Equipment

Pretty much all of Portland’s more than 150 parks have a claim to fame. That’s what made it so difficult to narrow down this list—we could fill the rest of the pages in this magazine with our thoughts on where best to play disc golf (Pier Park) or go geocaching (there’s an easy one under a rhododendron bush at Laurelhurst Park, we just happen to know) or join a group of highly enthusiastic adults in a pickup kickball game (head to Sewallcrest Park for that one). Read on for 31 more of our favorites, best in class among a very classy field.

Best Park for Extreme Sports

Portland preens over its cycle-friendly self on the regular, but mountain bikes and the people who love them were very much left out of the commute-by-bike renaissance of the 2000s and 2010s. Gateway Green Park, sandwiched between I-205 and I-84 in outer Northeast Portland, is the city’s first serious attempt to engage the cyclocrossers and single-track enthusiasts—and it’s the stuff that YouTube compilation video dreams are made of. Your first tip that this park means business? You can’t drive there—the only way in is by foot or by bike, via the I-205 bike or pedestrian path. Once you’re in, prepare for serious shredding, via a bumpy pump track, rock ledges for getting tricksy or practicing your balance, a skills trail for facing off against buddies, and several miles of natural surface trails. Skateboarders, meanwhile, will peel off to nearby Gateway Discovery Park, where a giant concrete bowl awaits, complete with steps, rails, and ledges built for showoffs. West-siders have easier access to the compact Holly Farm Park with a 2,800-square-foot space with swoops and spines to get you airborne (and hopefully down in one piece—wear those helmets and kneepads, please!). Meanwhile, parkour enthusiasts should make their way to Westmoreland Park early in the morning, before the nature playground is packed with the preschool set; the logs, boulders and streams there are primo for daredevil open-element obstacle leaping and bounding; the bark chips ensure a soft landing. —JS 

Best Park for Views for Days

If you ever need to be reminded why you live in Oregon, there’s no quicker fix than to make tracks to a local park with a view of snowcapped peaks in the distance. On a clear day from the top of Southwest Portland’s Council Crest—the highest point in the city, at more than 1,000 feet above sea level—you can glimpse not just hometown favorites Hood and St. Helens but the more far-flung Jefferson, Adams, and Rainier. You can drive to the top during daylight hours, but it’s much more sporting to park in the surrounding neighborhood and hike one of a number of footpaths to the top, where there’s a grassy area to sprawl after you’ve finished taking in the view. For a less-heralded but no less lovely vista, make your way to Northeast’s Joseph Wood Hill Park atop the extinct cinder cone of Rocky Butte, where you can see out through the Columbia River Gorge to the east and take in most of the city to the west. Or catch the no. 15 bus and get off at SE 69th and Belmont, partway up beloved Mount Tabor, and then hike to the top and lurk until the single bench positioned for the best possible view of a distant Mount Hood is free. —JS

 

Best Park for Cooling Down on a Hot Day 

Plenty of parks around town have tall, spreading trees under which you can grab a patch of shade on cloudless summer days. What makes Sellwood Park stand out? It just has so dang many such trees, plus easy access to the Willamette River to catch the breeze off the river, and proximity to one of the best-loved swimming pools in town. Sellwood Pool was the city’s first outdoor public pool, back when men and women still bathed on alternate days, and is still going strong 112 years later (though we mourn the loss of the Snow Dee-Lite cart, which used to post up outside the pool fence to sell all flavors of sno-cones). Show up early if you want to nab a lounge chair, or be prepared to hover like a hawk until someone leaves. Just across the Sellwood Bridge, sprawling Willamette Park lacks a pool of its own, but still has river proximity in its favor; easily launch a kayak here for a peaceful paddle down a serene stretch of the river. In North Portland, Columbia Park reigns as a prime location for a game of eagle eye or hide-and-go-seek—with an abundance of  Douglas firs and linden trees, you’ll easily find a candidate to post up under while you dream the afternoon away. —JS

