Equipment

RV park request for Commercial Street denied

In some last-minute housekeeping chores as Pierce City’s mayor, Kenny Smith saw the near completion of the water system improvements project, with aldermen approving a $555,283.97 pay request from Goins Enterprises, Inc., the contractor for the job.

Two change orders were approved, one of which requested additional time in the amount of 150 days to complete the project due to material shortages and to accommodate schedule delays due to COVID-19. That change was not monetary, but extends time for the contractor to complete the project from 365 to 515 days. The second change order, increasing the cost of the project by $121,485.31 for a total cost of $4,010,610.89, was due to field adjustments including added minor fittings and pipe, fittings to connect new water lines to the existing infrastructure in hard-to-reach and sensitive areas, additional meter installation and locate, install and repair services at the school due to the inability of the contractor to locate the existing service. It also included materials, labor and training to facilitate the bore that runs under the railroad track to the south of town.

The second matter of old business addressed was the request to establish an RV Park on an empty lot at Commercial and Locust, owned by Edward Golubski, who on April 5 was elected as mayor in a race against Smith. In September 2021, Golubski requested a variance from the city in order to establish some travel trailer hook-ups with water, electric and sewer service on the lot. The request was passed to the Planning and Zoning Board and returned to council, and was ultimately denied.

“We don’t have an ordinance for campgrounds,” said Alderman Scott Wahl. “We don’t want one. As far as groups or people coming into town, like the folks for Howdy Neighbor Days, those fall under special use only.”

Smith provided an update on the progress of the disc golf course at Pierce City’s South Park.

“Through the volunteer labor, donation and efforts of David Mason, Dakota Ellingsworth and Derek Mulvaney, the disc golf course is nearly completed,” he said. “There have been 18 holes installed.”

The 18-basket course, planned by Mason and Mulvaney, will need T-pads, measuring 4-feet-by-10-feet, so players can make consistent throws without having to worry about footing.

“The city will donate materials for the T-pads,” Smith said.

Smith then went on to commend city employees and residents, for their support during his term of office.

“Mr. Larry Carver, for the past couple of years, has held our feet to the fire,” Smith said. “We’ve bumped heads a few times, but he brought some good points to us and I think he has made me a better mayor and us a better council. I ask you to continue your good work, sir. Thank you all.”

Golubski was sworn in as mayor and business continued.

Aldermen approved the purchase of a new computer, monitor and printer for the Police Department, totaling $1,579.96. The current CPU is loaded with Windows 10, and will not run encrypted reports.

“MDC [in Monett] was the best in price and offered three year’s service,” said Police Chief Mike Abramovitz.

Abramovitz also noted the 1996 SUV had been subject to a recall, but parts were not available as of Monday night’s meeting. He said one of the full-time officers was looking for grants for patrol cars, noting the city was already qualified for a United States Department of Agriculture grant.

“They came to us,” Abramovitz said. “It’s the best one out there at this time.”

Justin Noone, Public Works Department director, reported the current plan for repairing and painting the municipal pool.

“We have zero paint,” he said. “We will need 26 gallons at $82 per gallon.”

Aldermen approved the purchase.

Golubski called a halt to any proposed repair work.

“I have a contact in Monett,” he said. “I want to bring him over to take a look at it.”

As far as disposal of the chlorinated water at the end of the season, Noone and Bert Bond, wastewater superintendent for the city, said pumping it out into Clear Creek would be a violation of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) guidelines.

Bond said he could bring a sludge truck to pump the pools, which would amount to about 15 loads, and dump it into the wastewater at the Elm Street manhole.

“Our other option is to allow the chlorine to become exhausted in the pool before pumping it out into the creek,” he said.

Bond also reported the ultraviolet lights for disinfecting wastewater should arrive this week.

The main lift station has once again suffered an issue, this time a pipe at the bottom of the chamber has broken free of its bolts.

“It’s beyond me how to get in there safely,” Bond said. “The pipe is swinging freely. Even if it is just putting bolts back in [to secure it], that will be a $4,000 to $6,000 job. It’s hard to get bids on this.”

Mallory Erwin, pool manger, reported that plans are being finalized for a Memorial Day weekend opening. She said she had several returning life guards but needs to hire one more, for a total of six.

Aldermen requested she provide a proposal for both a 6-day and 7-day operating schedule to be reviewed and voted on at the May meeting.

Erwin proposed hosting game nights from 5-8 p.m. on Saturdays.

“Pool parties are booking fast,” she said. “I already have 18 scheduled this season.”

Erwin also said she planned to host a series of fundraisers throughout the season to aid in replacing equipment, tables and chairs.

Aldermen also approved the purchase of the Aqua Buddy Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant pool lift, funded through the Lawrence County Tax Board for Developmental Disabilities at a cost of $3,794.27. The equipment will assist in lifting disabled clients from wheelchairs and lower them into the shallow end of the pool.

In new business, aldermen were called to approve the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, an agenda item Golubski asked to table.

“I didn’t receive a budget and would like to be able to look it over,” he said.

City Attorney Darlene Parrigon advised tabling the matter was not an option, as cities are required to reconcile their budgeted amounts each fiscal year to expended amounts, whether under budget or over.

“State laws require that we do this,” she said.

Nearly all cities operate under balanced-budget requirements, meaning that cities almost always plan on ending the fiscal year with a surplus to carry forward. The budget is generally composed of an operating budget, which shows current expenditures, and a capital budget, which shows the financial plans for long-term plans for improvements or replacement of facilities and equipment.

Agenda items concerning emergency brake mufflers (jake braking), code book updates, and payment plans for utility customers were tabled.

