THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 11, 1996 TAG: 9608090163
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Summer Sun Days
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 71 lines
John Richt stood on a concrete slab and eyed his target a couple of hundred feet away: a red metal pole with a basket.
He swung his arm wide and let a disc, much like a Frisbee, sail through the humid air. It soared past towering trees, arching to the left, before hitting a tree and falling to the ground. Richt trudged through brush, leaves and swarms of mosquitoes to reach his disc and placed a marker in its spot. He then waited respectfully for friend Kenny Sutton to take his turn.
Golf for the working man. That's what disc golf has been called.
Richt and dozens of other enthusiasts were playing the 18-hole disc golf course at Bayville Park last Sunday, the only one of its kind in Hampton Roads. Combine the carefree aspects of hiking and playing Frisbee with the strict rules of golf and you have disc golf, a fun alternative that costs a fraction of the real thing and is entertainment for the whole family.
``Disc golf is played just like regular golf but you use discs,'' said Richt, 34. ``It's every bit as frustrating as ball golf, just as invigorating and there's no greens fees.
``In other parts of the country this sport is really screaming,'' he added. ``It's every bit as addicting as ball golf.''
Anyone who can throw a Frisbee can certainly play disc golf. And you can even use a Frisbee, although it's not recommended. Disc golf fanatics use about a dozen different discs with names like the Python, the Raven, the Cobra, Cyclones, Polecats, Gazelles and Whippets. Some have sharp rims for greater accuracy and distance while others are more pliable for the closer shots.
Discs cost $7.96 new at the Sports Authority. The public course, build in the late '70s at Bayville Park, is free.
Richt and Sutton carry their discs in shoulder bags that cost between $20 to $25. But beginners can get away with buying one or two discs to start with, according to Richt, who works for a mechanical contractor.
``I used to play ball golf and spent $200 a month,'' he said with a laugh. ``But for about $20 you can pick up a couple of new ones and a used one.''
If you like playing Frisbee or walking in the woods, you'll love disc golf. The course itself is set in the heavily wooded park just off First Court Road. The par-3 holes are a few hundred feet apart.
The course is popular. From sunup to sundown on a typical Saturday, about 200 to 300 people will play. Count on spending about two hours to play the entire course if it's crowded. At least 90 percent of the players are male. No one knows why.
``We'd like to know that one, too,'' said Richt, chuckling. ``We welcome women.''
The sport is easygoing. Dogs can tag along and even help their owners find the discs that hit the ground. Players have to hike to wherever the discs land, so they have time to admire the scenery or become pensive. Sutton said he likes the tranquility of the course. And afterward, many disc golfers hang out and drink beer together. Just like in golf.
``You play the game of golf but you do a lot of thinking out here,'' said Sutton, a long brown ponytail falling down his back, as he threw a disc into the basket for a par 2. ``But it takes a lot of accuracy. You can't learn it overnight.''
People with average athletic ability can learn how to play disc golf well in a couple of months, said Richt. Or you can just enjoy the sport immediately for what it is.
``Disc golf is an excellent stress reliever,'' Richt said. ``This sport has always been associated with the tie-dyed group, but it's starting to get more recognition.
``It's a sport the whole family can enjoy.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY KNAPP
John Richt launches a disc, trying to get it to land in a basket
about 30 feet away. Disc golf ``holes'' at Bayville Park are 120 to
300 yards long. As with golf clubs, there are different discs for
different purposes. by CNB