Calvary Crusaders Bag Tag Challenge

Top 10 reasons you should buy a Calvary bag tag

10. They are Zing Minis
 9. They are a 2 mini set that fit together to make a container
 8. They come with a mini carabiner to easily clip onto your bag
 7. You will gain automatic admission to the elite Calvary Crusaders disc golf club
 6. They are only $10
 5. All ten of those dollars go straight toward buying new Calvary baskets
 4. Get that "I helped grow disc golf" feeling.
 3. The Zing micros smell like candy.
 2. Help encourage friendly "bag tag" competition between area disc golfers
 1. All you need to do to have the #1 tag is be the first to buy one (they will be sold
     numerically starting with #1)

Bag Tag Challenge Definition, Suggestions and Rules
 
Definition

Bag Tag Challenge is a way to encourage friendly competition between a group of disc golfers. Numbered bag tags are sold to players. The goal is to get the lowest tag possible by challenging other tag holders to a round of disc golf, best score gets the lowest tag. One player can challenge another player, or a group of players can pool their tags together and redistribute them according to their scores at the end. What do you win? Your name in the history books, endorsements, etc..

Suggestions

Always have it with you when playing, either clipped to your bag or in your mini pocket.
Update your tag number on facebook or circle3.org to keep players excited about the tags.
Challenge other tag holders at any course or as part of any tournament (you can challenge someone who is not on the same card as you).
Agree on all rules of the challenge at the beginning of the challenge (for example, players keep same tags in the event of a tie or play one hole sudden death playoff).

Rules

Any challenge (between tag holders) in person must be accepted regardless of tag numbers unless
the challenged player does not have the time, or did not have the intention of playing at least 9 more holes.

A challenge to play doubles does not need to be accepted, however, doubles play can be accepted if all involved are agreed.

A player is not required to accept a consecutive challenge from the same player.


That's all. I am trying to keep the rules simple and fun, but I just cooked this up. Let men know if you think something important has been overlooked, or if you have any amendments that might make this more fun.



 

Good News and Bad News

     This here is my first disc dye job. It is nothing special when you have seen the work of some experienced disc dyers, but I am really happy with how it turned out (the good news). It was a bit of a trial run in preparation for dying a disc for my sister's birthday.

     Why the taco bell logo? I like to imagine that taco bell is my sponsor. On Fridays I get off work early and when I can I go disc golfing on my way home. But not without powering up first with a delicious $2 meal deal from Taco Bell with a cool refreshing Baja Blast soda.

      Though this dye job may look simple, it is actually a very complicated process involving acetone, xacto knives, masking vinyl, light box, transfer tape, dye, and alcohol (not the kind you drink). Why all the fuss? The finished product is a unique disc with a personalized image that will never wear off. Art you can throw (haven't you always wanted to throw art?).The images (called stamps) that are on a disc when you buy it wear off and they are not unique. There is a dedicated sub-subculture of disc golfers who create immaculate multi-color dyes. After seeing some of their work, I have a hard time imagining that they actually go disc golfing any more. Their discs look like they would take all of their free time to create. Very cool stuff. Here are some samples.

So what is the bad news? My Taco Bell disc is basically unthrowable. I threw it for my first time yesterday and it immediately dives left (overstable) and spikes into the ground. It is supposed to be a Katana (which is not an overstable disc, I already have a couple Katanas and I really like them). This is a mutant disc. It is either mislabeled or it was malformed. I was really looking forward to putting this disc in my bag but it looks like it will probably end up on a shelf in my garage. Now I know. Before you dye it, throw it.

Disc Golf Vs. Ball Golf Episode 2: Time

     Disc golf takes less time to play than ball golf. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, and most importantly, an average disc golf hole is only about one third as long as the average hole of ball golf. The holes are shorter because golf discs only go one third as far as golf balls.  While a hole's length in disc golf is measured in feet, a hole of ball golf is measured in yards. Consequently, a round of disc golf only takes about a third as long as a round of ball golf.

     Another reason that disc golf is faster is that you don't need to spend time studying the green as in ball golf. You just need to check the wind, line up your putt and go for it. In fact, you only have 30 seconds from the time you reach your lie to make your putt, but I have never seen this rule enforced because it is rarely an issue.

     One more reason that disc golf takes less time is because you usually don't have to wait behind other groups. Most courses I have played have only had a few players on the entire course. This is not always the case, but in my experience it is almost always the case.

    Since it takes less time, disc golf is a much more accessible sport for most people. If I have a spare half hour before work or on my lunch break I can play nine holes of disc golf. It is a much better sport for a family man in my opinion because it doesn't take me away from my family as much. Plus I end up taking my family along with me some of the time (they don't share my passion for disc golf, but they humor me).

Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden

  

    You may have heard the recent news that Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore were admitted as the first female members at Augusta National Golf Club (where The Masters is played every year). I think this is an opportune time to discuss the name of disc golf's older brother, Golf.



Experts speculate that Condoleeza and Darla are really
 just using Augusta National as a stepping stone to
gain admittance to the Kinderfarm Disc Golf Club which is at
an undisclosed location probably somewhere in the
Rocky Mountains.





     You may have heard that Golf is an acronym that means Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. Though this acronym fits nicely with the sport's history of sexist exclusivity, it does not seem to be true. After some exhaustive research (wikepedia), I have learned the true (maybe) etiology of the word Golf.

     First, the aforementioned acronym is actually a backronym. Which means it was made up and assigned to a word that was already in use. Be suspicious of any acronyms assigned to things that have been around for awhile, since acronyms were not really part of the vernacular until the mid 1900's when words like scuba and laser started popping up.
     The history of golf is a bit murky since similar stick and ball games appear to have been in existence for millenia and across several continents. The earliest documented reports of such a game come from China.
     The exact origin of the word golf is not certain, but the most accepted theory is that the scottish word is descended from a dutch word (and a dutch stick and ball game) meaning stick or club. Makes sense. Another explanation is that the word could have been descended from any of a number of similar sounding continental words meaning to hit or strike (the golfish word cuff is also descended from these). So Golf is probably named after the clubs used in the game, or perhaps named after what you do with those clubs (hit the ball). Appropriate name.
    However, this does make the name disc golf a little bit funny because there are no clubs involved nor is there any hitting (except for the far too common disc hitting a tree trunk).
    Still, disc golf is probably the most appropriate name for the game. In two words the game is described such that someone unfamiliar with it understands what it is. It is golf, but played with discs (frisbees). I like the name disc golf. It does not presume too much. A name like ultimate does presume too much. The name implies that it is the final evolution of sport, the end all. The name reveals a certain inferiority complex. If you really think your game is the best, you don't have to name it such, you just describe it. Any ideas on a better name for ultimate? Is there a better name for disc golf?
    

The Rim Rock

   
     The Rim Rock Disc Golf Course in Torrey Utah is one of my favorite courses. It's unique, long and beautiful.
    After getting hooked on disc golf in early 2012 I discovered a website called dgcoursereview.com. I looked up all the disc golf courses near family and discovered this unique red rock course near my family ranch just outside of Capitol Reef National Park. 
     For a disc golf course to be interesting it needs obstacles. These obstacles penalize errant throws. In ball golf you are penalized by having a bad lie. Meaning your ball is lying in a spot that is hard to hit it out of like tall grass(the rough) or sand. But in disc golf you pick up your disc and make your next throw standing where your previous throw landed. So to be penalized in disc golf there need to be obstacles in the air between you and the basket. Thus, heavily wooded areas lend themselves to very interesting, challenging disc golf where fairways are created by clearings in the trees.

     So you would expect a disc golf course in the desert to be easy and boring. However, The Rim Rock DGC, despite having about six trees on the entire course, is one of the best courses I have played. The terrain is made up of canyons, mesas, bluffs, spires, mounds and any other topographical features you can think of. The tees and baskets are strategically placed so that the land itself becomes the obstacle. The penalty for an errant shot is a wall of red rock between you and the basket.

    Another reason this course is so fun that there are a lot of long holes, but you can throw a lot further on this course than normal for two reasons. First, at about 6,500 feat of elevation your discs will automatically fly farther through the thin air. Second, many of the holes are downhill. After holing out on several of the holes, there is a short hike up to an elevated tee where you get to throw downhill towards the next basket. On hole seven, which is 468 ft. long, my drive landed 30 ft. short of the basket, close to a 440 ft. drive. This was easily 100 ft. longer than my normal best. Nothing wrong with feeling like superman.

     And the clincher for this course--it's beautiful. Set at the doorstep of Capitol Reef national park, this course is surrounded by sweeping red rock vistas. And the crisp mountain air is scented with cedar and sage.

    If you don't play disc golf, this course is a good reason to start. If you do play disc golf, play here. I also wrote a review here writing as Memphis Newbie: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=890&mode=rev

 My Bro in law Mike's first round of disc golf 

Disc Golf Vs. Ball Golf Episode 1--Show Me The Money

    I thought that a comparison between the two golfs might be interesting and might reveal what it is about disc golf that hooked me while ball golf never did.