Aldermen approved changing the meeting time to 6 p.m. on the second Monday of the month going forward.

Golubski questioned why Pierce City does not have a city-wide garage sale, like other surrounding communities.

City Clerk Julie Johnson reported the project was one undertaken by the now-defunct Pierce City Chamber of Commerce, and that the event had fallen by the wayside in recent years.

“No one has contacted the city in regards to a city-wide garage sale,” she said.

Alderman Jerad Jarvis recommended picking a date and sticking with it going forward, and Golubski recommended Pierce City host one the same weekend as Monett’s, which is on April 30.

Aldermen were reminded that donations were needed for the community food pantry, located next to the caboose at City Hall, as there was a growing need for non-perishable items.

It was noted that the Thyme to Buy Local farmer’s market in Pierce City will hold its grand opening from 8 a.m. to noon today at the intersection of Highway 37 and Highway 97 by the Veteran’s Memorial. The market will run each Saturday from now through mid-December.

John Archer, Pierce City alderman and Southwest Missouri Solid Waste District N liaison for the council, noted that recycling efforts were beginning to pick up and that he had six good people, paid a nominal stipend by the city, to help sort.

“No one wants to sort in the snow or the rain,” he said. “With better weather coming, we will get the pile-up taken care of quickly.”

Recyclable materials do not include cardboard, plastic shopping bags, appliances, electronic devices, chemicals or paints. No hazardous waste will be accepted.

No. 1 through No. 7 plastics, aluminum cans and clear or colored glass with lids removed are accepted. The trailer is manned from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of each month, but citizens may drop off the accepted recyclables at any time at the collection bins located in the 800 block Linzee Blvd. at well No. 3.

Memorial day symbolizes the beginning of summer fun in the mountains. It’s a time to go to the beach, BBQ, and of course hang out with friends and family. Another symbol of summer is the Frisbee. Surely these discs can be seen at a beach or park near you, so why not take the next step by Labor Day and try a new sport: Disc Golf. In today’s article, we take a look at the history of the sport and give you a few disc golf tips to get you started on your way.

Where did Frisbees come from?

Back in 1938, Fred Morrison and his future wife Lucile discovered that there was a market for the flying disc when someone offered them 25 cents for the cake pan they were tossing back and forth on a beach in New Haven, CT. Throughout its history, this famous cake pan had many names. Once called the “Flying-Saucer” in the wake of reported unidentified flying object-sightings, it then progressed to the “Pluto Platter”. In the end, just leave it to college kids to coin a catchy name that would stick.

Though many played with the official “Pluto Platter” discs, Northeastern U.S. college students had nicknamed these discs “Frisbies” after the local CT-based pie manufacturer, Frisbie Pie Company. Their pie tins resembled and were even used by some as flying discs – so why not call them “Frisbies?” In 1957 when the actual disc companies found out about the popular nickname, they patented it and set the spelling a little different as “Frisbee.”  Popularity continued to grow and so multiple sports began to form.

The Birth of Disc Golf

One of these sports was Disc Golf. Created by a recreation counselor named George Sappenfield of Thousand Oaks, California in 1965, he realized that kids could play “golf” with Frisbees.  He set up an object course for his children to play on. Many of these early courses were set up using anything from lamp poles to fire hydrants as targets. When George finished college in 1968, he became the Parks and Recreation Supervisor for Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks, California. That was when he introduced the game to adults by planning a disc golf tournament… and from there the sport evolved into what it is today.

Disc Golf, What’s that?

Bob Hope once said that “Golf is a good walk gone bad.” If that’s true, then Disc Golf is a good hike made excellent. Throughout ski-towns in North America, nearly every one of them has at least one Disc Golf course.

So, what exactly is Disc Golf? Similar to golf, there is a series of holes (disc golf baskets) with predetermined pars (set of throws) to get your golf ball (disc) into the hole (basket). For Disc Golf, each hole has a sign telling you the distance to the basket and how many throws you get so no guessing. You’ll be an informed player.

Low cost to enter and Free to Play

Normal Golf is an expense sport to play. From buying golf clubs and needing to pay “greens fees”, you can easily spend thousands of dollars. Disc Golf on the other hand is a ridiculous bargain. For around $40, you can purchase a set of discs and then head over to a public park and play the sport for FREE or maybe pay a few dollars at some of the more majestic courses. Talk about a great deal and an awesome time!

How to select your discs

Like starting any new any sport, it’s better to begin with the minimal amount of gear and go from there. So, what do you need to play Disc Golf? First, it’s good to start with three discs:

These can be purchased at any typical sporting goods store. If you are in South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Sports LTD offers a good selection. On the North Shore, Tahoe Mountain Sports has the best overall selection ranging from Innova, Discraft, and Vibram brands. To help with your selection, each disc will be marked if it’s a putter, driver, or mid-range disc along with other fun (and important) facts.

Speed (1-14)

Ranked 1 to 14, 14 being the fastest, this is the rate a disc can travel through the air. The faster the disc, the more it can cut through the wind and help in head-wind conditions. Slower discs, on the other hand, take more power to throw upwind, but are easier to throw more accurately and may actually go farther downwind. High speed discs are not recommended for beginners as they require more power to control properly.

Glide (1-7)

Glide describes the discs ability to maintain loft during flight. Discs with more glide are a great choice for new players as it will help get you maximum distance from your throws. Beginners wanting more distance should choose discs with more glide. Just note, discs with less glide are actually more accurate in high wind situations.

