For the love of the sport. A place for DG enthusiasts to share their thoughts.

Posts tagged “PDGA

100 Putts For 100 Days Challenge

Posted by Tricia Lafferty


If you ask any golfer what the weakest part of their game is, most will say putting. Putting is the most important part of the game, because it is how you actually close out a hole. It’s importance is also overlooked by a lot of players. It’s fun to go rip drives and see how far you can get a disc to fly, but standing 10-30 feet from the basket and repeatedly throw at it is less appealing. The most important part of putting is confidence. When you walk up to your lie and look at the basket, you have to believe you are going to make the putt. If you don’t, you’ve missed it before the disc even left your hand. Practicing putting will not only increase your putting skill, but confidence in yourself.

Sarah Hokom started a 100 Putts for 100 Days Challenge back in November. Starting in November takes her through the 100 days the lead up to The Memorial, which is officially the start of the National Tour for disc golfers. As of now, she is on day 56 of the challenge. She has been posting results, tips, putting games, and other information on her Facebook page. She is getting great results too! Follow along with Sarah here:

https://www.facebook.com/sarahhhokom

I am now a part of Team Infinite Discs, and am attending the Glass Blown Open in April/May 2015. Seeing the great results Sarah is getting, and knowing that I need a lot of work on my putting as well, I have been motivated to start the challenge. I began my challenge on January 1st, which will take me up to about two weeks before I leave for GBO. Having the two week window will also allow me to make up a day if I have to miss one.

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For Day 1 and 2 of the challenge, I set my baselines. The two styles of putts I want to work on are spin putts, and straddle putts. I did 100 putts in each of these styles over the first two days from 15 feet. 15 feet may seem short, but these are the putts that can’t be missed. I got 75/100 for Spin putts, and 77/100 for Straddle putts. My goal over this challenge is to increase these percentages to at least 85-90%. I will do a baseline check every two weeks to see how I am improving. I will also start baselining further distances as the challenge goes on.

In between these baseline checks, I will be playing putting games and changing things up every day so that I don’t get into a stale routine and lose interest in the challenge. I will be posting my progress and what I am doing on my Facebook page, so please follow along and give my page a “like”. Also comment and let me know if you are interested in your own challenge, or any advice and tips you may have for me!

https://www.facebook.com/TriciaLafferty13

Best of luck for a great 2015 Disc Golf Season!


Creating a culture of respect

Posted by Tricia Lafferty


Just like many of you, I know a few golfers who have headed off to Portland for the 2014 Professional Disc Golf World Championships. I am excited to follow the local players and see how they play, as well as the touring pros. I’ve been watching my Facebook feed for updates and pictures about what is happening on the other side of the country.

However, one particular post struck a nerve. It was posted on Facebook via DG Guy, Terry Miller. A screen capture of the post is below. Admittedly, I was not there, so I do not know the specifics as to the particular instance he is referring to. But, I do have some personal experiences dealing with the same issue. Screen Shot 2014-08-12 at 2.36.04 PM

Pittsburgh is hosting the 2015 Professional Disc Golf World Championships, and I was fortunate enough to attend one of the planning meetings that was held earlier this year. This opened my eyes up to how much time, effort, and planning goes into an event of this size. Everything is planned in order to make the players, volunteers, spectators, and others have a great experience. I can’t even imagine how terrible I would feel if I were up on stage giving a presentation at Worlds expressing how excited I was to show everyone the result of the year plus of hard work, only to look out in the audience to see people not listening and distracting everyone else.

I even experience this at the league I run. I generally start off by raising my voice and saying, “Ok, it’s **time**, let’s get started.” I try to talk fast and be brief when making any announcements, only occupying a few minutes of time before I give card and hole assignments. I know that not everyone is interested in some of the things I may be talking about. More and more I was finding that I was trying to talk over people standing 15 feet away from me immersed in their own conversation. So then it happened, it finally made me angry. My solution was to turn my back on the group and walk away. That got their attention, and the group got quiet. I walked back in, mentioned that I do my best to try not to take a bunch of time, and it will go faster if they just pay attention for a few minutes. It has gotten better since that day.