Best Park for Smelling the Flowers

Every yoga class opens and closes with a few deep, healing breaths, all the better to help you quiet your mind and achieve that blissful om state. Now consider how much more delightful it would be if that deep breath were outside, and you were inhaling not just the scent of your yoga class’s collective sweat, but the flowers that bloom in abundance all summer long. Washington Park is, of course, Portland’s calling card for scent-seekers. Believe the hype: The fragrance of the more than 10,000 rosebushes that bloom in the International Rose Test Garden over the course of a year is heady stuff. We’re especially partial to the Shakespeare Garden, which contains flowers and herbs name-checked in the Bard’s body of work. For a more off-the-beaten path experience, head east on Powell Boulevard to the Memory Garden at Ed Benedict Park. Specially designed for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and their caregivers, the park hosts flowers that can spark transporting memories just as music does. Plants here are purposely oldies-but-goodies: fragrant lilacs, climbing roses, herbs and geraniums. At the next-gen Cully Park in Northeast Portland, a walk through the Native Gathering Garden yields scents of camas, sweetgrass, and other plants that remain integral to the region’s Indigenous tribes. —JS 

Best Park for Flying a Kite

 Some of Portland’s sweetest parks are compact affairs, where you’ll trip over lovers smooching on a blanket or overly enthusiastic hackey-sackers. Not quite so much with these wide-open spaces, which sport enough room to run like the wind while you hopefully hoist your kite, trying to achieve liftoff. Northeast’s Fernhill Park will give you some exercise while you’re at it as you huff and puff your way up and down its rolling terrain. The Fields, one of a string of chichi parks in the Pearl District, is flat as a pancake, but has a strategic location in a condo-generated wind tunnel. —JS 

Best Park Quinceañera/Engagement/Family Pictures

 That dream where you’re Toni Braxton in her “Breathe Again” video, running along the hedges in a billowing ballgown, a grand fountain tinkling in the background? It all comes to life in Peninsula Park, in North Portland’s Piedmont neighborhood. Show up to this geometric rose garden, opened in 1913, in your quinceañera dress with a photographer and entourage, and expect to be interrupted by small children demanding to know if you’re a “real princess.” If you’re nervous the rosebushes in the sunken garden might snag your dress, the bandshell that overlooks the flowers and fountain is a thorn-free option. (You just might run into an actual band practicing there—the covered space saw many an impromptu outdoor rehearsal during the pandemic.) For more French castle than English garden, line up your shot instead under the St. Johns Bridge at Cathedral Park, so you’re framed by the nested arches of the bridge supports and the green blanket of Forest Park on the other side of the Willamette. Celebrate your love for urban density with a shot from Tanner Springs Park in the northern reaches of the Pearl District, where you can choose from a background of condo towers, the Fremont Bridge, or the industrial-chic wall made from railroad tracks. —MS

Best Park for Canine Companions  

Howl it from the hilltops: Portland is a canine Valhalla, with more than 30 off-leash zones in city parks in which to bound untethered. Northeast’s Normandale Park is famed in furry circles for its three separate fenced-in areas, allowing smaller pooches to socialize separately while their larger counterparts get ample runway. On the opposite side of the city, Gabriel Park in deep Southwest boasts two off-leash, fenced-in spaces—one for summer and one for winter—and a snazzy skatepark besides, not to mention plenty of shade, rolling hills, a community garden, and a playground for your human offspring while their four-legged friends explore the seasonal domains. North Portland’s Chimney Park is another popular enclosed alternative with a wood-chip walking path surrounding the play area and just the right smattering of trees for shade and stick-finding. Non-bolters should check out Irving Park—its sweet hilltop, off-leash romping pad makes for a relaxed neighborhood gathering spot.—FMcC

Best Park for Bird Nerds

TBH, the King Kong of Portland’s parks system, Forest Park, could claimed every other superlative on this list. At 5,100 acres, it’s one of the country’s signature city nature parks, vast enough that you can easily find solitude within its sprawling network of trails (unless you decide that the first sunny Saturday of spring is your moment to hike to Pittock Mansion). Don’t believe us? Ask the birds who congregate in the park; Portland Audubon says you should keep your eyes peeled for the northern pygmy owl, and the Steller’s jay, among others. Across town, Powell Butte Park is a far less treed landscape, which ups your chances of spotting majestic birds like bald eagles and western red-tailed hawks as they wheel through the sky. —JS

Best Park for Playgrounds 

Newbie parents often find their way to the toddler-focused zone at Northeast’s Wilshire Park, where the sand pit and wooden vehicles provide blessed moments of respite. Kids of all abilities will love the specially designed inclusive play areas at Arbor Lodge Park and Couch Park, with slopes, ramps, climbing walls, adaptive swing sets, and interactive sensory elements including musical instruments. Newer additions to the playground block include Kʰunamokwst Park with its riverine water feature, beginners’ skate park, and a ramp-accessible play structure, and Spring Garden Park, with a scrambly boulder water feature for sticky summer days, a kid-friendly public art installation by Swedish-born, Portland-based nature artist Hannes Wingate dubbed “The Nest,” and a futuristic play structure. —FMcC