    First, and perhaps most importantly (to me), disc golf is almost free, while ball golf can be very expensive. A couple days ago I tried counting how many discs I have bought and it was around 30. I probably spent an average of $10 on each disc (many were bought used). So I have spent around $300 on discs. I spent $15 on my bag. I have spent about $25 on disc lights for playing at night. I spend $5 to play at Bud Hill (local private course and my favorite course--I have played it 4 times) or to play in a mini tournament (I rarely get to play in these). And I spent $90 on my backyard basket. If I add all this together and round up it puts me at $500, but I am a nutso disc golf enthusiast who plays several times a week. I have bought way more discs than I need because I can't help myself. You could be well equipped with a bag and seven new discs, which is about all you really need for most shots, (premium plastic) for exactly $104.92.

    After this initial investment your only costs could be gas money and replacing lost discs (I have averaged one lost disc per month).

    However, from what I have seen, people who get into disc golf look for any excuse they can to buy more discs. They buy bags with shoulder straps that hold thirty discs. They play in lots of tournaments. Disc golfers are not reluctant to spend money on the sport they love. But even big spenders in disc golf would have a very hard time matching the spending of a serious ball golfer.

     Even a serious ball golfer on a budget who plays at the cheapest public courses four times a week will be spending $50 a week just on greens fees. Because of the nature of the sport you need acres of manicured fairways since you must play the ball where it lies. These acres of tidy turf cost money. A lot of it. We could even assume that he has no start up costs because he is using his dad's old clubs. He will still spend over $200 a month on fees. If a golfer is a member of a country club, he will spend thousands of dollars to join then maybe $500 a month in fees. This adds up to a lot of money. I'm not saying that it's not worth it for a sport that you truly love. Many private courses resemble a work of art more than a sports venue. They are amazing, beautiful places, but not everyone can afford that. Few can afford it. I am stingy by nature and there is no way I could rationalize (or afford) paying that much money for golf when we are trying to get out of debt and save money.
     The low cost of disc golf may be the most important reason why  I play it. First of all, the day I first played disc golf we were planning on going indoor surfing on an artificial wave, but we opted to borrow some discs and give disc golf a try rather than spend $40 to wait in line for faux surfing. Even though I had a good time on my first disc golf outing, I was by no means hooked. But a couple of minutes on ebay, and a few dollars later, I owned my own discs. After a few hours of practice at the park down the street I was hooked. So I got to try it out for free and got hooked for minimal investment.
     I will follow up this post with more episodes on disc golf vs. ball golf such as time-how long it takes to play a round, distances, etc.

    

Genesis

During Thanksgiving break of 2011 I was back home in Utah. Three high school buddies and I had arranged a "guys day out". We went to Gold's Gym and had a raquetball tournament. Then we had planned on going to the Flowrider in Ogden (an indoor simulated wave that you can surf on). But, my friend suggested we borrow his dad's discs and try out disc golf. It was free and no waiting in lines so we went for it. We pulled up to Riverdale's Riverpark(http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4190) and each took a disc. 

We picked  Beasts and Wraiths because they said "distance driver" on them and we wanted to throw as far as possible. We left the Leopard in the car because it just said "fairway driver" on it (in retrospect, I'm sure that if one of us had taken the Leopard, that player would have been throwing the farthest--I'll talk about disc selection more in another post)

    We had fun. I liked it. It was free. ( I lost by a stroke or two) But I couldn't stop wondering if we were doing it wrong. The discs wouldn't fly straight. They would always turn left, except my friend who was throwing forehand, his turned right.
    I got back to Memphis a week before my wife and kids so I had a lot of time on my hands. I googled something like, "how to throw a disc golf disc straight." A dozen youtube videos later I realized that these discs could do some amazing things if you had some know how and experience. Right away I went to ebay and bought an assortment of drivers and a couple putters. When I got them in the mail a couple days later I went to the local park and practiced throwing them. I threw them back and forth working on what I had seen on youtube and finally one of my shots took off straight and flat. As it gently gained altitude, my body was contorted, leaning forward and to the side a bit with my arms balanced out to the side trying to keep my disc balanced in the air through some kind of instinctive magic. And it did. The disc stayed in the air until finally slowing and fading gently left and easing onto the ground. That was it. Since then I have been hooked on disc golf.
     I have liked and played many sports, but I have never had one command my interest like disc golf. I can't stop thinking about it. I play by myself if I can't find someone to play with. I wake up early to squeeze in 9 holes before work. I take my small children to toddle after me through the woods so that my wife doesn't have to bear all the burden of my addiction. The strangest thing is that I had  played real golf (called ball golf in the disc golf community) many times, but it was usually at the invitation of friends and I never  had enough interest to go play by my own will. Though traditional golf and disc golf share a lot of similarities, there was something about disc golf that hooked me. What it is that hooked me, I'm not sure (that's a discussion for another post). But the point is, I love disc golf.

Welcome

This blog is for me to document my short disc golf history. I will use it to discuss what I have learned and where I learned it. I will post some score cards, some pictures and videos. I will link to information that I have found useful and interesting