I think a lot of it has to do with a general issue, not a disc golf specific one: lack of manners and respect, whether it is intentional or not. When people are giving a performance or presentation, it is respectful to pay attention and stay quiet. If you do need to make a comment to a friend, then lean in and whisper as to not cause a distraction to others. There is nothing more annoying when you pay money to go see a movie that you have been anticipating for weeks, only to have someone sitting behind you yacking loudly about something and ruining your experience.

This is truly a simple fix. We can remedy this by creating a culture where it is expected that you will be respectful to others, at all times. Correct each other. Give people your time and be conscience of how your actions are effecting others. I understand that not everyone feels like the need to attend a players meeting, that they have been through these events numerous times and that they know how these things operate. However, it may be the first time the people running these events. They are excited that the pros and players from all over the world are in their city playing their event. Don’t ruin it for these people that give part of their lives to make these events run.

Just as you prefer that people are not talking and distracting while you are trying to make an important putt, give others the same respect for things that are important to them.


On the Bubble

Posted by Tricia Lafferty


I still consider myself a beginner at disc golf. I feel like there are a lot of parts of my game that I can improve on, and a ton more to learn. What I love about disc golf is that you can take your game to whatever level you want to. You can be a casual player who just goes out and plays rounds for fun. You can join a league and play in a casual-competitive environment. You can play in tournaments and play for higher stakes: prizes, money, and a player rating in a competitive environment. You can choose to be a member of the PDGA, or not. No matter what level you play at, anyone can enjoy disc golf.

For me personally, I am an all-in player: I play causally, in leagues, tournaments, and am a member of the PDGA. I want to improve my level of play, and build on to my game. It is important to me to share my love of the game with others and help grow the sport.

But this year I faced the dilemma that many players who play in tournaments do; moving up in divisions. I have been a tournament player for just over a year now. So, how do you know for sure when you’ve improved enough to move up?

As a female player in this area, it’s tough, there are not a lot of us. Often times when I go to a tournament, I could be the only lady there, or there could be a handful of us in different divisions. Whether I win or lose in a division really doesn’t mean anything.

I looked to the PDGA guidelines for divisions:
Advanced Women – Ratings >= 825 Score Range : <70
Intermediate Women – Ratings < 825 Score range: <75
Recreational Women – Ratings < 775 Score range: 75+
Novice Women – Ratings < 725 Score range: 80+

So I find myself “on the bubble” as far as the numbers go. My player rating is currently sitting at 705. But, in the last few rated rounds I have played, my scores have been right around 75 and hovering around the 775 rating. I looked a little deeper into the information on the PDGA site.

I looked closer at the descriptions for the divisions:
Advanced Women – Upcoming players who have played 2-3 years and are gaining consistency and experience. Throw 200-300 feet, make 4-6/10 putts from 25-30 feet, developing different shots
Intermediate Women – Players who have developed basic Frisbee® and disc golf skills and/or have tournament experience. Throw 125-200 feet, make 3-5/10 putts from 20 feet, can throw backhand with some accuracy
Recreational Women – For beginning and casual players who are learning basic Frisbee® and disc golf skills
Novice Women – For beginning and casual players who are learning basic Frisbee® and disc golf skills

This was by far a lot more helpful information to make a decision. According to these descriptions, I feel I definitely fall into the Intermediate division. On my home courses, I can see where I am improving, my drives are longer, my approaches are shorter, and my putts are coming a lot easier. I also looked back at my tournament history. My first PDGA tournament was last June. I played in a tournament at the same course this June and improved 22 strokes over last year’s total. I couldn’t even believe it at first. My goal for this year was to try to improve on my scores by 5 strokes.

Armed with this information, it was a lot easier to come to a decision; time to move up. I may not win since I am at the lower end of the division, but that’s really not what is important to me. I don’t have to win on paper, I win with experience and knowledge. If I want to keep improving, I need to play at the level I want to be. I need to observe competitors that are better than me and learn from them. They may see a line that I can’t, make smarter decisions, or have a technique that may work for me. If you are not open to learning how another player plays their game and only focused on a win, you are doing yourself a disservice.

I’m excited to see how my game will improve in the next year! Tournament season is in full swing now and it’s the prime time to get out there and throw. I hope some of you will take the leap with me and take your game to the next level!

