Tag: Grow the Sport

The Sociology of Disc Golf? Yep, that’s a Thing

by Parked, posted in Culture, Gender, Race/Ethnicity

Josh Woods ~

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I am terrible at cocktail parties. I rarely say the right thing when meeting new people.

But don’t get me wrong. I’m not someone who looks down on small talk. I can chat about sports, the weather and Caribbean vacations all day long.

The problem is, when encountering strangers, the topics of careers and hobbies invariably arise.

“What keeps you busy?” Someone might ask.

For me, there’s really no way to answer this question truthfully without staring into a blank, confused face. Continue reading “The Sociology of Disc Golf? Yep, that’s a Thing” →

31 Interesting Things about the 2018 PDGA Board Elections

by Parked, posted in Grow the Sport, Opinion

By Josh Woods ~

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I have a confession. It’s terrible. I’m not kidding. It’s really bad. But here goes: At times, I’m a lazy, uninformed voter.

For one reason or another, I almost always make it to the voting booth, even for most local elections. But I rarely feel optimally educated on the candidates before casting my votes. Yep, I’m that annoying guy who’s holding up the voting line, because he’s doing last-minute research on his cell phone.

But, with the 2018 PDGA board elections coming this July, I thought I’d part ways with habit and start my research early. Continue reading “31 Interesting Things about the 2018 PDGA Board Elections” →

Rise of an unknown sport (Part 1)

by Parked, posted in Culture, Grow the Sport

By Josh Woods ~

Where is waldo cover art Second Option D2

The other day I was working on a Where’s Waldo puzzle with my daughter when my mind began to drift to where it so often drifts.

Gazing at the strange assortment of people in the puzzle made me think of disc golf. It is amazing what you can find while walking through a crowded course on a Friday afternoon, or perusing disc golf handles on social media.

Viewing the sheer variety and complexity of disc golf culture, I find it hard to look away. Continue reading “Rise of an unknown sport (Part 1)” →

Six Ways to Kill a Disc Golf Course and One Way to Stop It

by Parked, posted in Opinion, Politics, Social Movement

By Josh Woods ~

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I’ve heard enough.

In the last two months, local news outlets have reported that four disc golf courses may soon be closed, one fully funded course development project has been canceled, and one large disc golf community may see substantial new parking fees on top of the pay-to-play fees that already exist. Continue reading “Six Ways to Kill a Disc Golf Course and One Way to Stop It” →

Women, Men and Disc Golf: An interview with Valarie Jenkins

by Parked, posted in Gender, Grow the Sport

team-val

Women represent an underserved group in the disc golfer population. Per the PDGA, between 1999 and 2015, the share of women among PDGA members has stayed within a range of 6.9 percent to 7.7 percent. A few surveys drawn from PDGA-centric populations have reported similar or lower estimates of the number of women who play disc golf. Continue reading “Women, Men and Disc Golf: An interview with Valarie Jenkins” →