Turn (+1 to -5)

High Speed Turn is the tendency of a disc to turn over or bank during the initial part of the flight depending on how you throw. The disc will curve right for a Right-hand Backhand (RHBH) or Left-hand Forehand (LHFH) thrower. Opposite for a Right-hand Forehand (RHFH) or Left-hand Backhand (LHBH) thrower – it will curve left. A disc with a +1 rating is most resistant to turning over, while a -5 rating will turn the most. Discs with less turn are more accurate in the wind. Discs with more turn (-3 to -5) are easier to throw for beginners.

Fade  (0 – 5)

For a RHBH thrower, Low Speed Fade is the discs tendency to hook left at the end of the flight. Fade is rated from 0 to 5. A disc rated 0 will finish straightest, while a disc rated 5 will hook harder at the end of the flight. High fade discs help with distance precision, not max distance, but don’t fear the ‘fade’. It can help your disc finish in the line you intended.

Where to play?

Every state and province in North America has amazing disc golf courses, but ski-towns bring it to the next level. They do this by giving you amazing views, beautiful scenery, and the ability to squeeze a hike in WHILE you’re playing the sport. Be sure to check out our Best Ski Resort Disc Golf Courses in North America to get a better look at them.

Disc Golf isn’t about power, but technique

One last thing to highlight is that Disc Golf is more about technique than power. We learned this the hard way. So before even stepping onto the course, we highly suggest watching some videos. Here’s one to get you started. Have fun!

Related

The greatest Disc Golf athlete the world has ever seen, paul Mcbeth, is a star sportsman. He has made quite a name in the field of Disc Golf and has brought fame to the game as well. It is a well-known fact that talent, hard work and luck pay off well and Paul has quite a good dose of all three.

He has risen from humble beginnings to bring Disc golf to the world stage and today we are going to lay out that journey before you.

About Paul

A famous Disc Golfer, Paul is originally from California. He is a strong believer that Disc Golf has allowed him to change his life. This belief has led him to establish the McBeth Foundation whose mission is to spread Disc Golf, develop sustainable golf playing experiences in the places where sports hasn’t reached.

He is quite an Active person on Social Media and regularly posts about his Matches, tournaments, and awards on Instagram. He has more than 152k followers on Instagram and also has a YouTube channel with his name, having around 77k followers.

Early Life And Family

Born on July 9, 1990, this great player began playing Disc Golf at local events in 2006 and turned professional in 2007. From 2008, he played around 29 matches professionally and won the award for PGDA Male Rookie of the Year.

Paul got hitched to Hannah Croke, who is also a Disc Golf player by profession. They got engaged beautifully on April 16, 2017, and the marriage took place on 30th December 2018. They both currently reside in Virginia, with their German shepherd, Harrison.

Career And Major Milestones

Paul began his career professionally in 2008 and then went on a winning spree. He has the honor of winning the PDGA World Championship, consecutively in the years from 2012 till 2015 and in 2019 for the fifth time.

Paul has been ranked as the top player is 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. He also holds the record for the highest PDGA rating of 1601. He also has an impressive amount of wins in his bag, the number currently resting at 111.

Things You Didn’t Know About Paul

We are well aware by now that Paul is a remarkable athlete, but do you know, that he is a Social media enthusiast as well.

He is quite active on YouTube and keeps uploading vlogging, hiking, camping, and trekking videos. You can check these out on his channel.

Paul is active on Facebook with a following of more than 32000 people.

Net Worth

According to the latest reports, the net worth of Paul Mcbet is at present of $5 Million. Disc Golf tournament winnings have contributed to the majority of his revenue. This year, he won an amount of $11,800 in the PDGA Championship.

Paul recently signed a $10 million contract with DiscRaft Disc Sports, which has led to a significant increase in the sales of his signature line of Discs.

A group of professional disc golf players is coming to Southeast Alaska in early May to spread the love of the game to schoolkids and other community members. They’ll start in Juneau and then make their way north to Haines and Skagway. KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked to Zoē AnDyke (zo-ee an-dike) founder of Oregon-based Uplaydiscgolf.org about the upcoming trip.

Swasey – Zoē, thanks so much for joining us. Let’s start off with why you think disc golf is so popular.

AnDyke – So to me disc golf checks off all the boxes for the world to be happier and healthier. It’s low impact for one, and it’s a multi-complex movement so that’s good for all of our brains and our bodies. 

Swasey – So you say it’s accessible to anyone, you know, what are some of the groups of people that you’ve worked with in the past?

AnDyke – We’ve worked with kids as young as three, to adults as old as 99. We’ve worked with the blind community, the deaf community is pretty well established worldwide in disc golf. And throughout my years of visiting and teaching in schools, we have worked with special-needs classes. And they’ve all had their own really incredible way of being able to participate in play in some facet.

Swasey – Walk me through what a clinic at the school is kind of going to look like. 

AnDyke -Well, it’s not just a clinic, we take over the PE program instruction for the whole day. We introduce all of the basic fundamentals, we describe, demonstrate, and then run drills for the students to actually participate. Kids are getting the education on how to putt, how to throw a backhand drive, and how to throw a sidearm drive or a forehand. 

At the same time, the teachers are getting the same education. And then we support the teachers to continue teaching it sustainably by leaving them with one of our teaching guides. And we also gift, or grant, the equipment necessary. So we’ll leave you with two baskets for your school. And then 20 starter packs of discs. And that starter pack comes with a driver, mid-range, and putter. 

And throughout the teaching day, there are all kinds of special behavior awards, whether it’s uplifting behavior of their peers, or really, really fantastic shots because they’re just putting up all this effort. Kids have a way to win disc golf equipment. 

Swasey – Nice, will you walk me through what the community clinic will look like?