Source: PDGA Player Classifications and Divisions


Interview with 3x Legends Champ Pete May

Posted by mleefry


This summer, I had the pleasure of meeting 3x Amateur Legends World Champion Pete May (#12700). I first ran into May during a practice round at Emporia Country Club a few days before the Amateur World Championships. Luckily someone in my group pointed him out to me, or I would not have given much thought to the man in the cowboy hat walking the course on his own. I caught up with him again later in the week at the dgNOMAD Glow Ace Race, and learned more about his accomplishments and aspirations in the realm of disc golf.

May has lived in Augusta, GA for the majority of his life, and is a Senior Vice President of Morris Communications and President of the International Barrel Horse Federation. He started the Collegiate Disc Golf Championships, invented the disc golf game Hott Shott, and has earned the Amateur Legends World Title in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Here’s more about May and his achievements, in his own words:

Dogleg: When did you first start playing disc golf, and how old were you?

May: I first started playing with my oldest son and his two buddies, I was 58, they were all Table Tennis Olympians.

Dogleg: Explain the concept behind “Hott Shott.”

May: Hott Shott is my newest start. It is an indoor court game using elements of disc golf. Its noble purpose is the get middle school kids doing more with their hands and eyes and less with their fingers (cell phones). The business purpose is to create cottage businesses for the disc golf community… It is a putting type game that simulates bowling or darts [in terms of scoring]. The goal has a five year plan to start 7,000+ leagues nationwide in middle schools, churches, rec centers, senior citizen [centers], and similar gyms. I believe this is very doable. This game is fun, easy to learn, and hard to master—a nice combination. The game could have a profound effect on the growth of disc golf.

Dogleg: In your opinion, what are characteristics of a “perfect” disc golf course?

May: A perfect or sustainable disc golf course should…
• Be pleasing to the eye
• Have no more than 1 par four each nine holes
• Have at least two ace runs [per nine holes]
• Most par three holes should be designed for players that throw less than 350 feet; that distance is only thrown by 5% of all players
• Have tee shots that are fun to throw, but difficult to make a two unless the shot is very precisely placed
• Take more than 1:45 to 2 hours [to play]
• One water hazard per side adds to a great course
• Five to seven tree tunnel holes create the skill factor, not just distance
• No more than 3 blind shots on a course
• Close to the basket trapping is one of my course design features
• I like tough but not “mean” courses
• I like elevation change if possible
• I like 20 hole courses with par at 62

Dogleg: What inspired you to start the Collegiate Disc Golf Championships? How has it evolved since its first year? Where do you see it going in the future?

May: My youngest son was a college freshman, and my “boss”—the owner of Morris Communications—showed interest at the same time. I had just been a TD of the 2006 Pro Worlds in Augusta, and my boss said, Why can’t we have this here every year? I said it moves about. He said, Let’s have our own tournament. So, since there was no Collegiate Championship, and my son was in college, I asked him to help me start one.

The first year, 2007, we had University of Georiga, Clemson, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia Southern, East Georgia College and Southern California. Wow, what a start. We played on one course.

Last year we had four courses going on one site with 63 college teams, [including] seven schools from the west coast. This year we will have 16 regional tournaments feeding into the Championship, which we expect to be 80 teams. This is our max.

In 20 years, I will expect ESPN to cover the tournament and up to 10,000 spectators at the event. I do not see disc golf merging into the NCAA.

Dogleg: In an article from the Augusta Chronicle about your win in 2012, you were quoted saying “I didn’t really go there to win.” What was your goal going into the 2013 World Championships?

May: My goal for the 2013 World Championship was to broaden the reach of Hott Shott and win the Over 70 Championship… Winning is never easy and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Dogleg: What is the most fun disc golf tournament you’ve ever played in?

May: This recent World Championships in Emporia was my most fun competition.
The town respected us, the courses were fun, competitive, and logistically
easy to get to and from.

Dogleg: How do you prepare for tournaments?

May: At the practice rounds at the tournament sites, I keep a journal on each course. I play fast practice rounds only teeing off and looking at the upshot and making notes in my journal. I will usually get 3 rounds per course logged in. I waste no time putting in practice rounds. I do this alone with no playing partners so I can stay focused.

Dogleg: What do you mean when you say you consider yourself a gamesman, not an athlete?

May: A gamesman usually has great eyesight, very soft hands, and good balance. They will train obsessively and are usually very confident. They don’t necessarily run extra fast or jump excessively high or lift ridiculous amounts of weight over their head.

