Spring Break
Winter golf means fun year-round
Alexia Lang
Issue date: 10/5/09 Section: Sports
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With disc golf becoming increasingly popular, now holding the title of the world's fastest growing sport, some enthusiasts just can't get enough game time.
The good news is disc golf season is every season.
Summer, fall, winter and spring are all the perfect time of year to head out to a park and throw a few discs.
Rick Rothstein, president of Disc Golf World, managing editor of DiscGolfer Magazine, president of Kansas City Flying Disc Club (KCFDC) and sponsorship chairman for the 2009 PDGA Disc Golf World Championships, has been playing disc golf since 1979, when it was still called Frisbee golf.
While he prefers playing in warm weather, he said playing when the air is crisp does have its merits.
"To be outside breathing fresh air and getting exercise whilst having fun is better than moping around inside," Rothstein noted.
Most importantly, it's fun.
While your friends (or enemies) are couped up indoors sipping hot chocolate and eating sugar cookies, you can be out having a great time and staying in shape.
Rothstein said there are too many reasons to start playing disc golf to list just one.
"Choose from fun, healthful (lifetime fitness), economical (doesn't cost much to play), challenging, can be played with people or by one's self, small ecological footprint, egalitarian," he said.
Rothstein gave golfers a good reason to get out in the cold this past January and February. He founded the Ice Bowl, which drew nearly 55,000 players to 189 events across North America and Europe.
With the slogan "No wimps, no whiners," the events raised more than $216,000 and 27 tons of food for charities.
Each year, playing the sport becomes more convenient. Courses are popping up all across Kansas City - and the world for that matter. For those who enjoy a little competition, league play is offered weekly and tournaments occur frequently.
Seasoned pros will tell you equipment is cheap and the game is both challenging and satisfying.
Based upon all of these perks, rather than asking why you should put on a jacket or coat and march yourself out to play disc golf, ask why not?
For those who would like to start playing disc golf, discs can be purchased for reasonable prices in sporting goods departments, online or at Disc Golf World, located at 509 E. 18th St.
It's free to play on the public disc golf courses around town.
A complete list of courses and information about leagues and tournaments are available online at www.kcfdc.com. Leagues are offered on every day of the week.
Once you finally make it out to a course, keep an ear open. Never know when you might hear "Fore!"
alang@unews.com
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