AnDyke – We do some demonstrating, it’s always pretty incredible. Putting is fun, but when you watch Dustin throw a drive 600 plus feet it gets pretty fun in the demonstration and the presentation of what the throws look like. 

So we show every skill from basic, to very advanced, to completely technical shots like rollers, you know, the most professional version of shot you can throw. And we have question-answer time so that anyone in the crowd can ask us anything disc golf-related, whether it’s our professional tour all the way to anything competition or equipment-related. 

And then we run a really fun activity at the end where we can hand out prizes. And specifically for Skagway and Haines because we’re a nonprofit and there’s no funding source for this, we’re going to do a raffle at the very end, after our games, for prizes. And we’re going to bring up some unique and special disc golf equipment to raffle off and kind of help try to retain some funds for the nonprofit, for Uplay.

Swasey – Zoē AnDyke thanks so much for taking the time and for coming up here. And you know, we’ll roll out the red carpet for you. 

AnDyke – Oh, cool thanks.

Zoē AnDyke and her group of pros plan to be in Juneau on May 4 and 5 for school clinics then they’ll head to Haines on May 8 and 9, and Skagway on Tuesday, May 10. To help support or learn more about the non-profit visit Uplaydiscgolf.org. 

There is a fair chance that you had never heard of James Conrad and Paul McBeth, either. 

The latter is the world number one in disc golf, an auspiciously named 30-year-old Californian who has won the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) world title five times and earned just under US$550,000 in prize money since 2005. That may or may not help you place him. Either way, in February, McBeth signed a ten-year endorsement contract worth US$10 million plus bonuses with equipment manufacturer Discraft. 

The Michigan-based company has a very obvious incentive to drive awareness – that anyone reading this has probably been thinking of the brand name Frisbee for the last 80 words or so – but its partnership with McBeth is driven as well by how assiduously he has managed his digital presence.  

This is as good a time as any to reintroduce James Conrad. On the final hole of the final round of the 2021 PDGA Disc Golf World Championship in Utah at the end of June, with no margin for error, he stepped up to make a 247-yard throw for a birdie that forced McBeth into a playoff. Conrad went on to take the title as clips of his impossible shot swooped and swerved around the internet, eventually landing on shows like ESPN’s SportsCenter.  

These are the marketing dynamics for athletes in smaller sports like this – mostly serving a dedicated niche but occasionally breaking out to win the attention not so much of casual fans as impressed onlookers. Both Conrad and McBeth have their own lines of merchandise for disc golf enthusiasts. McBeth, in particular, has been on hand for trick shots and demonstrations of his skills in online videos, often collaborating with other content creators. 

Companies within disc golf are pushing at the boundaries. The Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT), whose media strategy is largely based on free YouTube videos and a Disc Golf Network with around 15,000 subscribers paying US$10 a month or US$75 a year, recently agreed a broadcast deal with ESPN. A two-hour show covering the Portland Open is due for national broadcast in the US on 4th August. That coverage is being sponsored by Discraft rival Dynamic Discs, which last year paid a six-figure sum for CBS Sports Network to screen the Dynamic Discs Open. 

For the most part, though, disc golfers’ best option is to cultivate their own income potential. Their prospects are not evenly distributed. But then, nor are they anywhere else. A recent profile of McBeth in the Ringer points to data from Opendorse suggesting only 70 athletes in the world made over US$1 million from endorsement deals in 2019. Even in the biggest sports, the concentration of attention delivers very different rewards. Sportico has estimated in the past few days that Roger Federer has surpassed US$1 billion in career earnings, yet there are professional tennis players not too far from the top working hard to cover expenses. 

For all that, there are plenty of athletes eager to exploit the breakout possibilities of that digital creator ecosystem, not least in more esoteric sports. In that context – to complete a long flight to the central point here – the changes in regulations for US college sports are especially significant. 

As of 1st July, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has issued interim rules that clear all student-athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. The move basically suspends restrictions on payments to athletes for endorsement deals, social media activity and personal appearances, including those on paid online fan services like Cameo. It affects over 460,000 competitors and it would not be an exaggeration to say it transforms a huge part of the American sports industry at a stroke. 

It was also becoming inevitable. Various state lawmakers were on the verge of issuing legislation that would effectively compel colleges to allow NIL income. In mid-June, in the case of NCAA v Alston, US Supreme Court judges ruled unanimously in favour of former student-athletes on limits to educational benefits. The accompanying opinions by Judges Gorsuch and Kavanaugh left little doubt that further challenges to the NCAA’s amateur model would be favourably received.

Distemper has lingered around that arrangement for some time, and only grown as the NCAA and individual college programmes have spent more on coaching, facilities and marketing, while making more from sponsorship, ticketing and media deals. Many student-athletes, of course, are compensated through free tuition, but the value of that is no longer seen as commensurate with the revenues coming in. Not only that, but the artificial limits on what deals student-athletes can strike with third parties have long led to all manner of compromises and inconsistent penalties. It is a recipe for dysfunction.     

And while arguments have centred in recent decades on whether student-athletes receive an adequate share of NCAA licensing deals or whether they should be able to sign endorsements with sportswear companies, the current market stresses are somewhat different. Much of the popular conversation around this subject has often had in mind students on high-profile football or basketball programmes, with at least a shot at a professional career beyond. There are not 460,000 of those. 

There is a bulk of athletes beyond that – many of them, to bring us back to the top, in what might be called ‘niche’ sports – who also want to capitalise on their very limited period of notoriety and exposure. The global, open-source nature of the influencer economy means that some of them, at least, would have the ability to cultivate their own specialist audiences or tap into those that already exist, taking a cadre of relevant brands with them. Their peers in other walks of life already have that option. 