Best Park for Picnics

While not an official park, the city-owned grassy area along Mocks Crest atop the Skidmore Bluffs is an official picnic destination. Located a half-mile walk from the Yellow MAX Line’s N Prescott stop (we highly recommend transit or biking—parking on Overlook’s dead-end streets is no fun, and feels downright unneighborly), the perch looks out over Swan Island and the Willamette across to downtown and Forest Park. Throw a camera in your picnic basket, and linger for a stunning sunset. Energetic kids in tow? There’s not much room to run around on the Bluffs, and the steep slope presents perils, so head instead to Luuwit View Park, in Northeast’s Argay neighborhood. Book the massive picnic shelter, claim one of the tables scattered on the lawn, head down the hill for grouped tabled and grills next to the climbing wall and skatepark, or just spread out a blanket on the 16-acre property while the kids attack the playground. No matter where you settle, mountain peaks (including the park’s namesake, a.k.a. Mount St. Helens) and airplanes bound for PDX are the backdrop. —MS

When the Discmania Collectors and Throwers Facebook Group decided to auction off one of the most unique discs in Discmania’s collection, little did they realize what a buzz it would create. As this golfing disc was listed, Simon Lizotte of Team Discmania offered to sign it for the winning bidder if it was desired. With an offer like this, one could only assume he would fetch a good penny for it. However, was it calculated that a buyer would be eager enough to fork out $2,750.00 USD for it? Does this mean this was the most expensive golf disc ever sold? As pricey as this seems to be, the argument from the YouTube video shared by JK Disc Golf would suggest no. According to the narrator in his presentation, the costliest golf disc ever sold was at $10,000.00 USD when it was auctioned off on eBay. According to the narrative, it was sold during a special auction held through eBay and there is no documented proof this event actually happened. So far, the only story to accurately confirm the most expensive golf disc ever sold still comes from the one Simon Lizotte’s Team Discmania sold through his Facebook page. This story is also mentioned in the December 1, 2020 blog post on the website belonging to Discmania. In the blog story, the visual of the golf disc was a dark blue sky god featuring dark green. It also had a triple foil stamp of white, black, and silver, showing off its unique design. When sitting next to the pale blue sky god version the difference is obvious. When visiting the online auction site known as eBay, the asking prices have been known to fetch higher than Lizotte’s $2,750.00 USD dark blue sky god. However, there is no recorded proof that anybody has beaten Lizotte’s record.

About Golf Disc

For some, it’s called Golf Disc while others call it Disc Golf. Either way, this is a sport that has a player throw a flying disc toward a specific target. Normally, golf discs are made from polypropylene plastic. Polypropene is a material that owes its formation from a thermoplastic polymer resin that is also used for a number of other applications. As for the sport of disc golf, it has much in common with golf. Like golf, there are courses featuring nine holes and courses featuring eighteen holes. However, instead of actual holes, the target is technically a basket. Just like golf, there is a starting tee pad where the player’s goal is to land the golf disc into the basket with the least amount of throws possible. The scoring system with golf disc is the same as the sport of golf itself.

The first known golf disc game ever held was in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 1927, a group of elementary school children from that community threw tin lids into a drawn-out circle that measured four feet wide. At the time, the game was called Tin Lid Golf. As these children grew older, they went their separate ways and it seemed the game of golf disc came to an end. However, modern disc golf as we know it saw a revival during the 1960s. At the time, it was met with debate about who actually invented the game of golf disc. Over time, the game became classified as a sport and was gaining ground in popularity. The rules were easy enough to follow as it was basically the same as regular golf. Before golf discs were actually designed specifically for the sport, frisbees were known to be used. However, as the popularity of the sport grew, so did the desire to improve upon creating and using equipment better suited for a sport that is now played in over forty countries and has over ninety thousand members of the Professional Disc Golf Association.

