I want YOUR experience

[drivesforshow]

I'll chime in. I played my first DG tournament at my local course. I signed up for Rec, which I knew was about right from looking at previous tournament scores. There were only two people in Rec, so we played with one Int player each round. It was a drizzly day but I generally played clean, shot well EXCEPT for putting--that's the only place I really felt that nerves hurt my game. My putting wasn't abysmal, but I can definitely remember missing one or two gimmes each round due to nerves. I ended up beating the other guy in Rec and taking home my "trophy only" prize. It was a fun start to my tournament career and I really enjoy playing competitively now, wish I could do it more often.

There is a lot of good wisdom around on how to prepare for your first tourney but I would say this--play your first tournament on a course that gives a little more room for error and focus on playing a clean round, not a hot one. That helped me a ton. I would NOT sign up for your first tournament on a course with tons of water, tiny tunnels, lots of awful rough. Taking a 7 or 8 on a tough hole early in a round can do horrible things to your mental game and put a bad taste in your mouth.

 

[zgmc]

In one of my first tourneys I had a cardmate that called himself "Juice-Fro". He had a black and red adidas track suit with his name embroidered on it in a few places. Custom juice fro hat also. He spent WAY more time working on his wwf style disc golf persona than he did on his game. I am reasonably certain he ended up DFL. He was a rules stickler and he had a small notebook that he would consult before teeing off. I don't know what it said in notebook but it must have been things like, hit first tree 20' in front of tee, shank 50' right into deep rough, throw worm burner down left edge, noob hyzer into the shule...

 

[Alobar]

I was between jobs and had time to kill and severance money to burn. Signed up in Rec for the nearest tournament upcoming, which was just over the state line, about an hour away.

Went a day early, got a hotel, and played two practice rounds, under par both rounds. Feeling good.

Day of, mixed card first round (one Adv, one age protect, one Int, one Rec, I think this is against PDGA rules without a waiver), play OK, over par, struggle with putts, make one long putt and drive well with my 300' FH. Int dude keeps trash talking me signing up for Rec, talking about my "huge" arm. Tell him I'm the worst player among the people I play with, have no backhand, can't putt, and never played a tournament before, sorry.

Between rounds, see card mate talking to co-TD, accusing me of bagging. She wanders over to me eventually and starts asking leading questions about where I'm from and how long I've been playing. Tell her same thing I told card-mate. (Keep in mind I'm not even leading in Rec, Int guy is just playing the wrong division.)

Play better 2nd round, end up tied for first. Playoff! Playoff goes 3 holes, only cause other guy misses gimme put on 2nd hole, I win on 3rd hole because my "huge arm" got me closer and I'm able to par.

Co-TD salty about payout when I cash my winnings, despite me taking only one disc, spending less than the prize money.

Get in my car and go home, questioning myself if I should have signed up for Int and not even feeling good about winning.

Played a few more tournaments that year and the following, (I think I won Rec again once more, then stepped up to INT so I could finish 3rd last but wouldn't be accused of bagging) then stopped after more cliquish behavior than high school and over-whelming white trashery made it no longer fun or interesting.

I still peruse tournament listings and almost sign up occasionally, but haven't played one in 4 years.


.