Athletes can run very fast, jump very high, are super strong and many times hate to train, because they are so gifted out of the box.

Dogleg: Should the PDGA and TDs be doing more to get more individuals who are over 50 to play in tournaments? What advice would you give them?

May: I think the PDGA should group all seniors over 50 into one Senior Championship.
The age breaks should be each 5 years. They should combine both Pros and Ams together for more senior fraternity. In my opinion, there is not and will not be enough money in these divisions to make a difference one way or the other.


Course Guide: Municipal Golf Course

Posted by mleefry


I’ve had the pleasure of walking the Municipal Golf Course’s temporary disc golf course three times this year, although I have not yet had the chance to get out there without the purpose of caddying!  Municipal, located just outside of Emporia, KS, uses only half of the ball golf course, and plays a total distance of 8,608 ft for the long tees and 7,987 ft for the short tees.  Course par is 65.

Throughout the week, this course will be used for the PDGA Amateur World Championships.  The A and B pools of Advanced Men played it today, with a hot round of 55.  Tomorrow the C pool of Advanced Men and Advanced Grandmasters will play the course.  The Advanced Men will play it once more on Thursday or Friday.

Because I have not personally played this course and because I’m trying to spend as much time out experiencing Worlds while I’m here, I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves (they are worth a thousand words, right?).  For an overall course map and hole-by-hole distance and OB information, head over to the Dynamic Discs website: http://www.dynamicdiscs.com/2013amworlds/courses/.  Dynamic Discs has been very supportive of my efforts to keep you all updated on the Amateur and Junior World Championships by allowing me to use bits and pieces of their course map here on Dogleg.  Thanks for being so great!

And now, to the course!

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Welcome to Worlds

Posted by mleefry


Hey Dogleggers!  I’m very excited to have the opportunity to spend this week at the 2013 Amateur and Junior World Championships in Emporia, KS!  This small town is booming with disc golfers, with more than 540 competitors here.  During my time here, I plan on bringing you daily updates on all things worlds.  Tomorrow [Tuesday] I plan on posting a course guide of the Municipal Golf Course, where the Advanced Men division will be playing in the morning.  Other than that, I’d be happy to take requests on what you’d like to read.  Just let me know in the comments, or tweet me @MLeeFry.

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Since driving in from Columbia on Saturday, I’ve been to 4/5 of the courses, hung out at the field events, attended the players meeting, and socialized in our campground (which is PACKED with disc golfers!).  The photo collages below make up just a small portion of what’s going on here in Emporia, and I look forward to updating you on more throughout the week!

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Jay “Yeti” Reading introducing the EDGE Skills Challenge; Junior Doubles Champion and 13 and Under Putting Challenge Winner Braxton Lawrence; Skills Challenge Competitors; Luis Nava putting during the Skills Challenge

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Sarah Nicholson presents the mayor of Emporia with an honorary PDGA membership; Founder and owner of Dynamic Discs Jeremy Rusco welcomes players to Am Worlds; Jay and Des Reading bring up the energy levels by giving away prizes from EDGE; 540+ disc golfers conjugate for the Players Meeting


Love is in the Air

Posted by mleefry


If I had a dollar for every time a disc golfer told me he wished his girlfriend played disc golf, I’d have enough money to install a course in my backyard.  If I had a dollar for every time I have played disc golf with another girl…well, let’s just say I would be thankful disc golf is free to play.

The ratio of male to female disc golfers is astounding.  As of this month, only 6.7% of PDGA members are women.  Of the 3,523 players registered as professionals, 250 are women.  These ratios mean that many tournaments offer more divisions for men than for women.  This was even the case at the 2012 Amateur World Championships, where there were 3 fewer women’s divisions; no lady champions were named for the Junior <19, Senior Grandmasters, or Legends divisions.  It is clear that there is a lot of room for growth in women’s disc golf.  For a sport that is so focused on progressing, girls could be a huge resource.

A great place to start utilizing this resource is to get your girlfriend (or wife, or other special lady in your life) interested in disc golf.  This seemed to be the trend at my first tournament, the 27th Annual Ice Bowl in Columbia, MO, the home of the Ice Bowl. Of the 55 players at the event, 6 played in the women’s division; all of us had a male significant other who was also competing.

