Par, birdie and ace are terms amongst a long list of vocabulary that are featured in the game of disc golf. According to Innova Disc Golf, these terms are useful to newcomers and veterans of the sport alike.
The words have most recently been flying around at the 2019 United States Disc Golf Championship (USDGC). Held at Winthrop’s Disc Golf Course, located outside of the Winthrop Coliseum, the tournament brings disc golfers from across the globe together for four days of intense play.
Players, some decked in team shirts, move quickly from basket to basket with a bag full of equipment. Through the use of athletic throws, players aim to land discs into a steel basket, known as a disc catcher.
“Good putt,” competitors commented to each other following throws.
Ultimately, the players’ goal is to score par or less at each disc catcher. Depending on their proximity to the hole, players would switch their disc or even throwing style, to make the disc in the basket. All of the baskets are set up differently and players must keep the disc in bounds to avoid penalty.
Practice rounds for this year’s tournament began on Sept. 26. The qualifying rounds and opening ceremony were held on Oct. 1. One round was played each day and the finals were held on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Winthrop Gold, as the course is called, has been the home of the USDGC since its inception in 1999. The event draws familiar faces year after year who continue to raise the bar for the disc golf tournament experience.
Jonathan Poole, USDGC Event Director, has been running the tournament for 21 consecutive years and commends Rock Hill for its hospitality to the tournament.
“Our company, Innova Disc Golf, is headquartered in California, but our eastern sales office is here in Rock Hill,” Poole said. “We’ve been here for over 25 years, and so that’s how it came to be in Rock Hill.”
Poole is also thankful for the individuals who continue to support the sport.
“We have a tremendous and experienced staff because of the years we get to continue to do this,” Poole said. “This tournament is rare from others in that, the number of people working outnumbers the people who are playing.”
Along with about 130 Innova staff members, there are a few volunteers who come out to work the tournament.
One volunteer, Tom Usselman, said he’s been involved with disc golf for 30 years and this year was his 10th with USDGC. His vehicle even sports a license plate that features an image of a disc golf basket.
Along with serving as a tournament sponsor, Usselman aided in the preparation of the course beforehand.
“We go through a lot of work to prepare,” Usselman said. “We laid out about five miles of yellow string and spread mulch around throughout the course.”
According to Winthrop’s website, the university houses an advanced course and is recognized as one of the best courses in the country.
“Winthrop is unique in that we have now hosted 22 major championship events for disc golf,” Poole said. “There’s no other venue in the world that has hosted this many major events, so for us it’s pretty special to be able to continue to come back to such an amazing piece of property and do this year after year.”
The 18-hole course surrounds Winthrop Lake and Winthrop Coliseum, which has been known to test the abilities of the disc golf competitors.
“Every hole is demanding and makes you think off your tee shots, even on your approaches at times,” Charlie Goodpasture said.
Goodpasture hails from Clearwater, Florida—”home of the champ” as he noted—and has been playing disc golf since 2003. This was his third year at the USDGC. Sponsored by Kastaplast, he regards the tournament as the sport’s finest competition.
“This is the most prestigious event in disc golf, and it’s a privilege and an honor to be here,” Goodpasture said about the event.
Complete with single and double events, the tournament is a showing of the best players and provides entertainment for fans and locals. A duo of spectators known as Clay and Clint, made the drive from Tampa to enjoy the tournament and embrace the fan experience.
“Fan hospitality and fan engagement are two things that are significantly better this year, and will be a focus moving forward,” Poole said.
Along with on-site spectators, the tournament was also broadcast pay-per-view for the first time through Vimeo Live Stream.
“I think that the rest of the world looks in and sees this now and is accepting this as a legitimate sporting event,” Poole said. “So pay-per-view for disc golf is an industry first.”
With strides in fan involvement, media support and professionalism, the game of disc golf and its competitiveness is continuing to grow across the world.
“Disc golf is definitely growing, and it’s good to see more and more mainstream media picking it up,” Goodpasture said. “USDGC is the most prestigious event in disc golf, earning your spot to be here and getting to play here is pretty special.”
Photo: Kevin Seabrook/The Johnsonian