Simon Lizotte’s Story

When viewing the Simon Lizotte story he shared on YouTube on December 4, 2020, he provided detailed information on the whole $2,750.00 USD story. It started with a bidding war that quickly saw the price tag of this disc spike as high as it did. He admitted after receiving this special disc as a gift two years prior, he wondered how much it would go for with his Facebook group. With a membership roster of approximately eleven thousand people, Lizotte knew he would fetch a good price for it. However, when he first put it on the auction block, little did he realize when he got up the next morning how it was already at the six hundred dollar mark. One particular Facebook user that got his attention was Michael Kuechenmeister, who was going up against an equally competitive Markus Fjortoft. Lizotte watched on as the bidding war between these two ensued until the price of the golf disc reached $900.00 USD. When he observed Markus Fjortoft give up, it appeared as if Michael Kuechenmeister would be the victor.

However, a $1,000.00 USD bid made by Cinco Gorman kept this dramatic battle between determined bidders going. Once it reached the $1,800.00 USD mark, Simon Lizotte stepped in and made a Facebook post, wondering if he was being trolled. What he received as an answer was a continuation between Kuchenmeister and Gorman as they continued to outbid each other. With ten minutes left to go during the auction, Michael Kuchenmeister laid down the bid of $2,750.00 USD. At that point, Cinco Gorman gracefully bowed out and it would be Kuchenmeister who would earn the right to claim his prize.

For a moment, Simon Lizotte held his breath until Kuchenmeister made good on his bidding promise and forked out the money to pay for the golf disc. So moved and grateful by Michael Kuchenmeister’s decision to donate so much money, all of it which went to Kids Disc Golf and UPlayDG, he added extra items to the winning bidder as a big thank you. Also, at Kuchenmeister’s request, he signed the golf disc before packing it up and sending it to the man who made it possible to donate such a generous amount to kids who have taken up an interest in the sport, perhaps one day become just as inspirational as Simon Lizotte himself. But hey, the story isn’t finished yet. As seen in the YouTube presentation, the good intentions behind Lizotte signing the golf disc met with disaster when ink flew out of the pen he was going to write with. It splattered itself on the beautiful work of the dark blue sky god disc. He shared this unfortunate event with Michael Kuchenmeister, who was really good about it and let the payment of $2,750.00 USD remain in the hands of Lizotte.

Moving Forward

It’s not the first time a successful bidder has spent well over a thousand dollars for a golf disc nor will it be the last. How long will the record of $2,750.00 for a golf disc hold? It was the end of 2020 when this epic auction took place and as the popularity of the sport continues to rise, the possibility of this record-setting price being broken is likely.

Which disc golf set is best?

A quality disc golf set includes everything you need to start playing and will likely serve you well for years to come. While almost every set includes a putter, midrange disc and driver, the number of discs per set and plastic quality can vary. Our top choice is a reliable set from a popular brand, the Dynamic Discs Prime Burst Disc Golf Starter Set.

What to know before you buy a disc golf set

When comparing disc golf sets, take note of the number and type of discs included. Most sets are intended for beginners and will include at least three versatile discs.

Putter

Honing your short game will save you a tremendous amount of throws over the years. A putter should be comfortable to hold and should fly fairly straight, floating as it approaches the chains of the basket. Many disc golf manufacturers include their most popular putter in their sets.

Midrange disc

When you are new to the sport, your midrange disc may be the disc you throw most. It should fly very straight for short distances but also be capable of throws like hyzers, rollers and hard fades.

Driver

Arguably the most exciting disc in any set, your driver is for powerful throws off the tee pad that hopefully land in the center of the fairway or even near the basket. Most disc golf sets include a fairway driver — a low-speed driver that doesn’t need to be thrown with much power for a smooth, predictable flight.

What to look for in a quality disc golf set

Discs vary in their plastic quality and appearance, and each brand has its own line of plastics and selection of disc molds.

Plastic quality

Most disc golf manufacturers offer a few different types of plastic. Often, the discs in their sets are made from softer, less durable plastic, but some sets are made from more rigid plastic that will last for several years. Some brands even offer discs made of plastic with a swirl or tie-dye pattern.

Disc golf brands

While there are dozens of disc golf manufacturers, a handful of popular brands stand out for their quality and prolific offerings.

• Innova is a hugely popular brand known for its Champion and Star plastics, both of which are highly durable and come in vibrant colors. 
• Discraft has a smaller selection of molds than Innova, but many of its discs are beloved by players of all skill levels, and it has a wide range of plastics to choose from.
• MVP discs stand out for their distinctive black edges, made of a softer plastic that feels good against your hand and can take more of a beating. 
• Latitude 64° is a Swedish brand offering a robust lineup of discs for all playstyles.

