26 FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2018 Not surprisingly, disc golf shares a number of the features of its better- known cousin, including its overall goal. “The object of the game is to get your disc into a horizontal metal bas- ket using as few throws as possible.” The discs themselves are com- parable in construction to a frisbee, and just slightly smaller at 21 cm in diameter. The style of throwing also compares to a frisbee toss. “There are three different kinds of discs, each with its own purpose, just like you’d have a variety of clubs in your golf bag. “All three of them the same size, but the edges are designed to make them fly differently. The ‘driver’ disc is more aerodynamic, since you want maximum distance from that throw. By comparison, the ‘putter’ is de- signed for short flights, and the mid- range is in between the two extremes.” He pauses and smiles. “And those may be the only three discs you’ll ever need, because there’s far less chance of losing one. You can’t say that about golf balls!” This greater measure of control ex- plains why disc golf courses tend to have narrower fairways than those at traditional golf courses. For the same reason, a full round – 18 holes is the standard for disc golf – can be com- pleted in about an hour and a half. “The distances for individual holes are shorter, too. They range from, say, 250 feet to 800. It’s possible for a per- son to cover that shorter distance in a single throw, the same way a golfer may be able to reach a Par 3 green in a single stroke.” At each hole, play begins from a rectangular pad. Distance, naturally, is the object of a player’s initial throw. “From the tee pad or on the fair- way, you’re allowed to run up to the starting point to produce momentum. A snap of the wrist helps to give you more distance when it’s needed. Strategy and course conditions require different throwing styles. “There are three kinds of throws,” Reidexplains.“Aflat,horizontalthrow will produce a straight shot. But the disc can also be made to curve, the same way you can a frisbee. “Tilting the disc downward at about a 30-degree angle–the disc golf term is ‘hyzer’–causes the shot to bend right to left. Tilting it upward– ‘anhyzer’– creates a left to right curve.” Pretty serious stuff as Julie Curran tosses the disk, with Dan Holt and Christine Vos watching the shot. Reid Hollingsworth – playing since the 80s. FORE! The Disc Golf 9 hole course layout. Reid’s player number, from the year 1983. Disc Golf (continued from page 25)