Remembering your first time

[Nova P]

I'm such a nerd that my first time out playing, I printed a scorecard and kept score and took notes of noteworthy happenings, like a chain-out on an almost-throw-in, and such.

Then after playing for four years, I went back with the same discs and played that course again to see how much I had improved.

I took a video camera with me.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

When I moved to Florida in high school i started throwing lids on the beach. I then went to college and played a bit of ultimate and a very rare one disc round at the disc golf course.

Fast forward 30 years and i got a banner ad for a beginners set around XMAS 2018. Turned out my sister also bought me a set out of the blue for XMAS that year. So I get my discs and the ones my sister gave me and head out to the course. Turned out it was blowing 30+ MPH and I was throwing 150g discs. Lots of water on the course, so I ended up leaving with only 2 of the 6 discs. Ouch! Like another poster mentioned, I just couldn't understand the big finishes to the left, except of course when throwing into the wind (where they turned right). i left a little pissed but determined i would get good at this game, so I ordered some discs. A bit more than a year later, I'm still not good (890's), but still determined to get better.

 

[mostlynorwegian]

My disc golf cherry was popped at Dellwood here in Illinois four years ago. I picked up a 160 gram DX Shark the previous year from the Odell brewery gift shop out in Colorado. Still use that disc, and it's only gotten better for the kind of thing it does. Anyhoo. A friend I worked/volunteered with at a brewery and in the beer community invited me along for a round at the fairly new Canyons disc golf course. I brought that along, and they guided me through the rest of the discs I'd need for the round.
I was hooked, and quickly ordered a dx 5 pack with an aviar, a gator, gazelle, firebird, and a valkyrie.

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

My first round was on what is now an 18 (was 9 with the next 9 in the works) course with just a regular old frisbee. Ended up getting a couple of starter sets, and for some reason loved the Shark more than the Leopard. Fast forward 3 years, and I get brought along by my dad to a Birdie Bash where I ended up with 1 point throwing an Ibex and Ridge. Sorta hooked me, and then got a bag of 6 discs (including the Ridge and Ibex, and a Groove). I think the thing that finally truly hooked me was hitting my brother in the back of the head, since he stepped in front of me. Man do I miss that Avenger SS.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

I threw frisbees a lot in college as a long haired hippie. Played object golf a few times. Played ultimate from '02-'08. Then got lost in a dissertation and some medical stuff. Took a professor job in Syracuse and a colleague started bugging me to play. In summer 2015, I decided the next academic year was going to be my last year at that job, so I took up the colleague's offer, mostly bc he had been really good to me.

On Aug 1, 2015 we played Green Lakes State Park, a nine-hole just east of Syracuse designed by Steady Ed in 1997. Still has the homemade baskets, if I have my facts straight. I knew nothing about any of those details then. Eric McCabe has a video of him playing the course on YouTube.

My friend gave my some discs but had some trouble teaching me because I'm LHBH. I had some hyzer fade problems with anything with any speed, but I did okay with more lid-like discs bc of my ultimate background. One of the discs was a Star Mako (not 3), and later added a Dart and a DX teebird that I beat into the perfect HV disc.

It was a warm winter in Syracuse with "limited" snow so we played a ton. He said he knew I'd get better fast once he saw me throw that Mako. I've never gotten all that good, but I've improved. I was in a pretty bad place personally when I started playing, so I owe a lot to disc golf. Really helped me get through a bad stretch.

He and I still get together to play 2-3x a year. Cancelled some plans with him due to COVID, damnit. I try to play ever August 1. He found the sport via some Wii game, one day realizing that the actual game, and not just the video version, could be fun.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Pretty sure I Aced prematurely my first time.

 

[Hampstead]

Been throwing frisbees most of my life. Started playing object golf as a kid. Maybe middle school was my first round at a real course with baskets, no idea where. Used a frisbee. Vaguely remember playing, no idea if I actually enjoyed it.

 

[tallpaul]

Object course; with a friend. Couple lids, couple very early disc golf discs -1988ish. Played that course a number of times with him and immediately loved it. Had make a drive to a bar, 40 minutes away - some months later; to actually meet up with a guy to purchase my first 3 discs. Cobra is the only model I remember. I still have that one...

Until very recently, I played said object course at least once a year; for 30ish years! I've hosted two temp course design tourneys. One of them was in that park; using one layout that was nearly 100% identical to that original object layout. (We did play 3 different layouts that day - which was A LOT of work to make happen.) I hit one of the two aces of the day!

I entitled that tourney "Where the hell is Jeff St. Louis?"; whom was the friend I played those original rounds with; and whom I hadn't seen, or heard from, for years...