 

The ladies who participated in the Columbia Ice Bowl

The 6 ladies who participated in the Columbia Ice Bowl

 

So, then comes the big question, “How do I get my girlfriend to play?”  As a disc golf girlfriend, here are 10 tips I recommend trying.  No guarantee, but they worked on me!

1.  Match her personality

One of disc golf’s best qualities is that it is a sport for everyone.  It can be tailored to fit any level of skill, competitiveness, timeframe, or budget.  The first step to getting your girlfriend to play disc golf is showing her that it is a sport for her.  If she’s generally not interested in sports (like me), present it as a fun game and a great way to get outside on a nice day.  If she’s more athletic, make it competitive, but still friendly.  To get her interested, you have to make sure that the way you talk about disc golf appeals to her as an individual.

2.  Easy on the terminology

The words we use to describe disc golf make up an entirely new language.  You’ll need to pay attention to which terms she already knows and which ones are still new.  You don’t want to confuse her, but you also want to make sure you’re not condescending by explaining too much.  For me, it took a lot of effort to learn the lingo.  I wasn’t familiar with basic golf terminology like “par” and “birdie,” so learning things like “hyzer” and trying to memorize that Wizards and Magics are putters was sometimes overwhelming.  So, in the beginning, make sure you clearly define what each term means, and don’t get frustrated if you have to explain it several times each round.

3.  Make sure she has the right discs

An important aspect of disc golf strategy is using the right disc for your throwing style.  For beginners and for women, chances are that the right discs for them will not be the ones you use.  Most beginners should start with just a putter and maybe a midrange; at such an early stage, most people throw putters and drivers the same distance.  A putter can be used to get comfortable with playing—learning courses, developing good form, and snapping the wrist.  Once these skills have been mastered, it will be easier to recognize patterns of how other discs fly.  When she does need a driver, start with low weights and fairway drivers (I used an Innova Starlight Roadrunner until I lost it in a pond, then moved on to Discmania’s Jackal).  These discs are easier to control, especially if she’s still working on building power and strength in her throws.

4.  Start easy

Once you’ve been playing for a while, it can be hard to remember how much work it takes to play a round at your favorite par 64 course.  Keep in mind that it is unlikely that your girlfriend will have the same disc golf endurance when she starts playing.  You’ll probably want to start at a course with shorter holes that aren’t heavily wooded or surrounded by poison ivy and thorns (common course conditions here in the Midwest).  If your options are limited, start by playing 6- or 9-hole rounds at a difficult course, and progressively play more as she gets more comfortable and develops her disc golf muscles.

5.  Ladies first

Let her take the pad in casual rounds, regardless of whether or not she’s earned it.  Be a gentleman.  Easy enough.  The only exception is if she asks you to go first, which may be the case if she’s unfamiliar with the hole and wants to learn from your shot.

6.  Use “lady par” to score

When anyone first starts playing, it is unlikely that they will be able to regularly par holes.  In order to make scoring more encouraging, add 1 to the par on each hole.  A standard par 54 course becomes par 72.  Playing and tracking progress will be a lot more fun if she has scores to be proud of—no one wants to announce a round with 13 double bogies, even if its better than they normally play.  Adjusting the par will more accurately reflect how well she is doing as a beginner.

7.  Make it a date

Pack up a picnic lunch or take a trip to a course that is especially scenic.  If she’s not quite hooked on disc golf yet, she may feel like a third-wheel when she’s out with you and the course.  Make sure she knows that the important part is adding disc golf to your relationship—not the other way around.

8.  Encourage her to play with other girls

For a girl, learning to play disc golf only by watching experienced males is like being raised by wolves.  No matter how much time and effort you want to put into helping your girlfriend, her body is fundamentally different than yours.  A man’s center of gravity is in his shoulders, whereas a woman’s is in around her hips.  Generally speaking, women typically have less upper body strength than men.  Obviously, the process of pulling one’s arm across the chest for a backhand throw is significantly different for the two sexes.  Your girlfriend will be able to get more detailed tips from girls who already throw, and not feel like as much of an “outsider” in the disc golf community.  A great place to start is to introduce her to girls in your local disc golf club, then encourage her to invite her friends to come out and play too.