The forces that have eventually been brought to bear on the NCAA system are not moral or ethical, but competitive. Earlier this year, the creator-led, youth-focused sports media company Overtime announced plans for the Overtime Elite League, a basketball competition for those in their late teens offering salaries and health insurance, full commercial benefits and other training opportunities. The risk to the NCAA of other disruptive entrants is very real.

US college sport is by no means the only environment where these pressures are being felt. For several years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has faced calls to liberalise its Rule 40 restrictions on the promotion of non-Olympic sponsors by athletes during Games-time. It has done that, in part, by passing the decision on to national Olympic committees. 

Still, the entry of more lifestyle-based sports with a dedicated following and crossover potential – sport climbing, surfing, skateboarding and, in 2024, breaking – will heighten calls for greater flexibility and support. That will be coming not just from competitors but from federations, endemic brands and long-time partners eager to convert their brief, unpredictable shot at a mass global audience by any available method. 

The implications here might not be straightforward but they could be far-reaching. Throughout the history of the sports business, one of the few consistent phenomena is that when talent is not earning what it could be, that is a weak point that tends to give way. 

All of this has the capacity to change the game, even if it is only fleetingly sighted.

If it’s summer, it is time to get outside, and one way to do that is to enjoy a round of disc golf. While the sport is year-round, summer is a perfect time to celebrate disc golf in Thurston County. With National Disc Golf Day happening on the first Saturday every August, there is no better time to try out this fun game if you haven’t yet. August also marks the anniversary of when the Delphi Golf Course in Olympia opened its new disc golf course in 2020.

Delphi Clubhouse Manager Don Parr says it’s been great for the course to embrace disc golf along with traditional golf. “We love having the disc golfers out,” he says. “It’s been a nice addition to our golf course. And they fill in the times when other golfers might not be out, like when it’s raining. It helps us out that way.”

Disc golf is like traditional golf, but a player throws plastic discs down the course into elevated chain link baskets (“holes”), rather than using a club to hit balls into holes in the ground. Delphi’s verdant course is in the foothills of the Capitol Forest’s Black Hills in southwest Thurston County and is open to the public. The manicured course has 9 traditional and 18 disc golf holes that feature moderate hills, mature fir and cedar trees, and water hazards. The disc golf course is a par 57 and just under 7,000 feet in length.

The South Puget Sound Disc Golf Association (SPSDGA) promotes disc golf in the local area. The association was instrumental in working with the Delphi Homeowners Association (the HOA operates the course) in 2020 to establish disc golf at Delphi.

Tony Benjamins, Delphi’s committee chair for club operations, helped coordinate with the SPSDGA on the project last year. While previously unfamiliar with disc golf, he says he was quickly impressed with the sport and the players. Benjamins adds that he was initially not sure how the traditional golfers would view disc golfers sharing the course, but their kind welcome exceeded his expectations. “It’s been really good,” he says. “And the community tells me, ‘We love to see the discs flying.’”

SPSDGA President John Anderson agrees the cooperative effort benefits the local community. Anderson, who is also the staff pro at Olympia’s PackEx Disc Golf store, says SPSDGA volunteers installed the baskets and tees at Delphi. The SPSDGA hosts a Saturday “Quack of Dawn” league at Delphi. And SPSDGA helps to maintain the disc golf course. “It’s constant improvements,” he says. “For example, we needed to move a tee box. That’s what’s cool about disc golf. You can move tees and be flexible to deal with things such as (player traffic) flow issues and safety issues.”

Josh Kendall is also an avid disc golfer, serving as the SPSDGA vice president and another volunteer who helped to get the Delphi disc golf course up and running. He says he began playing disc golf years ago when invited by some friends. He now plays the Delphi course (at par), the course he helped to inaugurate. For a playing tip, Kendall says golfers tend to keep their favorites discs close at hand. He does not like to lose his favorite discs in the woods because he becomes accustomed to their feel. “They change characteristics, say, when they hit a tree,” he says. “It’s called ‘breaking in a disc.’”

Kendall and Anderson describe that disc golf has a large following. Benjamins says that fact was also new to him. “It’s amazing how big a sport this is,” he says. The 2021 Disc Golf Growth Report documents that golfers played more than 50 million rounds of disc golf worldwide in 2020, the majority in the U.S. The report also says there are more than 11,500 disc golf courses with 3.5 new courses added each day.

Golfers can compete at local, regional, national and international disc golf tournaments, sometimes for money. Some professionals’ income from disc golf is impressive. Paul McBeth, winner of the Professional Disc Golf Association world title five times, earned more than $500,000 from the sport so far. McBeth recently signed a 10-year endorsement contract worth $10 million with equipment manufacturer Discraft.

Anderson says club-level disc golf at colleges has also shown major growth. The 2021 national collegiate championship hosted 123 teams. Anderson says in addition to promoting the sport to adults, the SPSDGA works with younger future players at area schools, including at the Thurgood Marshall Middle School where his association donated baskets and discs. Benjamins agrees with that strategy. “Just like any other sport, you need to get them early,” he says.

The Delphi course is at 6340 Neyton Drive Southwest, Olympia. Rates are $10 (first round) and $5 (second round), with a $15 “Tightwad Tuesday.” Book tee times by calling the clubhouse at 360.357.6437 or scheduling online. More information is also on the Delphi Golf Course Facebook page.

