Life is better when you're part of a club.
Our sport is growing. A lot.
What usually starts as a few friends throwing plastic at the local course, can quickly become an obsession. Just ask our significant others...
This is a quick post to outline the different ways the game is played:
1) Casual - a round in the park with friends.
It may be at a local course with proper baskets. It may be in a nature, using trees or other objects as targets, to play a round of "object golf". Object golf plays a large part in the history of our sport, and for many players this was the only option. In our experience a round of object golf in a beautiful setting brings the spirit of adventure and creativity of our sport alive. It is super fun, less serious, and well worth a try.
2) League days - organised competitions occuring most weekends.
The league day round is probably the first formal, competitive event that most new players will attend.
Taking place at established courses and hosted by local clubs, players are usually randomly assigned to a "card" of 4. League days are a core feature of disc golf culture, and a brilliant way to meet other players, see how different people approach the course, and get to know the local community. All are welcome, irrespective of skill level, and it's a great opportunity for beginners to learn from advanced players, and experienced players to re-capture the joy of the early days of hucking from the beginners.
If you are in Queensland with us then check out the QDG website for a list of local clubs - each of which has some kind of regular league running:
https://qlddiscgolf.com/clubs/
Another great community is Facebook - our best local group for keeping in touch with upcoming league days is QLD Disc Golf Collective:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/309183535823561/
3) Tournaments - when things get serious.
But not too serious!
We have friends who live for tourneys. Others avoid them. Most people really enjoy the opportunity to compete in a well organised event, usually multiple rounds over multiple days, with an eventual winner at the end.
Disc Golf tournaments have a rich history, locally and as a sport in general. The PDGA is an American organisation worth being aware of, who have layed a lot of the foundations for more formal events like tournaments, and there is a whole rule book dedicated to the fair and smooth operation of tournament play.
In Queensland there are 5 or 6 tournaments a year, and the number of new events is growing.
Importantly play occurs in a number of different categories, from absolute beginner to "professional", from Men to Women to Juniors, and all players are absolutely welcome. I cannot stress this enough - you do not need any minimum skill level to compete in a disc golf tournament. You do however need to bring the right attitude - a desire to have fun and try your best, follow the rules, and support your card-mates through the inevitable successes and disasters of every tournament round.
Hopefully this has been a helpful guide to ways you can play. And hopefully we see you at a league day soon!