​Lubbock WINDRIDERS​
Disc Golf Club​
LUBBOCK, TEXAS
WHAT IS DISC GOLF?
Instead of clubs, balls, and a hole in the ground, disc golf enthusiasts use discs and baskets (pole holes). Disc golf shares similar joys of combining power and finesse on a long drive or sinking a long putt, or the frustrations of hitting a tree or having a putt fall just short.
WHO PLAYS DISC GOLF?
Disc golf is very unique in that it is played and enjoyed by all ability levels and by those of school age or old age. Because disc golf is so easy to learn, no one is excluded! Many disc golf players are members of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA.com), the governing body for the sport, which sanctions competitive events for all skill levels and ages, and provides many player services such as maintaining a course directory and establishing rules of play.
WHERE DO I PLAY?
There are disc golf courses in many city parks. Lubbock is fortunate to have an outstanding course in Mackenzie Park, and a new course is planned for McAlister Park in 2005. We are also very fortunate to have other courses in Levelland, Amarillo, Abilene, Sweetwater, Big Spring and Midland, as well as the rest of Texas and into New Mexico and Oklahoma.
LOCAL DISC GOLF HISTORY
Disc golf was formally started in the early 1970’s. In Lubbock, disc golf was introduced in the late 1980’s at Mahon Park by several local disc golf enthusiasts. Baskets were purchased through sponsorships by local businesses. They then donated tremendous time and money and moved the course across town to Mackenzie Park in 1993. The course was then enhanced with more basket placements and with the installation of concrete tee pads from 2000 to 2003. Today the course is maintained through joint efforts of the Lubbock Parks and Recreation Department and the Windriders Flying Disc Club. Look for continued improvement to this course and development of other courses as the sport of disc golf grows.
LEARN MORE, HAVE MORE FUN!
A player can learn many new techniques, improve his/her game, have much more fun, and make new friends through participation in disc golf. For additional information visit PDGA.com.
HISTORY
"Neither snow, nor sleet, nor dark of night shall keep disc golfers from their appointed rounds."
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It's that time of year when Daylight Savings slips away and many of us descend into darkness as the workday ends. There's a nip in the air even if that means dropping below just 50 degrees south of the Mason-Dixon line. Many in northern climes decide what brightly colored discs they'll use to replace their go-to white discs they don't want to lose once the snow flies.
The PDGA knows many members don't shy away from playing in any conditions. It's always disc golf time. There's just a new set of challenges as the seasons change through the year. What you may not realize is events and now leagues can be sanctioned year-round including rounds at night. And ratings will be provided whether the rounds are in the dark and/or in the snow as long as regular PDGA rules are followed, i.e., no mulligans.
Question: Can only PDGA Approved glow discs be used for sanctioned play in the dusk and dark?
Answer: The PDGA office has approved a blanket waiver so any PDGA Approved disc may be used with glow stick or LED light attached, preferably to the underside of transparent discs, after sunset in your time zone. In addition, LED lights taped to PDGA Approved discs can be used during daylight specifically when there is sufficient snow cover on the course and the LED might make the disc easier to locate. Non-PDGA Approved discs such as those with built-in LED lights cannot be used at any time during sanctioned play.
Sanctioned night play opens up some new event formats that could even be used during summer play. For example, how about a C-tier event where the first round is on Friday night and the second and possibly third round (B-tier?) are on Saturday? Players from a few hours away could travel after work in time for a round starting at 7:30-8pm Friday night. Stay overnight, even camp when it's not too cold. Finish early or late afternoon on Saturday with time to get back home. Sunday is free for watching football.
A few winter leagues at night have already popped up around the country including a sanctioned league in Georgia. Even Minnesota has had a Tuesday night league for the past several years during the coldest and snowiest nights of the year.
Another creative event format (more suited to metro areas) could work well for players who have trouble making weekend events any time of the year due to their work or family obligations. Pick two weeknights like Tuesday and Wednesday. Play one round each night and sanction as a 36-hole C-tier. Yes, that's always been allowed. Nights don't even have to be consecutive. Combine Monday & Thursday as an option.
We hope you have fun this winter whether you continue to play outdoors, perhaps with some new holiday gift gear, or maybe just practicing putting in the basement, or keeping your reflexes honed on Wii disc golf. Of course, our members in the South Pacific are just now cruising into their summer season ...but it still gets dark there, too.