MILLERSBURG — John Grisham remains one of the more popular authors among adult book readers in Holmes County, while “Clifford goes to Kindergarten” and “The Three Billy Goats Fluff” were among the most popular children’s books, according to the Holmes County District Public Library director.

“Sooley” by John Grisham, “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah and “Legacy” by Nora Roberts were the top book check outs for adults last year, according to Paula Cicconetti, who gave her annual report to the Holmes County commissioners Monday.

A trio of books by Erin Hunter – “Shadows of the Clans,” “Bramblestar’s Storm” and “Fire and Ice” – were the most checked out teen books.

Cicconetti reported 2021 got off to a slow start due to the pandemic, but added the library performed much better in the second half of the year, with more than 300,000 items checked out.

Although she trailed by two strokes with just two holes to play, she chose to layup on No. 17, knowing not only the tendencies of her competition, but also knowing her skills and the confidence she’s developed in them since turning professional in 2010.

That decision paid off for 2003 Pipestone Area Schools graduate Catrina Allen at the final round of the 2021 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, presented by Grip6, in Ogden, Utah, June 22-26, not only in gaining monetary dividends of $10,000 awarded the winner, but more importantly for the Prodigy Disc-sponsored athlete, providing her with the means to model behavior within the sport she adores.

“I just want to show the world and the young up-and-coming women in this sport what an athlete is; it’s about hard work, making sacrifices, it’s going to bed early, instead of, maybe, going out and hanging out … wanted to show the sport what an athlete looks like,” said Allen, during the acceptance speech of her second Pro Disc Golf World Championship victory. “I knew that she (runner-up Paige Pierce) had double bogeyed it (No. 17), pretty much, every time she’d played it, so I thought, ‘don’t force it, pick up the stroke here and do what you’ve been doing on No. 18.’ I just didn’t feel it was necessary to get two strokes there.”

A wise decision, among many the winner of the same tournament in Portland, Ore. in 2014 has made over the years. Of course, in 2014 the purse was meager to that of 2021, demonstrating just how far Allen’s game has come, especially for women, since initially being regarded as a weekend/leisure/recreation activity. 

A professional since 2010 and part of the first sponsored team (Prodigy Disc) that offered a salary/stipend to its athletes, Allen helped bringing legitimacy to the sport by doing many of the things athletes do in the major sports.

Pipestone Area Schools graduate (2003) Catrina Allen smiles at the gallery following her second career Pro Disc Golf World Championship, June 26 in Odgen, Utah. Allen, who has been a professional disc golfer since 2010, has won 171 of 342 events over the course of her career. Disc Golf Pro Tour

“When I first got into it, many people playing didn’t take it seriously; for some, it was a weekend thing, time off from other things and they kind of looked down at the rest of us who did take it seriously,” said the two-time women’s World Champion, who has also played in many tournaments in European countries circling the Baltic Sea – as well as in the Czech Republic. “Lots of us, Ricky Wysocki, my boyfriend (and teammate) Austin Hannum and I (among them) pride ourselves on trying to change the way people see our sport, the integrity and professionalism of it and all the things – taking care of our bodies, our health, our diets and our training methods – involved in being a disc golf pro. And we want to do it the right way.”

The right way.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Allen has always had everything figured out herself. In fact, the winner of 171 events out of 342 in her career recently underwent some changes of her own to help her stay on top of her game, while also battling those things outside of her control – such as social media.

“Last year I changed my diet, dealt with some anxieties and some issues that were going on, on the course; I started running for the mental aspects of the exercise and yeah …  continued to put in a lot of hard work,” she said. “I really think it comes down to discipline. Since December, I’m in the gym, come back, keep to my diet, and it’s been life-changing. No matter what’s going on, I stick with my routine, and that’s helped so much. Every day, getting in that same mindset helps with consistency, in all things; it’s helped with confidence and the mental side.

And with Twitter, Facebook and other social means of communication in their infancy when she began, the current influx of verbiage via such platforms would certainly give Allen cause to cave under the criticism of the multitude of strangers who simply enjoy … failure.

 “In the off-season, I worked on realizing those negative comments are just unhappy people; the majority want you to succeed, and … who cares, really?” said Allen, who touts the examples set by ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author David Goggins. “He’s been huge; I look up to him and he’s had a big influence on my life. He’s big on quieting mind. Getting my mind away from disc golf, when I have the opportunity has been very good for me – just quieting things outside of the sport. It’s hard, but it allows me to relax. I tended to overthink things, but now I get a game plan and stick to that game plan. No matter what happens, there are 20-something more tournaments to go. ‘Who cares?’ As silly as that sounds, it was kind of my motto for a lot of this season. I wasn’t going to allow any of that to enter my mind, take up my mental space; I focused on those positive things in my life – working to be better at disc golf and a better person in life.”

Catrina Allen is featured in this advertisement for her 2X World Champion line of discs her sponsor, Prodigy Disc, recently put out in honor of her triumph in Utah. Prodigy Disc

Which, in speaking with Allen and those she grew up with in Pipestone, might seem a difficult task. An athlete with both natural ability and vision in every sport she competed in, Allen has epitomized teamwork. 

“‘Cat’ was always somebody who was uplifting, a workhorse and she had that competitive drive from the moment I knew her,” said Pipestone Area volleyball teammate Jamie (Claussen) Juhl, who went on to play volleyball at Boise State University and coach the Arrows’ varsity squad for five seasons. “I also ran track with her, competed at the state level in some relays, and she was always cheering on other people. She’s not selfish by any means, always wanted the best for others and would do whatever she could to make the team better.

“I’m not surprised by her success, not at all. She always had that drive and, if she wanted something she’d go after it. It’s been fun to see her progress and see her be so successful.”