How much you can expect to spend on a disc golf set

The price of disc golf sets depends largely on the number of discs included. Most three-disc sets cost around $20, while sets with four to six discs usually cost $25-$50.

Disc golf set FAQ

How many discs do you need to play disc golf regularly?

A. Any reliable set of three discs has you covered. However, if you find yourself wishing for discs that behave differently, the only limit is the size of your bag. Eight to 12 discs is generally a good number for an intermediate player.

How do I know when to use each type of disc?

A. Generally, you use a driver on the tee pad, a midrange disc on the fairway and a putter for approaching the basket and, of course, putting.

Is it more cost-effective to buy discs in a set?

A. Sets are almost always more affordable when you consider the cost of each disc. Most individual discs cost from $8-$20, so five discs in a $35 set is a cost-saving option.

What’s the best disc golf set to buy?

Top disc golf set

Dynamic Discs Prime Burst Disc Golf Starter Set

What you need to know: With five discs and a mini marker disc, this set has any beginner covered.

What you’ll love: The Judge is a classic putter, and when paired with the straight-flying Truth, your short game is covered. With two fairway drivers and a distance driver, this is one of the more robust starter sets available.

What you should consider: You don’t know which colors will come with each set, and they may be less than vibrant.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top disc golf set for the money

Innova Disc Golf Set 

What you need to know: This classic set includes three Innova favorites and is one of the best budget sets available.

What you’ll love: The Aviar in DX plastic is a favorite of professional and amateur players alike, and it will last you for many seasons. The Leopard is a reliable fairway driver that can reach impressive distances with a small amount of power.

What you should consider: The DX plastic is soft and prone to dings and dents, so the mid-range disc and the driver may only last a few seasons. 

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Latitude 64 Retro Burst Disc Golf Set

What you need to know: This eye-catching starter set features three straight-flying discs and a mini marker disc.

What you’ll love: The plastic offers a good grip, and the burst patterns give your discs a unique look. Beginners will appreciate how reliably straight these discs fly.

What you should consider: This set is more expensive than many comparable starter sets, and the plastic may show wear fairly quickly.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Conditions were tough!

May 4, 2022 by Justin Westfall in Analysis with comments

Competing at the top level of any sport requires the mental toughness to set aside circumstances you can’t control and focus solely on the elements you can. Disc golfers in Emporia, Kansas, this past week had to lean on a famous adage: “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” The 20th Dynamic Discs Open featured some of the toughest wind conditions that even veteran touring pros have competed in. Coupled with a challenging new course, increased difficulty on a former course, and a short turnaround from the previous event led to scores more akin to a traditional golf tournament.

For the most part, putting was thrown completely out the window at last week’s DDO. The best players in Emporia were staying on the fairways, scrambling when they did go out of bounds, and parking as many holes as possible to avoid throwing putts altogether. While the FPO leaderboard wasn’t too out of the ordinary, the MPO side featured a multitude of lesser-known players who managed the conditions well, even as many higher-rated pros struggled to keep pace. The result was one of the lowest winning event ratings in tour history, and a record seven players finishing on the podium.

Ricky Wysocki

After four previous runner-up finishes at this event, Ricky Wysocki can finally call himself a DDO champion — and it comes in his first year sponsored by the event’s namesake. Ricky led in strokes gained tee to green, scramble rate, and holes parked. He did the best job of limiting his mistakes, taking just ten single bogeys and two doubles, both of which occurred in the treacherous third round. Wysocki did open the tournament with a 70 foot throw in and during round two had a 146 foot throw in for eagle. But over the week, he went just 1-of-17 on C2 putts: fortunately, this was an event that didn’t require him to make those. Instead, scrambling and parking holes was the common trend among the top finishers.

Simon Lizotte

This was Simon’s first runner-up finish since the 2020 Preserve, and now in seven attempts he has never finished outside of the top 10 at this event. Lizotte finished 2nd in holes parked and 5th in scramble rate. It’s beginning to feel like his injury is finally behind him after some impressive rounds these last couple of weeks and posting back-to-back top 10 finishes.

Väinö Mäkelä

The Finn earned his first Elite Series podium, finishing 7th in strokes gained putting and holes parked. While seventeen bogeys and one double bogey may not seem like a great tournament, limiting almost all of his over par strokes to single bogeys was a big accomplishment in Emporia last week.