9.  Resources and Networks for Women

In addition to introducing your girlfriend to individual female disc golfers, make sure she knows about the groups and networks that have been created to expand her opportunities.  Start by finding ladies leagues in your area, or a disc golf club that has bag tags specifically for women.  Beyond the course, the Internet is a great place to stay up to date with the female disc golf community.  PDGA Women and DiscGolf4Women.com both have a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter, and have a variety of resources for ladies of disc golf to get more involved in their community.

10.  Return the favor

If she’s willing to take a chance on disc golf, it’s only fair for you to do something equally out of your typical realm of interests for her.  Suck it up and watch a chick flick or go to the mall with her.  Let her know that you appreciate her giving disc golf a try.  She’ll be more willing to play again in the future, and be more likely to get hooked.  Eventually, she’ll be the one begging YOU to go out for a round.


Go to Dogleg’s Twitter @DoglegDiscGolf and Retweet our latest “Love is in the Air” tweet for a chance to win. If we get at least 50 retweets, we will be giving away a FREE Dogleg Disc Golf Tee! To be eligible, you MUST retweet it!


Running Tournaments

Posted by alphagenerator


Grip and Rip DGC began as an outcropping from the Dogleg crew’s drive to bring another course to our hometown of Jasper, AL. The new course is still being decided by the local city council, but they are pretty close to making a final decision. When researching all the details for starting a club, I found the PDGA to have a helpful How-to guide.

We cut our teeth with Discraft’s annual Ace Race tournament, which proved to be a valuable learning experience. Skills learned included: managing costs, gathering sponsorship’s, taking pre-registration monies, registering with the local park, setting up the course for tourney play and coordinating schedules with football season (if you are not from the Southeast, then you wouldn’t understand =)).

With all this Ace Race tournament director experience, I decided to take the PDGA’s Officials Exam to better understand the rules for sanctioned play. PDGA Rules – The rules are interpretative in some cases. I am more of a casual player, so I don’t necessarily agree with all the tedious rules (just my preference). The 10 official’s exam can be taken an unlimited amount of times and is only $10, which is good for 3 years. The PDGA now has a Pre-Register Tool that allows tournament directors to collect payment online. It does cost $2-3  for the player to use, but the players list updates in real-time.

I started building a GnR website with a forum to house all of the club’s activities. This proved to be more complicated than anticipated; so we setup a Facebook group under “Grip and Rip Disc Golf”. The events section is extremely helpful, since it allows local players to accept the tourney invite.  The real-time feedback allows for us to judge the expected attendance ahead of tourney day.

Contrary to popular belief, tournaments are time-consuming to run, and yield little profit for the club.  However, they are beneficial in growing the sport. Without groups of disc golfers coming together with similar interests, new parks wouldn’t be built and existing parks wouldn’t be improved. Just in the Birmingham metro alone, there are 7 new parks coming online in 2013! I really hope we can continue growing this beautiful sport.


Next Stop, TV!

Posted by mleefry


The disc golf community received lots of exciting news last December.  Clearly, as I addressed in my earlier posts, the discopalypse and announcement of Prodigy Disc Golf stirred up tons of gossip.  Dynamic Discs released its new line of discs.  But the announcement that has the greatest potential to impact the sport went unnoticed in comparison.  On December 21, PDGA Executive Director Brian Graham announced that the PDGA would be joining with two other sports organizations to create the Emerging Sports Network.

The purpose of the ESN, according to its website, www.emergingsports.info, is to recognize and celebrate the “most innovative, exciting, and competitive sporting endeavors available today.  Though each of these sports might not have millions of fans and dollars to support their play, they do not lack the passion or the skills necessary to create great broadcasting.”  The other two organizations pairing with the PDGA to make up the ESN are the Upstate Watercraft Promotions-International Jet Sports Boating Association (UWP-IJSBA) National Tour and the Extreme Volleyball Professionals (EVP) Tour.  Before the PDGA became involved, the two sports had partnered together to form the Beach Sports Network, which has now evolved into the ESN.

As a partner for the ESN, the PDGA will produce four 30 minute video segments this year.  The first of the four disc golf episodes will cover the Memorial Championship in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, AZ at the beginning of March.  Between the three sports, 20 episodes will be created, then distributed by Comcast or another sports network.  These episodes have the potential to be picked up by networks all across the country and to be seen by 66 million households.