Success Carrie (Leddy) Smith, Allen and Juhl’s varsity volleyball coach from 2000-2003, isn’t surprised by either. Quite proud of Allen’s accomplishments, as well, Smith just knew Allen was going to ‘make it’ and … ‘go places’ no matter what she chose to do.

“She could have been a bowler, a skateboarder, whatever; she just has a natural athleticism; yup that’s Catrina,” said Smith, who’s followed the ‘free spirit’s’ disc career. It doesn’t surprise me that she picked up this sport and has excelled.

“She was always disciplined and focused, wanted to win and didn’t like to lose. Catrina was a passionate kid, but also very kind and a very loyal teammate, as well.”

Athleticism and loyalty that has allowed Allen to not only make a name for herself, but also pay the bills in a sport that has its tour participants on the road for 10 ½ months. Beginning as early as late January, in the country’s southwest states, moving to the west coast and through the Midwest before wrapping up the nearly yearlong tour in the Carolinas in mid-November, Allen was thrilled when she was offered the opportunity to earn a living in the sport.

 Originally somewhat of an afterthought and signed last minute, in conjunction with her ex-husband inking in 2013, Prodigy Disc offered Allen a contract to play disc golf on the tour – the first time in the sport any company stretched their neck out for a female player. Although she’d been playing with Discraft discs, this was an opportunity for Allen to focus on playing rather than worrying about paying her way across the country, and abroad, while honing her skills. Allen has been loyal to Prodigy Disc ever since, although she is still extremely close to Discraft Vice President Mike Wagner.

Catrina Allen, a 2003 Pipestone Area Schools graduate, competes at the Pro Disc Golf World Championships, June 24-26 in Odgen, Utah. Disc Golf Pro Tour

 “It was a ‘yeah, we’ll take her’ kind of thing … funny now,” said Allen, who received shares in Prodigy during the initial years with the brand. “It’s funny because this weekend (July 23-26) we’re playing in Michigan and staying with Mike and another friend; and he runs Discraft, a huge disc golf company. I remember before making the announcement, I said, ‘you have this big house and beautiful boat, and I want to have you come to my big house and be on my beautiful boat someday. Prodigy has been with me through my first championship, all the highs and lows and they’ve given me, as a female professional, the same number of opportunities (as the men). It’s been great and I’ll probably be with them forever.”

Much like her many Pipestone supporters, who were there for her as a youth, offering Catrina and her sister Caitlyn uncompromising friendship and guidance while the girls were being raised solely by mom – Cathy Arant. 

“I know Cathy busted her butt for her girls and did everything she could to be at all of Catrina’s games – gave them both as much support as she could,” Smith said. “Absolutely, Catrina developed her work ethic from seeing how hard her mother worked for them.”

The Ludolphs, Mike and Sharleen, daughter Shelly (Ludolph) and her husband Derek Hennager, Emily and Jeff Speer, Becky and Roy Walters and Naomi Lorenzen were there at the beginning too, through Allen’s youth, and continue to be her closest local friends and loyal supporters. They’re her people, her family outside of the disc golf folk, and the group Allen flocks to when she’s back in town – often visiting and staying with them during the winter holiday months.

As for her hard-working mother, who modeled the drive and determination that has served the 35-year-old Allen extremely well in her endeavors, Arant made the trip to Ogden in June to watch her daughter claim her second world crown.

“She made the drive out in one day and we got to spend the day before (the tournament) together,” Allen said. “In years past I’ve overprepared … too many practice rounds and would be tired before the tournament even started. So, it was good to spend the day with her, have coffee, go shopping. She was my caddie/support system, although she saw I was in the zone and just kind of stayed back and let me do my thing. I was happy she could make it; that was awesome!”

Similar to ball golf, disc golf has caddies too, although Allen has never been too fond of having one – for various reasons. Initially, it was the expense; however, despite her blossoming success that has her name on the tongues of countless young, up-and-coming women in the sport, Allen doesn’t necessarily like the ‘distraction’ that can often accompany the addition of a caddie.

“I really make sure, before a tournament, to have a really good game plan on each course and I already know what I’m doing coming down the stretch,” she said. “Sometimes, I feel, because I played so many years without one and not really close with them, I don’t need one. And they don’t know my game. I have certain tournaments where I have people caddie for me, but it’s very rare.”

And certainly, Allen has Hannum – with whom she lives and trains with in Scottsdale, Ariz. – to bounce ideas off of and help develop said game plans before the pair roll up in their truck and trailer to sign in for tour events. Himself and eight-year disc golf professional, Hannum recently placed sixth at the Portland Open, presented by Dynamic Discs, June 4-6 in Portland, Ore. And like Allen, Hannum not only plays with Prodigy Disc, but he too has a signature series line of discs that help net the couple additional funds in the way of royalties.

As for the discs themselves, they’re as specialized as the clubs ball golfers use. Drivers, hybrid drivers, mids, approach discs and putters are all available to the athletes, who can use as many discs as they can physically tote around a course. Prodigy’s forward thinking that, after the ‘D’ for driver designation, simply gives a number to each disc that follows, makes it equally easy for the pro and beginner to find and sort out the tools of the trade.

“Prodigy is one of the first companies to name things like that, which has made it easier for people getting into the sport,” Allen said. “You can try a different number, up or down, depending on how they’re working for you. Most weigh between 130 grams to 175, and the lighter ones don’t perform well in the wind … get pushed around. But more important than how much a disc weighs, is how a particular discs fly.”

