seniors

Introduction

[lwptoc]

Let’s face it, you don’t want to admit that you’re getting older. But you see social media and others getting out there on Tik Tok showing off their chiseled bodies and you think, why not me? If you’re like me, the why not is that I don’t want to become a gym rat and don’t have a ton of money to spend on that kind of thing, not to mention that I am 40 years their senior.

Enter Disc Golf. Years ago, my family was introduced to disc golf through a foreign exchange student that lived with us for a year. He went out with his friends and offered to take us out with him. That was forty years ago and I am here to tell you that I am still playing the sport. Moreover, as I have moved around the country, I have been able to invite others to join me on the course as we throw our discs into the basket.

The Basics

Disc Golf is played more or less with the same rules as regular golf. There are tees and instead of holes, we have baskets. However, there are a few differences that make this an ideal sport as you get older. More on that in a minute. Players throw their discs with the goal of getting the disc in the basket. Holes are similar to regular golf with fairways and are rated with a par rating. Instead of strokes, you can count throws. There are out of bounds, fairways, and obstacles, and putting, although not a putting green per se.

The idea is to go out in parties of no more than 4 so the game keeps moving. You keep score the same way as golf with the low score winning. Most courses are 18 holes and can be played for over an hour or two.

Differences

The first difference you will notice is the course itself. Courses can be laid out in a park or they can wander through the local hills and forests. Instead of having wide-open shots, typically in disc golf, the courses are more in touch with nature. More in touch because more than likely, your disc will be touching nature from landing in water to hitting trees. It is all part of the game. Courses are typically shorter overall than regular golf with holes being 300ft to 600ft on average. You can find some shorter and of course some longer, but most will run in that in-between distance. For families and us older folk, the courses tend to be long enough that we get some well-needed exercise, but also not so long that we couldn’t play without a golf cart.

Next is the disc itself. Disc golf discs come in different weights and are rated on which way they break, how far they fly, and a couple of other measures that can be found on most discs when you buy them. Starting out, you will need a good all-around disc, and as you progress, you can start to add to your collection. I normally only carry three discs, one that breaks right, one left, and a putter. I have friends that drag a card behind them that have 20+ discs in their disc golf bag. The other nice thing here is you can go to a used sports store and get used discs or of course you can buy them new. The cost can be from $5 or so for a used disc up to $30 something for a fancy new one. Bottom line is that you will not go broke on a set of discs like you might on a set of clubs that may find its way to the annual garage sale.

Playing the Game

To play disc golf, after you have your equipment, is to find a place to play. Believe it or not, there is a professional disc golf association, the PDGA, where you can find a course directory of most courses in the world. Even if you use Google maps, you should be able to search for disc golf course near me and it will bring up disc golf retailers and nearby courses for you. Just a fun side note, did you know that the average professional disc golfer makes $42,000 a year and the top players like Paul McBeth who won the world championships, with endorsements make over $10,000,000 a year!

Play starts from the first concrete tee pads, but could be plain dirt or even artificial grass for the tee box. Taking turns, players start throwing their discs down the fairway. The player farthest away from the basket goes next and so on until you arrive at the hole. Putters are often used because they tend to go straighter than your regular disc. This is because of a rounder edge and slower spin.

Now the fun really begins for me at least as each course has its own personality and challenges. Players will face narrow spaces between trees, and throws over valleys or across water. These obstacles can be more difficult especially if you get off the fairway, which everyone does from time to time. Even the best disc golfers succumb to these challenges be it at the local course or the disc golf pro tour.

Seniors

Up until now, most of the information can apply to any disc golf player, now I want to focus on the older players. Exercise without feeling like your exercising is one of the greatest benefits. Depending on the disc golf course you play at, walking is a great way to keep moving and stay fit. Most of my buddies and I are in our 60s and 70s and we can hold our own against those 20-something players that are on the course. That is because, in disc golf, so much is not pure athleticism, but technique. While you are on the course, no one cares how fast or slow you are playing, the idea is to enjoy yourself and have fun.

Throwing a disc can be one of the things seniors probably need to watch so that shoulders, elbows or other joints are hanging in there. If you have not been active in a while, play a nine-hole course before you jump up to the 18-hole course. Like any activity, it doesn’t hurt to check with a doctor before you begin a new activity. That being said, I am a firm believer that being outside, walking and throwing for a few hours is a great way to stay young.

Back in the day, I took out the family as a cheap way to get the kids out of the house. Many of my kids (I have 6) play at campus recreation centers at school. I never stopped playing and have found it to be a way to stay young and get my friends out for a little recreation. One friend of mine who works nights will play nearly every day after work as his way to wind down after a night’s work. Like fishing, better is a day on the course than not playing at all.

Conclusion

Disc Golf in the United States has skyrocketed and the rest of the world is quickly catching up. Disc is so much cheaper than traditional golf and is family-friendly. You will find all types of folks on the course and yes, even the women have a pro tour. So I encourage you to get out and play. Check out our course reviews for Hanna Hills if you are in our neck of the woods and the latest news from around the country on our homepage.