PDGA – Page 2

Rise of an Unknown Sport (Part 3)

July 11, 2018June 2, 2021 by Parked, posted in Culture, Grow the Sport

Disc Golf as Lifestyle Sport

By Josh Woods, PhD ~

Wheaton books — In this installment of “Rise,” I examine disc golf through the lens of Belinda Wheaton’s research on lifestyle sports.

“At least give the dog a chance to catch it first” – N.B.

“Sports is a reallllly loose term nowadays” – J.C.

“Not a real sport” – J.L.

These were just a few of the snippy comments posted on ESPN’s Facebook page when the media giant uploaded a video clip of Eagle McMahon’s 380-foot field ace at the Glass Blown Open in April 2018. By the end of June, the clip had received more than 14,000 likes, 5,200 shares, 2.3 million views and 4,000 comments. Continue reading “Rise of an Unknown Sport (Part 3)” →

Rise of an Unknown Sport (Part 2)

June 26, 2018June 2, 2021 by Parked, posted in Grow the Sport

Disc Golf as Modern Achievement Sport

By Josh Woods ~

Cover Art D1 Modern Sport — Photo: Innova Disc Golf (NBC logo added)

Defining disc golf is like describing the taste of water. The task seems at once obviously possible and extremely difficult.

The hard part involves the utter plurality of what disc golf means to those who play it. As I argued in Part 1 of “Rise,” disc golf is not one thing, but many. Like Waldo’s world, its definition depends on where you look. Continue reading “Rise of an Unknown Sport (Part 2)” →

31 Interesting Things about the 2018 PDGA Board Elections

June 18, 2018June 19, 2018 by Parked, posted in Grow the Sport, Opinion

By Josh Woods ~

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)

June 15, 2018June 23, 2018 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)” →

2018 PDGA Women’s Global Event

March 19, 2018May 4, 2018 by Parked, posted in Gender

By Valarie Jenkins ~

Cover Photo — Players in the West Virginia Cup at the Seth Burton Memorial (SBM) course in Fairmont, WV. The NCWV Women’s Disc Golf Club will help organize West Virginia’s first PDGA Women’s Global Event at SBM on May 12. Photo by Jesse Wright.

Every other year sparks fly as women from all over the world meet up and play two rounds of disc golf.

The PDGA Women’s Global Event is a series of satellite tournaments hosted in several different countries. The fourth edition of the event will be played on May 12, 2018. Continue reading “2018 PDGA Women’s Global Event” →

Egg Shells, Explosions and Disc Golf

March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 by Parked, posted in Instruction, Opinion

By James McDonald ~

Cover art — What do you do when “that player” ends up on your card? McDonald offers straight talk on courtesy violations and strategies for dealing with them. Photos: Jesse Wright.

Throughout my 9-year career as an amateur disc golfer, I have experienced a wide variety of personalities in recreational and organized play. I would say 98 percent of the folks I meet on the tournament circuit are great people. The other 2 percent are nice folks off the field but haven’t learned to “cage the tiger.” Continue reading “Egg Shells, Explosions and Disc Golf” →

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

February 22, 2018August 12, 2019 by Parked, posted in Opinion, Politics, Social Movement

By Josh Woods ~

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” →

The most important problems facing disc golf courses in the United States

January 17, 2018January 31, 2018 by Parked, posted in Course Design

Results from the 3DiscGolf Survey (Part I)

By Josh Woods, PhD, and Dee Leekha ~

Disc golf has changed a lot over the last twenty years.

Two decades ago, there were 4,776 active members of the PDGA in the United States. Today, there are more than 28,861. Americans played in 329 PDGA sanctioned events in 1998. They will play in no fewer than 2,368 in the coming year, per the PDGA.

In 1998, Scott Stokely broke the World Record for distance with a jaw-dropping throw that carried 693 feet. In 2017, Simon Lizotte parked a 726-foot hole during tournament play, and the World Record is now held by David Wiggins Jr. with a distance that exceeds Stokely’s by nearly 400 feet. Continue reading “The most important problems facing disc golf courses in the United States” →

Does disc golf need a Leviathan?

January 2, 2018January 3, 2018 by Parked, posted in Finland, Grow the Sport

By Josh Woods ~

The cover art of Hobbes’s “Leviathan” features one central authority whose body is comprised, literally and figuratively, of individual citizens. Sadly, the disc golfers seen here did not appear in the original.

In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville published an important book about disc golf.

Okay, maybe Tocqueville wasn’t focused on disc golf exactly, but his ideas can be applied to it. In Democracy in America, he wrote about the delicate balance that must be found between the impulse of governments to centralize power, and the desire of individuals and local groups to pursue their unique interests.[1] Continue reading “Does disc golf need a Leviathan?” →

The Nordic Anomaly: Finland as a Disc Golf World Leader

November 10, 2017January 3, 2018 by Parked, posted in Finland

Hope is a dangerous thing when you have too much of it.

According to a recent report, the Disc Golf World Tour (DGWT) is closing shop and will not be holding events in 2018. At first glance, the gloomy announcement suggests that the DGWT had more hope than it needed.

The quality and professionalism of DGWT events were widely praised by players, fans and media outlets. To some, the DGWT stumble signals uncertainty for the future of global disc golf.

But even as DGWT’s plans for 2018 dissolve, the disc golf forecast for Europe is favorable, and DGWT Director Jussi Meresmaa is sure to continue his work on one of the sport’s most remarkable success stories: Finland. Continue reading “The Nordic Anomaly: Finland as a Disc Golf World Leader” →