The group who owns the rights to the ESN website and who will provide key help in producing the first disc golf shows for television is the Terra Firma Media Group, who specializes in strategic communications and “helping your company reach its audience.”  Terra Firma already has a big role in disc golf.  They run DiscGolfPlanet.tv and their clients include the USDGC, the Japan Open, Innova, Red Bull, and Kimberly-Clark.

I expect that partnering with the UWP-IJSBA and EVP Tours will have several, large effects on disc golf in the next couple of years.  The most direct effect will be that disc golf will be more well known, and therefore, more people will want to play.  This could eventually lead to more course installations and cooperation from Parks and Rec-type groups.

Although I do not see this until next year or later, I believe that if the ESN is successful, the PDGA will collaborate with the UWP-IJSBA and EVP to organize a tour made up of mega-events where all three sports are represented.  Graham said in his announcement on Disc Golf Talk Radio that he hoped to have one of these events in the future, but I expect that there will be several if the ESN is a successful alliance.  The other two sports have already synced up the time and place of several of their major tour events for the 2013 season, and this trend could easily transfer to include disc golf events as well.

These large events would put disc golf in a new position.  They will attract better bids from Convention and Visitors Bureaus, which would cut costs for tournament hosting.  They will also make tournaments more appealing for sponsors that apply to all three sports–like Nike or Gatorade.  We can also expect that the cities that will host these big events will be on beaches, so they can accommodate jet ski racing and beach volleyball.  Cities like Kansas City, who hosted the 2009 Pro and Am World Championships and is home to the Kansas City Wide Open (a national tour event), will be less likely to host these giant events.  Large cities in coastal states will have a higher chance of hosting disc golf’s biggest events.

For Brian Graham’s announcement:  http://discgolftalkradio.com/2012/news-from-the-the-pdga/

For the full interview with Brian Graham:  http://discgolftalkradio.com/2012/interview-with-pdga-executive-director-brian-graham/

How do you expect the ESN to impact disc golf?  Tweet @doglegdiscgolf with the hashtag #EmergingSN to let us know!


PDGA divisions and ratings

Posted by curly2284


DIVISIONS:

Class Division Name Code Ages Minimum Rating
Amateur Advanced MA1 All Any (Required for 935+)
Amateur Intermediate MA2 All < 935
Amateur Recreation MA3 All < 900
Amateur Novice MA4 All < 850
Amateur Advanced Master MM1 40+ Any
Amateur Advanced Grandmaster MG1 50+ Any
Amateur Women Advanced FW1 Any Any (Required for 800+)
Amateur Women Intermediate FW2 Any < 800
Amateur Women Advanced Master FM1 40+ Any

If you are a PDGA member and have a rating you can easily see what divisions you qualify to play in by comparing your rating to the following chart. If you do not have a PDGA rating then you can determine your approximate rating a couple ways. The best way is to compare your score at a previous tournament to other rated players at that tournament. If this is your first tournament then you can compare your average score at a course with previous tournaments at that course. To find this information you can go to www.pdga.com use the search function for the course. However, it is important to note that normally a course plays more difficult during a tournament due to additional OB lines, slower play and the pressure of competition.

RATING SYSTEM:

Now on to the rating system. The PDGA rating system calculates each player’s skill level and also the difficulty rating of each course played in PDGA events. Your Player Rating is a number that shows how close your average round scores are compared to the World Class Par (WCP) of the courses you’ve played in competition. Players who average WCP on courses played will have a rating of 1000. If they average even lower scores, their rating is over 1000.Most competition players average scores higher than WCP so their ratings range somewhere between 700-999. Every 10 points equals one throw on an 18-hole course. If you average 5 throws over WCP, your rating will be 950. Everyone has a few bad rounds. The system uses at least 85% of a player’s best rounds relative to the course WCPs from PDGA events that have been entered into the system.

Hopefully this sheds some lite on Ratings and Divisions. I personally use this as a guide im still only an 800 rated player but I will go to a tournament and compete even if it doesn’t have a novice division. I really enjoy playing rec division as a challenge, You will never be better if you don’t play against better opponents.

~stephen


Fantasy Disc Golf?!

Posted by alphagenerator


Below is a link to play fantasy disc golf.  I will create a league for use to compete in, if there is enough interest.   Hit me up if you want to join… its free!

http://www.playfantasydiscgolf.com/


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