DG pros rock - shoutout to Sarah Hokom & Don Smith

[Timeetyo]

So yesterday I went out to Chili DGC to get another round in to prepare for the upcoming trilogy challenge (my 1st tourney) after Chili kicked my butt the day prior. When I pull in the parking lot after work there is only 1 other car there - with out of state plates. I figured I'd have a chat and see if they needed someone to show them around...and they were on there way through town and playing this & parma to prepare for the upcoming NT event on their way to maple hill. In my usual clueless self I get their names and only catch the first names....and off we go to play our round. I knew they were playing open & obviously way better than I am, but they were cool with me showing them around. They were awesome & supportive throughout the round and thankfully I played better than normal for myself - so I didn't embarrass myself too bad. It was just amazing to see some of the lines they could throw.

So as we are on 18 I am chatting with Sarah & I realize that they are touring pros, get her name again - and it hits me....oh...that Sarah Hokom. Oh. So I pick up some plastic from them in the parking lot, wish them well in their tourneys, and call it a night.

It is great that the touring pros in this sport are so down to earth, friendly, and willing to play a round with random noobs they run across on the course.

And in retrospect...I think I'm glad that I didn't make the connection at the start of the round.

[bradharris]

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

[Timeetyo]

Originally Posted by bradharris

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

Exactly why I wanted to tell it.

[MrFixIt]

Originally Posted by bradharris

For every story that shows up on here about pros acting badly, there are at least ten others like this one that go untold.

Exactly!

[BogeyNoMore]

Met Sarah at on the Toboggan at DGLO... she was quite down to earth.

[Mixed Bag Madness]

I'll add to the positivity. I was playing the Lemon Lake gold course recently and told a lone player that he could play through because it was my first time playing. He thanked me but stated that we should play the final holes together because it was his first time as well. He introduced himself as Mike and said he was in town on business from Utah. He had a small starter bag with all Discraft. The next hole we played was about 325 uphill with a tight fairway and rough on both sides. I parked my new disc (moonshine Escape) and was quite pleased. Mike parks the hole with the same line....with a Buzzz. When we were putting out he checks out my Escape and says that he hasn't tried any new plastic because he's still throwing his Discraft stock. He looked familiar so I asked him what his last name was and I discovered that it was old Discraft pro Mike Milne! We played the rest of the day together and talked tour golf etc. He was an absolute class act and even chatted in the pro shop with us and the maintainers of the courses. IMO bad attitudes are the exception in Disc Golf and not the rule.

[mattdabbs]

There is one pro who is extremely popular right now...first time I met him he was having a really bad day and a horrible round at a tournament. He was using a few choice words and I thought the guy was a complete jerk. As I got to see him play more and spend more time around him, turns out the guy is an amazing ambassador of the sport with a great personality and very respectful. I just happened to catch him in one of his rare off moments and then formed an opinion of him based on that one snapshot. We have to be careful in how we judge people. Don't judge too quickly.

[JC17393]

In my experience, almost all instances that I would deem "bad" involving players happened either on the course during a tournament round or immediately following such a round where clearly they let the heat of the moment get to them (some require less heat than others to be set off). Off the course and/or away from competitive play, I've found every player I've ever spoken to to be pleasant and personable, even the ones with alleged bad reputations. And I've heard and read plenty of stories like the OP's that just confirm that notion.

The unfortunate thing is that the on-the-course, heat-of-the-moment stuff is where they are most in the public eye and therefore the strongest impression they give off to the observing public. The more behind the scenes stuff is easy to miss.

[erock216]

Tiger woods swears and hits his bag sometimes. Fyi.

[BogeyNoMore]

Originally Posted by JC17393

In my experience, almost all instances that I would deem "bad" involving players happened either on the course during a tournament round or immediately following such a round where clearly they let the heat of the moment get to them (some require less heat than others to be set off). Off the course and/or away from competitive play, I've found every player I've ever spoken to to be pleasant and personable, even the ones with alleged bad reputations. And I've heard and read plenty of stories like the OP's that just confirm that notion.

The unfortunate thing is that the on-the-course, heat-of-the-moment stuff is where they are most in the public eye and therefore the strongest impression they give off to the observing public. The more behind the scenes stuff is easy to miss.

Excellent point. How would you react if the extra stroke from that missed putt or shot into the rough cost you $$$ or even $$$$? While it's not entirely about the money, doing something as a profession certainly amplifies the impact when the results are unsatisfactory.