Second temp course tourney I hosted, was completely different place; but I did title it "Where the heck is Jeff St. Louis?" again. Number of years later; and still no info on Mr. St. Louis. As you might notice, I "toned down" the tourney name from hell/to heck; as I was trying to get some sponsorship from my church attending, neighbor's company.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Ox Bow didn't open until '89? I could have sworn I remember it before that, but I guess I would have been 7 then. I'm a Goshen-ite as well. If you spent any time around the college there was this guy mowing the lawn who'd been there forever. Always had a smile on his face, wore funny hats in the winter, and drove a blue '67 Mustang sometimes. Everyone in town saw him at some point even if they didn't know who he was. He wound up working there for 58 years. That was my Dad.

That is correct, summer of '89. I have it cemented in my memory. Just got my driver's license.

Maybe you were thinking of Madeline Bertrand? That's a vintage Steady Ed course from 1985.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Oh, wait, if you were 7 in 1989, that would've made you a teen in 1997 when "Freddy Baugo" opened. That's how the locals pronounce it. I played it once the year it opened and was ... shall we say, perplexed by it? Haven't been back. Criminey, that was 23 years ago?!

 

[mojorooks]

I don't have quite the history all you have. I played one single round 20 years ago. I learned forehand from some pot smoking sharpie toting hipsters that I've seen quite the love for here on the boards. Fast forward to September 2018 and I was moving to a house 1/2 mile from a heavily wooded course. A friend and I did a one disc round. The layout was messed up and we didn't look at the map so we only played maybe 10 holes. But for some reason. I COULD PUTT!!! What the hell? I was putting left handed and sinking them quite easily. Now I can't putt like that to save my life!

 

[b-mart]

Oh, wait, if you were 7 in 1989, that would've made you a teen in 1997 when "Freddy Baugo" opened. That's how the locals pronounce it. I played it once the year it opened and was ... shall we say, perplexed by it? Haven't been back. Criminey, that was 23 years ago?!

I'm definitely remembering Ox Bow. I tagged along with my mother and sister to some Girl Scout day camp and remember a picnic shelter close to what is now hole 18. I've always tied that memory to the first time I saw a basket, but I guess it would have been another cookout there a couple of years later when I was 7 or 8. I vividly remember walking out a few holes though and wishing I had a Frisbee with me.

I played Baugo for the first time on a visit a couple of years back. I actually liked it, even though you could play from the shorts for the same par. It's like playing George Wilson and its 250' wide open par 5. It fit my poor excuse for a game pretty well though. Some shorter wooded holes with defined fairways and a couple of more open ones that I still had a chance at reaching. And of course the 400+' one that plays down a narrow avenue of pine trees.

Never did make it to Bertrand though. I won't get back that way much anymore, but it's still on the wish list!

 

[wolfhaley]

My first time was around 2003 or 04. I just remember it was after I graduated sometime. I had a buddy that I wasn't even that close to ask me if I wanted to play disc golf. I was like 'do what?' I had never even heard of it.

We went to Valley View in New Berlin WI. I borrowed a disc, no idea what it was. I remember I threw a lot of thumbers and I'm sure we enjoyed the greenery, that's about it.

My closer friends started playing more shortly after. But I didn't really get into how I am now until after I moved to central WI and met Mrs. wolfhaley. She's been playing since the early 90's. Now here we are 400 plus courses later.

 

[disco40]

Still pretty fresh in the ol' memory.

End of September last year. Took a starter pack of Innova to a nice little 9-holer behind the community college.

First hole, I ran up and chucked my DX Leopard as hard as I could...and it went about 150 feet. My double bogey putt landed on top of the basket, and I wasn't sure if that counted.

Third and final hole, I threw way right into some wild prairie with all the trimmings. Found my disc after 20 minutes of hellacious bushwhacking, and decided to call it a day. Couple days later I played an old plain bomber course in disrepair and tore a rib. Come to think of it, I had about the least desirable start possible.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

My first time was August 1973. (I'm certain of this because it was the first time I took the car that far from home.) I had just turned 16 and read in the local newspaper that some guy from Whamo (Maybe Ed?) used hula hoops and set up a course in Forest Park in St. Louis MO. The fact that you had to set up your last shot like you would in croquet really turned me off to the game. I didn't play again till the `00s.

FWIW; At that time the guys in my neighborhood were used to playing what we called "Target Frisbee". We had two 4X4 posts placed about 30-40' apart, on which we'd set a can with a little liquid or sometimes gravel.

 

[thrembo]

I got a copy of this book in 1975 and inside it explains Frisbee Golf.

I got my first Frisbee around 1970 (still have it) so we immediately started making and playing object courses. I also joined this:

And through them found the other IFA (Illinois Frisbee Assn) and was informed of a basket course going in at West Park in Joliet in 1979 which we started playing pretty much from day 1. I joined the PDGA in 1995. I didn't start playing organized play till I moved back to Michigan in 1987 and after A3 in Ann Arbor got going. (10285) I had no aspirations of being a pro or playing competitively until then.