And Allen, who has netted $30, 914, so far, this season, knows a thing or two about performance in various conditions and terrain. Although often competed on the same courses ball golfers play, disc golfers perhaps see even more varied conditions, both in weather and terrain, over the course of a tour. And considering a tournament could have as many as seven rounds, and an additional final, knowing exactly what to expect from one’s equipment can make all the difference.

“On ball golf courses we actually see the bunkers as hazards, but otherwise we’ll have man-made out-of-bounds that are painted lines or designated by flags,” Allen said. “We see elevated baskets (cups) or they’ll put them on sides of hills – so it depends. In Michigan, this weekend, we’re playing on a course that follows a toboggan run, a lot of up-and-down.  And with the hills you have to figure aim and how the disc flies up-and-down as you’re moving forward. You’re shooting blind sometimes and the rounds can become quite long.”

And, unfortunately for most, the elements always put an unforgiving spin on the proceedings.

“Wind is a huge factor; in 2012 I really needed to figure out how to play well in windy conditions,” Allen said. “But once you learn it, it can be very helpful and an advantage on some holes and shots. Rain is probably my least favorite, mostly because of the different surfaces of the tee pads we throw from – cement, rubber mats all different kinds of stuff. If they’re not a good surface, it can be really tough to deal with … slipping, grip and all of that, and you have to be a little bit softer and smoother with your feet on those pads. You quickly start getting in survival mode rather than attack mode.”

Attack mode doesn’t necessarily mean going for broke on every shot, and Allen continues to uncover how best to balance the physical with the mental aspect of her game. After all, she’s been diligently introspective since taking up the sport in 2009.

“Back in the day, in Pipestone, all those sports volleyball, basketball and track, JO (Junior Olympic) volleyball, really helped me, especially the five years I coached JOs … learned how to break the game down,” she said. “When I first started disc golf, I’d throw back-and-forth in a field; little did I know just how beneficial that would be. Kind of like hitting the range in golf. I could go out in an hour and throw hundreds of shots, whereas playing a round it took a couple of hours to throw 18 tee shots and maybe …  who knows how many more shots? I would set up drills for myself, pick a spot, grab all of my approach discs and throw as many of those as I owned … go on to each basket and try to make the putt. I only knew how to practice like that, so that’s what I spent my time doing, as opposed to playing rounds.”

And any coach of any sport will tell you that repetition and the development of muscle memory, the likes of which Allen learned in her youth through self-discipline, is invaluable.

Putting that to the test once more in Ogden, Allen not only proved how important her approach to training can be, but she took center stage in inviting young women to follow suit and realize their dreams. 

“I wanted to win by hard work and discipline, and taking the high road – doing it with integrity,” she said. “This one was a really big one for me. I wanted to show disc golf community and the many up-and-coming kids what hard work and all those things can do. You think about all the early mornings in the gym, all the practice time, and to see it come to this has been wonderful … all the support and the fans there with me has made it special.”

Familiar fans cheering her on … along with some watching from afar that Allen will likely never know.

“My mom camps down in Yankton, S.D. and this guy was watching disc golf on TV; they (my family) were cheering for her, saying, go Cat, go,” Juhl explained. “This guy was like, ‘do you know her on that type of level? Yeah, she played sports with my daughter.’ It was fun to see all these people we didn’t know cheering her on and seeing how excited they got. Cat’s really made a name for herself, and she’s truly genuine; you can see her after a long time, go have a coffee and pick up right where you left off.

“And she always wants the best for everybody.  As long as I’ve known her she’s wanted to compete and make those around her better. She’s truly showing that, and she continues to be an outstanding role model for young women.”

March 8, 2022 by Charlie Eisenhood in News, Recap with comments

This weekend, Paul McBeth and Kristin Tattar took down wins at the 2022 Memorial Championship in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Memorial was the long-time home of the start of the professional touring season but was dropped from the Disc Golf Pro Tour and National Tour in 2021. It still remains a well-attended A-Tier event, one whose field will likely exceed some DGPT Silver Series events in depth and quality.

McBeth got off to a tremendous start to his 2022 season with a 16-under, 1108-rated opening round that gave him an early four stroke lead. It was the 14th time a player has eclipsed the rare 1100 mark at The Memorial.

.@Paul_McBeth‘s opening 16-under round at The Memorial came in at 1108-rated.

It’s the 14th 1100+ rated round at The Memorial. 28% of all 1100+ rated rounds in disc golf history have come at the Arizona tournament dubbed the “hyzer Olympics.” (via @statmando)

— Ultiworld Disc Golf (@UltiworldDG) March 4, 2022

McBeth followed up his scorching round one with another hot score in round two, pushing his lead out to six strokes. Anthony Barela, who had been sitting in second after each round, made a charge in round three to get back within two strokes and eventually tied it up briefly in the final round before a three stroke swing on hole 9 gave McBeth a lead that he wouldn’t relinquish. He closed out the tournament at 40-under, three strokes better than Barela’s -37. McBeth averaged 1074-rated golf across the four rounds. It is his seventh win at the tournament that is cheekily dubbed the “McMorial.”

In FPO, Kristin Tattar got her first win of the year, with an 8-under, three strokes clear of Jennifer Allen. Tattar was tied for the lead with Eveliina Salonen after a 1012-rated round one but fell behind Allen by a stroke after the second round. She rebuilt a three-stroke lead in the third round before closing out the tournament. Ohn Scoggins, the 2021 Memorial champion, finished in third place.

Tattar, the second highest rated player in FPO behind Paige Pierce, continues her strong play in the United States after a highly successful stint here in 2021.

Check out full post-production video coverage from Terry Miller below:

MPO Video Coverage

FPO Video Coverage