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Local disc drama
Happy Friday, keeping it short today so you can get off the email and on the course.
ON TODAY'S CARD 📃:
The battle for courses
Friday form check
Circle's edge
Estimated read time: 3 minutes and 52 seconds
The South Florida Open kicks off today. Paul McBeth aims for three in a row, while Garrett Gurthie is hoping for his first back-to-back win since 2017.
BULLSEYE
As disc golf grows, so does the need for more courses. DIYers seek to fill that need creatively using their property. As a couple in Louisville, KY has discovered, getting a course designed and built is one challenge; keeping it open is another.
Wyatt and Vivian turned their backyard into Arrowhead Disc Golf Course in 2016. The course had grown to 27 holes and placed in the top 60 best-rated courses on UDisc before its closure by the city. An anonymous complaint forced a review of zoning restrictions by the city. They found the course lacked proper permits and several holes encroached on city-owned property.
The course has been closed for the majority of this year. However, the city granted the permit needed to reopen the course following a unanimous approval on Monday. The catch? The permit limits the course to only nine visits a day. Small potatoes considering nearly 3,000 people signed the petition to have the course reopened.
Arrowhead is not the only one. A proposed disc golf course at Auburn Ravine Park outside of Sacramento is facing opposition from neighbors. Many in the community voiced concerns about the course's impact on the ecosystem, traffic, and crime.
Most disc golfers are willing to bend to rules as long as it means they can disc. Even students at UNCA conducted an economic study at their local course and concluded players are willing to change their behavior to offset negative impacts.
According to UDisc, an average of 5.28 disc golf courses were built every day in 2021. With nearly 2,000 courses added each year, resistance is sure to abound.
FORM CHECK
Most of us struggle to throw either a forehand or a backhand. A well-rounded player will have both in their arsenal. Now imagine having both, with both arms. You're no longer well-rounded, you're Eagle McMahon.
After sustaining an injury last year and withdrawing from the USDGC, he needed a solution [enter lefty backhand]. Eagle showed what was possible during the European Open this year, using his lefty backhand instead of his signature forehand.
Eagle is throwing lefty, less for skill and more to prolong his career. He is also not the first to throw with both arms. Nonetheless, if he can go full ambidextrous and still win a Major disc golf event, notes should be taken.
Eagle's forehand was one of the best in the game, and losing it to injury was devastating. He's made his left-handed journey no secret. Here's a video from 2018 of him playing a lefthanded-only round. Though this video is from before he needed to rely on his left arm to compete, Eagle knew to become and stay one of the best; you have to improve on all aspects of your game.
WEEKLY AMATEUR RANKINGS - TOP 5
Men
Women
updated 12/9/2022
CIRCLE'S EDGE
Paige Shue announced she is leaving after 13 years with Dynamic Discs. No word yet on future partnerships
Boone County just bought 76 acres of land, part of which includes the park that Idlewild calls home.
If normal disc golf isn't thrilling enough for you, try powder discing at 12k feet instead
RULE OF THE DAY
D. A player whose disc has been declared lost receives one penalty throw. The next throw is made from the previous lie. If a drop zone has been designated for lost discs on the hole, the player may throw from the drop zone instead of from the previous lie.
Thanks for reading!
Sending good vibes your way from In The Circle
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