Aaron Gossage

Now with his second top five on the Disc Golf Pro Tour this season, Gossage had the 3rd best OB rate and 9th best C1 in regulation, but he somehow only parked 2-of-72 holes. He was also the only player to not card an OB stroke on the final day. The next DGPT event is the OTB Open, where Aaron had a breakout performance last year after landing on the final day lead card.

Logan Harpool

The Kansas-native finished with the 3rd best OB rate and was 4th in fairway hits. Staying in bounds came at a premium last week, helping to earn him a spot on the crowded podium. Ironically, Harpool missed the cut last year at 2-under par, the same score he shot this past week (albeit in much windier conditions on more difficult courses). Harpool’s previous best E.S. finish was 23rd at the 2021 Preserve and 2020 DDO.

Jake Hebenheimer

The man with the cornhole style putt finished 2nd in holes parked and 4th in strokes gained tee to green. Jake took eighteen bogeys but had zero doubles or worse, which helped him finish high despite a 14th best birdie rate.

Brodie Smith

Just 780 days from his first E.S. tournament, the Dark Horse emerged from the shadows and not only finished on the podium but did so in impressive fashion. Brodie led the field in birdie rate, had the 3rd best C1 in regulation percentage, and was #4 in C2 in regulation. Jones had fallen back a bit on the final day but proceeded to birdie the final four holes to get back onto the podium, no small task at the Emporia Country Club. He shot the highest event rating of his career at 1034, only one week after setting the mark at 1031 in Jonesboro. What’s most impressive is that Brodie did this in poor conditions, during a four round tournament with an extremely competitive field, and on one day of practice. He didn’t just back into a podium finish: Smith earned this spot and proved many of his doubters wrong.

Calvin Heimburg

Coming off a win in Jonesboro, Heimburg quickly headed to the big money skins match at Eagle’s Crossing, but unlike Brodie, he didn’t fare as well with just one day of practice. Nevertheless, Calvin climbed from 51st place after the opening round to finish in a tie for 10th. After all four rounds, he managed to pull in the 2nd highest birdie rate but couldn’t overcome his struggles at Jones Park.

Kyle Klein

After finishing 100th in C2 putting last week, Kyle flipped the script and finished 1st in Emporia at 36%. Klein was also 2nd in scramble rate and 7th in holes parked, earning him his best finish of the season. A tie for 13th place may not seem possible for a player who was 42nd in birdie rate, but Kyle stayed as clean as possible with only eleven bogeys and two doubles on the week.

Jeremy Koling

Sitting tied for 89th place after the opening round, Jerm shot under par in each of the final three rounds, including an ace on hole 16 at the Emporia Country Club. Koling was 7th in both holes parked as well as strokes gained tee to green. The reward was his best finish at the Dynamic Discs Open since 2017.

Scott Stokely

Stokely shocked the world by taking down the big money skins match at Eagle’s Crossing, then he came to Emporia and cashed in his first E.S. event since the 2001 USDGC! Scott finished 15th in strokes gained putting and had the 11th best C1X putting percentage just weeks after switching to brand new putters and tweaking his form. His 1037 rated opening round is his 2nd best of the season and ties the 6th highest rated round of his career. Keep in mind, Scott was a PDGA member for 20 years before receiving his first rated round.

Paul McBeth

After a three-putt double bogey on hole 18 in the third round, McBeth missed the cash line for the first time in his career. Paul’s OB rate ranked 84th in the field, and while this season has had some really high moments for him. it’s also had some low lows, none more so than this.

Kristin Tattar

Kristin Tattar found herself in very unfamiliar territory after the first round, down in 22nd place and needing to claw back up the leaderboard. By the end of the final round, she led the field in strokes gained tee to green, despite having just the 6th best birdie rate. Tattar’s saving grace was that she took just thirteen bogeys and two doubles, a clean scorecard given the conditions. She has now won back-to-back DGPT events in consecutive seasons, joining Paige Pierce as the only other FPO player to do so.

Catrina Allen

Allen finished top six in 7 of the 8 major statistical categories. She led the field in scramble rate, was 2nd in birdies, 2nd in strokes gained putting, and 6th in strokes gained tee-to-green. On Sunday, she looked unstoppable, going 6-for-6 to start the day but ultimately shot 1-over par on the next 12 holes to lose by one stroke.

