holes we all did well, especially for Nick and my first time. And, unlike real golf, I wasn't prepared to throw all my clubs into the lake.
For a few years I played disc golf about 3 times a week, but when I first moved to the Bay Area there was only one course, in Berkeley, and it wasn't all that good.
A guy I was working with just told me about the GG course last week. He was one of the people who put a lot of volunteer hours in to bring it into existence (he got a "golden shovel" for his efforts).
I'm definitely planning on checking this course out sometime soon...
Posted by: Dav Yaginuma | 09/06/2007 at 08:31 PM
[this is good] The GG course is really nice. I think aside from all the nice touches on the course itself, the holes are laid out in interesting ways throughout the park. So, let me know when you want to go! I've got these new discs that are just dying to be thrown again!
Posted by: Garth | 09/07/2007 at 11:26 AM