Disc Golf on the Kitsap Peninsula
Disc golf anyone?
A brightly colored flying saucer hurtles through the air and crash lands in a metallic basket. An exultant whoop of joy is heard in the distance. Has the human race successfully shot down an alien UFO? No. A disc golfer has scored his first ace!Many people who have lived on the Kitsap Peninsula all their lives are astonished to learn that behind the play ground and picnic area of the NAD Park on Austin Drive, where that old jet fighter sits, there lies a full eighteen-hole disc golf course. The course has been discovered, though, by hundreds of disc golf enthusiasts who can be seen flinging their discs hither and yon almost any time of day through that wonderful old forest.
What IS disc golf, you ask? Well, players throw their driver disc from a designated tee box toward a distant metal pole that supports a metal basket. They get three tries to get their disc into the basket for a par, and most of the “holes” are roughly two hundred feet in length. If the player can score in two throws, he or she gets a “birdie.” If the disc goes into the basket in one throw, that’s a rare but much sought-after ACE! The discs are similar to your father’s old Frisbee, but smaller in diameter and more compact. You wouldn’t want to catch one of these if it was coming at you. Polite disc golfers yell “Fore” if it looks as if their throw is going to hit an innocent person down range.
The disc golf course at the NAD Park is the largest and most developed course on the Kitsap Peninsula, but it’s not the only one. A brand new nine-hole course has opened at the Fairgrounds, with another nine holes in the works, and there is a wonderful little ten-hole course at the Van Zee Park in Port Orchard. Another course is being built as far away as Chimicum and yet another is planned to go into the Kingston area soon.
This challenging and exciting sport is rapidly gaining in popularity. Individuals can compete against themselves, or whole families can go out for an afternoon of flinging fun. The West Sound Disc Golf Association (WSDGA) is always ready and eager to take on more members, but membership is not required to use the courses, and the best thing about playing disc golf on the Kitsap Peninsula is that it’s free. The hard-rubber or plastic discs average $12-to-15 apiece and can be purchased at Team Sports on Wheaton Way, or Big-5 Sporting Goods. Even Sportsman’s Warehouse now carries discs. Beginning players will probably need a distance driver and perhaps a putter disc. More advanced players carry as many as twenty different discs, each suited to a specific throwing challenge. Many beginners learn to throw their discs through trial and error but it’s probably best to find someone with some experience and get a lesson or two. It’s more fun and successful that way. Anyone in the WSDGA will be happy to offer advice on any aspect of the game. There are often members out playing, so just ask someone who seems to know what he or she is doing.
Playing disc golf is a great way for people of all ages to get out and get some fresh air and exercise. The courses here on the Kitsap Peninsula generally offer some steep hills to climb and trees to avoid, but there are some open fairways, too, where a player can really haul off and give that ol’ disc a serious fling. That’s all part of the fun and challenge of the game. C’mon out for a fling!
For more information or to learn how to play contact John Conte 360-769-8481, jconte@wavecable.com or Matt White 360-710-5544, matt_white@ml.com
Labels: activities, disc golf, Kitsap Peninsula, outdoor, sport