Ella Hansen

Ella finished 2nd in strokes gained tee-to-green just behind Tattar, and led in both C1 and C2 in regulation. Hansen has now recorded back-to-back 3rd place finishes with the OTB Open and Portland Open on the horizon, both of which were breakout events for her last season.

Emily Beach

Emily is one of the few athletes who played well across the board last week, finishing 5th in strokes gained putting and 7th in strokes gained tee-to-green. Like many players, she earned her first E.S. podium finish and took home her largest paycheck to date. Her $1,750 in winnings is more than double her previous high and totals more than 10% of her entire career earnings.

Paige Pierce

Despite finishing in 5th place, Paige led in birdies by a wide margin, carding five more than the 2nd best players. Her scoring breakdown was 35% birdie, 32% par, and 33% bogey or worse, nearly an even split. Pierce may have pushed for the win had she not taken eight double bogeys and one triple.

Alexis Mandujano

Every time the cameras cut to Alexis, she was making an impressive putt in the wind, so it’s no surprise that she finished 1st in strokes gained putting. Mandujano made 6-of-17 C2 putts to lead the division, and while she finished outside of the top 10, she played above her rating and improved on last year’s finish by 12 spots.

POLO — Whether the 20-plus mph wind helped or hurt those who came out Sunday to enjoy Polo’s new disc golf course depended on which way a person was aiming.

Polo Park Board members hosted a grand opening of the new course at Keator Park on May 1. About 50 people attended the event, which was delayed a day because of storms.

“Why are we here today? We’re here because we now have one of the top growing sports available right here in our community for families and friends to enjoy, which I think is awesome,” project lead Shellie Graden said. “Disc golf offers a lot of opportunities. It gives us a great way to get outdoors, socialize, meet new people … and of course you can get a little exercise in as well.”

Graden, a member of the Polo Park Board, spearheaded the effort to install a disc golf course at the park with the help of Nora Balayti. Balayti is co-founder of the Rock River Disc Golf Club and has played disc golf for more than 20 years.

Members of the Rock River Disc Golf Club volunteered to help Polo Public Works staff install the course, which will be open year-round.

“It means a lot to me to come out here and share another one of my passions with all of you,” said Balayti, who also is an art teacher at Polo Community High School. “My students that are here, thanks for coming out guys.”

The course’s opening drew in people from around the area.

Grayden Church, 13, came from Tampico with his mother, Amanda Kendall. He started playing disc golf about three years ago, and Kendall recently joined in.

When asked what brought him and Kendall to the event, Grayden said, “Just to see how many people come out here, because I think it’s very cool how rapidly the sport is growing.”

He enjoys hanging out and having fun with friends as much as the game itself, Grayden said.

From Rockford came Andy Martin and 14-year-old son Corbin Martin.

Corbin, who has played disc golf for a year, said he enjoyed the community the sport offers. Andy Martin, who grew up in Polo, agreed.

“I like the fact that it gets him [Corbin] off screens, too, which is really nice,” he said.

“It’s a nice course,” Andy Martin added of the Keator Park course. “We played it twice before they started the giveaways.”

Several discs and a few other prizes paid for by sponsors were raffled off.

When the concession stand at the Keator Park outdoor pool opens Memorial Day weekend, there will be a few discs available for rental and also some for sale, Graden said. Until then, anyone who wants to play can purchase discs at her business, Haldane Custom Paint and Body, located at 602 S. Division Ave., in Polo. There are no fees to play the course.

When you need to take the footwork out of the equation.

May 3, 2022 by Steve Andrews in Instruction, Opinion with comments

It should be easy. You are 190 feet out from the basket down a tree-lined tunnel. The basket is just sitting there. But your disc is on a slope, making any run up a little dicey. So, no problem, this calls for a standstill shot. But as you look through your bag to find the right disc, the trees seem to be inching closer to the fairway. It is just a straight shot without any footwork. So, why are you nervous?

Standstills should be the simplest shot in disc golf. You don’t need to time your footwork with your body turn and you are taking out more than half of the moving parts of your usual swing. But I have seen so many good players throw their ugliest shots from a fixed foot position. I have seen players choose to run uphill in the rain rather than stand and deliver a shot. The standstill is a shot that every player needs, but many players never practice. It was certainly one that I avoided when I could.

Being able to effectively throw shots without a runup is a crucial skill. There are lots of times – in rough conditions, when the footing is bad, or when the line is particularly tight – when you need to have confidence in your ability to hit your line without your regular mechanics. So how can we do it better?

