Course Thoughts - An Introduction
In the sport of disc golf, there is a relatively well-known concept referred to as “Teepad Tuesday”. Traditionally, this idea is accompanied by pictures of a tee pad at a course or other course photos. In honor of that concept, all our Tuesday blog posts will be dedicated to course-related content.
We’ll take deep dives into some of the top courses I’ve played and local courses that seem to never get as much attention as their bigger “championship-style” counterparts. We’ll talk about course design, sustainability, and maintenance. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to courses, and I hope you’re ready to dive into all of it. We might even get to look at some course insight from professional players and amateur players.
A lot of times, when we think about what “materials” are important for disc golf, we think of discs, baskets, and tee pads, but we hardly stop to consider that a course is also on that list. However, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to say that courses may be an integral part of the sport, but they are not required to enjoy it. I think back to my first days playing disc golf. It was with a starter pack, and we threw at things like trees, rocks, light poles, benches, and pretty much anything we could see.
Image - Hole 7 tee pad at Fairview Park DGC
A disc golf course is such a unique thing. They can exist practically anywhere, and trust me, I mean anywhere. I’ve played on courses in the woods, a field, a wildlife preserve, a public park, a Christmas tree farm, next to a bowling alley…..you get the point.
Disc golf courses are a world unto themselves and have so much story behind them. The men and women designing the courses come from all walks of life and share a unique passion for disc golf. Down the road, I’ll tell you some of those great stories and share with you some of those passions. Personally, it’s a dream of mine to build a course. I’m not sure where I’ll build it or what it will contain, but I know that it’s a major bucket list item of mine.
Image - Hole 8 tee pad at South Hills DGC
When I take the time to think about it, disc golf courses are fascinating. Recently, I’ve been creating a list of the courses that I have played and looking back at what my favorite holes are. I’m forcing myself to only pick one hole per course, and it’s been very hard to do. When I’m done, I’m going to look at what my favorite 18 holes are, regardless of how many are on the same set of courses. I’m learning a lot about what my tastes are. If you want to check out that list, go check out www.thumberlife.com and hop onto my Instagram (@thumberlife).
There are a lot of unique characteristics that make a great course. Some examples are:
- Difficulty of the layout
- Uniqueness of the hole designs
- Natural beauty of the surrounding area
- Passionate local community of players
- Well-placed amenities
- Locations steeped in history
We’ll take deeper looks at all these things and more with these Tuesday posts. If there is something specific you would like to see talked about, leave it in the comments down below. I’m excited to explore the science and art of courses with you.
See you on Thursday!
- Gary Daddario III