Taking aim: Disc golfing takes flight in WNC

It’s lunch hour in Waynesville, and a man who at first appears to another greenway walker whips a Frisbee from his shoulder bag and eyes the horizon with the stealth of a hunter before sending the disc soaring.

There’s no one on the receiving end to catch his Frisbee, however. Instead, it ricochets off a tree, lands on its edge and rolls off through the grass.

He’s one of dozens of players who grab a game of disc golf along Waynesville’s Richland Creek greenway every week. The sport combines the strength and agility of throwing a Frisbee disc with the discipline and courtesy of a golf match. Disc golf players — whether lone players or teams — lob their flying saucers long-distances across fields and through woods. The goal? Landing their discs in a series of metal baskets mounted to poles.

On some of these “holes,” a narrow fairway offers little room for error. Discs wind up in precarious places behind fences, stuck along railroad tracks, on top of buildings and in nearby creeks. On the Waynesville disc golf course, hook left and you’re in the parking lot or the trees. Hook right and you’re in the softball field.

But that’s where the disc throws get interesting — the concentration, the tactical preparation, the ballet-like stance, the held breath as a disc sails toward its target.

As with golf, low scores don’t just come from long drives. You also need the graceful skill to putt — sometimes from a squat, sometimes with arm and body stretched forward as you lunge closer to the basket. Throws can be made overhand, underhand and with various grips.

A tip for beginner disc golfers: keep your aim down when throwing so the drive will be level and in-bounds. A high-flying throw could send your disc somewhere way off course and out of play.

Most of the “holes” on the course are a par three — you get three throws to get your disc to keep a par score. It’s not always easy. The course is challenging — not only for its lengthy walks down the fairways but also for its tree-lined or hilly obstacles. In some cases, you can’t see the chained basket from the tee-off site.

But holes in one are frequent enough to keep players excited.

“Once you hit an ace, it feels great and you come back for more,” said Clark Lipkin, a land surveyor in Sylva who has been playing disc golf since 1982.

There are specially formed discs for different uses — drivers, mid-rangers and putters. Each has its own weight and aerodynamic shape for different uses. Some are built to roll on the grass to help project a little more distance after a throw. Some allow a throw to curve right or left in a predictable pattern to aid in positioning. Some are built for steady, straight drives. Experienced disc golfers tend to carry a bag full of discs that can be chosen for just the right throw given the type of situation.

The lure of disc golf is endless. It’s environmentally-friendly, with courses built into the existing landscape with little footprint other than a basket strapped to a tree. It gets you outside, whether strolling along Waynesville’s greenway or taking a de facto tour of Haywood Community College campus.

It’s also a wallet-pleasing pastime, said Dr. Justin Menickelli, a fitness professor at Western Carolina University who created the course on campus.

“What other sport can you take up for an initial investment of $8?” Menickelli asked, referring to the cost of a flying disc.

Menickelli estimates students play an average of 200 rounds a week on the 12-hole course at WCU. Menickelli says disc golf’s low impact, low cost and fast pace make it the perfect alternative to “ball” golf, which costs upwards of $30 per round, uses a lot of water and fertilizer, and takes four hours to play.

But disc golf shares some attributes of regular golf: you have to drive the fairway, plan your approaches and make putts under pressure to win. You can play alone or with friends and it’s equally fun. By the end of a round, you’ve walked one or two miles.

The sport of disc golf is in the midst of a growth spurt, but it emerged first in the mid-80s when a few hundred courses were created around the country. Today there are more than 3,900 disc golf courses in the U.S., more than 100 in North Carolina alone, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association.

 

 

Mountain disc golf courses

Waynesville

• Waynesville Disc Golf Course. 18-holes located along Richland Creek Greenway. Beautiful course along a creek with mature trees, a small hill and grassy lawns meandering through a public park setting.
From U.S. 23-74, take exit 102 and head into Waynesville. Turn left on Howell Mill Road then right on Vance Street.
• Haywood Community College. This 18-hole course is moderately hilly and lightly wooded on a college campus. Good combination of tight wooded holes and long open shots.
From Waynesville, head east on U.S. 23-74 and take exit 105. Turn left at the end of the exit ramp, then right on Jones Cove Road. Random draw doubles at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and singles at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Sylva

• Catmount Links. 12-hole course on Western Carolina University Campus. Long, open fairways, elevation, challenging target placements, and water in play on several holes.
From Sylva, take N.C. 107 south to Cullowhee. Course starts at Commuter parking lot. Random draw doubles at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Franklin

• Macon Disc Golf Course. Small 9 hole course that’s fairly short. Good for beginners to learn on. Has a variety of shots, uphill, downhill, short, long. Mostly open course with portions along the Little Tennessee River. Located on the Macon campus of Southwestern Community College at 815 Siler Road.
From Franklin, head west on U.S. 441 to the Georgia Road exit. Make your first right onto Franklin Plaza and then an immediate left onto Dryman Road, which becomes Siler Road. Hole #1 is located behind the college building, adjacent to the gazebo.

Robbinsville/Bryson City

• Fontana Disc Golf. Located on the grounds of Fontana Village Resort, this challenging 18-hole mountain course features booming drives, tricky greens, loads of elevation, and well maintained fairways. The course is renowned not only for it’s long drives and unique hazards but also for it’s beauty as it winds through the  forest. Open to the public.
From Bryson City, take U.S. 74 west to N.C. 28. Turn right on N.C. 28 and go 25 miles to reach the western end of Fontana Lake. 828.498.2211. www.fontanadiscgolf.com.