 

[Casey 1988]

2003 last weekend in July age 13 also same as my brothers first time. We were going to a family Reunion of relieves say my grandmothers family, at the time they were every 3 years then after 2009 every other year except this year it looks like. Now anyhow we were in Winnona Minnesota and we went to the other course not the Willows but the older one that has original style Mach II but the later old style galvanized ones as well as some baskets replaced with Lighting DB-5 when the Mach II had something happen to it or get stolen. I was invited because my two unlces and a cousin, the son of one the Uncles were all supposed to go play Disc golf the next day but one uncle twisted an ankle that night doing Haky Sack stuff, Haky Sack was really popular in the late 1990's-mid 2000's and they asked me to play. After a cousin gave my brother 2 discs a Classic Grid Aviar with Micro bead that the Cousin did not use anymore as he was changing to Bangor GT, a Stratus in the oldest version of Pro D that said D on the disc and the uncle (Cousins father) gave me a Stingray I lost right after my first time playing and a Rubber Putter after we had played with the two.

I and brother did not know what disc we would like online, there were a few places to buy online at the time like Discover The World, Gotta Go Gotta throw, and Sunking Discs but we did not know discs that well or what we liked so it was not until we got my dad playing a year later in 2004 at the oldest course in South Dakota, Omaha Park with the old odd large diameter cage homemade Disc baskets with very little chainf that used Rebar, we stopped first into a Play it Again that only had bran new discs, I got a bag and a few discs, my brother got more discs then me and he continued to use an old odd promotional bag that was like a thin mini gym bag as it had a spot for a small 12 oz water bottle. Interesting the first year of the Omah Park Course in 1979 they used wood 4x4 posts about 4 feet tall to hit until the baskets were made the next year, it says or said something about that on the little poster about the course.

 

[Casey 1988]

Still pretty fresh in the ol' memory.

End of September last year. Took a starter pack of Innova to a nice little 9-holer behind the community college.

First hole, I ran up and chucked my DX Leopard as hard as I could...and it went about 150 feet. My double bogey putt landed on top of the basket, and I wasn't sure if that counted.

Third and final hole, I threw way right into some wild prairie with all the trimmings. Found my disc after 20 minutes of hellacious bushwhacking, and decided to call it a day. Couple days later I played an old plain bomber course in disrepair and tore a rib. Come to think of it, I had about the least desirable start possible.

my First course outside the older course in Winnona with my Uncle in 2003 was a sign course made in 1995 where the course was signs and you played from sign to sign in a little park that was too crowded with all the stuff in the park. The holes for the Sign course some of them were so short that even the Wham-O Pro Jr I had with me made the hole so easy it was a putt to the sign pole, I think the people who made it had never heard of a disc or for that matter thought that most if not all would play with those piss poor promotional fastback discs that 90% of them shatter if they hit an object too hard. After that I was playing at the newly opened in 2002 (on the day Steady Ed Died) Oahe Downstream State Park course (I spotted a basket when there for something else) Later named Powerhouse Ally by my dad. We have very near that State park the 3rd or 4th largest dam in the world nearby and being the 2nd or 3rd largest earth dam in the world. The Course Powerhouse All had a then in 2002 520 foot long hole (now 570 feet) and the rest were still tough for me at the time for the then 9 hole course with one of them then old hole 3 being a 187 foot hole over a road that I aced in my third time ever playing Disc Golf.

 

[Casey 1988]

my First course outside the older course in Winnona with my Uncle in 2003 was a sign course made in 1995 where the course was signs and you played from sign to sign in a little park that was too crowded with all the stuff in the park. The holes for the Sign course some of them were so short that even the Wham-O Pro Jr I had with me made the hole so easy it was a putt to the sign pole, I think the people who made it had never heard of a disc or for that matter thought that most if not all would play with those piss poor promotional fastback discs that 90% of them shatter if they hit an object too hard. After that I was playing at the newly opened in 2002 (on the day Steady Ed Died) Oahe Downstream State Park course (I spotted a basket when there for something else) Later named Powerhouse Ally by my dad. We have very near that State park the 3rd or 4th largest dam in the world nearby and being the 2nd or 3rd largest earth dam in the world. The Course Powerhouse All had a then in 2002 520 foot long hole (now 570 feet) and the rest were still tough for me at the time for the then 9 hole course with one of them then old hole 3 being a 187 foot hole over a road that I aced in my third time ever playing Disc Golf.

Forgot to mention the Sign course is now gone as of 2020, was gone all but first 3 holes that were only open no other park activities in the way of the holes since the Pierre Steamboat course got put in years of 2007-2008 that I was part of design group along with my brother, Dad and a friend in early 2007 right after winter snow had ended and the park was dry enough to walk on the grass. I had to carry the DGA Fabric basket and I designed two holes, One in the woods that is part of holes 6-9 or 10 will be gone soon due to a Water Treatment plant. This will make Steamboat park in 2022 or 2023 a 13 or 14 hole course Depending on if the number 10 basket survives as and is not taken out. Building for water treatment plant is not in the way of the number 10 basket but would using then the hole 6 tee pad for the old hole number 10 as well, few players ever go under the bridge to play what was once the 2 best holes on the course before opening the woods for the Water Treatment plant.

 

[wolfhaley]

How many first times did you have Casey?