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Many of us skip over standstills when we are first starting the game. Although it is common to recommend that beginners should throw lots of standstills before adding an X-step, most of us rush to add footwork to our throw. It’s not surprising — it is more fun to throw far and the X-step is what we see the pros do on Jomez.

However, adding footwork also often introduces compensations and idiosyncrasies into our form. Humans are very clever tool-using animals, and our bodies can often get the disc moving where we want despite inefficiencies and bad positions. Many of us know players who get the discs into very strange positions on their backswing and still throw great. The problem is that a standstill does not give us the time or space to reroute the disc or rely on last second adjustments to get our shots on line. For example, the spin out move that some players have evolved to compensate for a slightly rounded backswing may not work without a lot of lower body movement, making timing the release of a standstill nearly impossible. Even players with great mechanics may have additional moves – like a forward press – that help their timing in their full swing but may make standstills more difficult.

Even if your regular form is clean, the differences in timing and tempo between an X-step and a standstill can be incredibly frustrating. And this frustration multiplies when you try to throw with power or need to hit a gap. As we have discussed before, it may be helpful to think of the standstill as its own shot rather than just a slight modification of your usual throw.

When I first started working on standstills, I tried two approaches that seemed intuitive: both led to disaster.

The first was taking my regular throw and just doing it slower, counting on a less aggressive body turn and slower tempo to take speed off the shot. That ended up with inconsistent releases and no speed control. I often threw it crooked, and when I managed to get it going in the right direction, I often threw it too short or 50 feet long. I then tried just shortening my swing, keeping my tempo consistent but hoping just shortening my throw would produce the results I needed. I found myself not trusting that I could get it to the basket from this shorter position. This led me to speed up my tempo and once again my releases were all over the place. You may find one of this approaches is an easy workaround for standstills. I couldn’t.

Starting on an Anhyzer

I also noticed that pros often throw their standstills very differently. In fact, many top pros throw all their shots with a very distinctive move in their setup and backswing. Players like Drew Gibson and Paige Pierce do not follow the often-repeated disc golf advice to “keep the disc on the line you want to throw.” Instead, even when throwing hyzers, they start with the disc in an anhyzer position and still have the disc on an anhyzer angle deep into the backswing. As they begin their swing, the disc is nearly vertical.

This is an older video, but the camera work and slo-mo is beautiful: it shows Drew Gibson throwing a drive at the 2015 European Open. Let’s take a look.

At the start of his backswing, Gibson has the disc in a high, almost roller angle:

It is shallowing but still there at the end of his backswing:

But then is completely rotated into a powerful hyzer release:

From this extreme angle late in their swing, players who make this move rotate the disc downward to get it onto a hyzer as they turn into the shot. It seems like a lot of extra motion to get the disc onto the release angle, but since this is done by some of the longest throwers in the game, it certainly seems to be working.

I tried to incorporate this move into my normal swing and found that it gave me much more power and great flights. A video at Overthrow Disc Golf argues that this is one way for players to get the nose down on their throws and I certainly found that adding this rotation added power to the shot. When it worked correctly, I threw the disc as good as I ever have.

Unfortunately, I also found that it hurt my accuracy. This extra rotation can be a source of power but demands great timing and tempo (and practice!) to get it to work consistently. In my usual swing, my arm and wrist are just passively responding to my body turn, but this move required me concentrate on timing my release with my x-step. Maybe it would have clicked and become intuitive if I stuck with it, but my game is built around accuracy and consistency. It didn’t seem worth it to lose accuracy even if it felt great to throw it fifty more feet.

But what I discovered is that this same move, rotating the disc from a more vertical to a nose down position, was a great way to throw standstills. That move gave me the power I needed, and it was easy to get the timing right when I didn’t have to sync it with my footwork and a full body turn. It solved both my tempo issue and my concern that I wouldn’t get enough power on the shot.

In case this description isn’t clear, I made a short video showing you what I mean:

Sometimes people recommend starting with standstills to work on the mechanics of your full throw. I think that is great advice – but this is not what this shot does for me. It certainly could work that way if you wanted to integrate this kind of rotation into your full swing, but I don’t. This approach to standstills is just adding a consistent way to get the disc close to my target.

It has been great to add this shot to the short game arsenal and become comfortable throwing tight lines in the woods or when the footing is bad. Being able to know you can stand and deliver a shot with confidence is a huge advantage when you find yourself in a tough spot.