Young at Heart #GrowTheSport

Last Saturday (May the 9th) my 9 year old son Garrett and I got to participate in a very cool parent/child disc golf tournament sponsored by the Austin-based Waterloo Disc Golf Club, the Young at Heart Doubles Disc Golf Event.  The event was at the brand new, privately owned Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Mini Course, which is an absolute BLAST.  Patterned after a Putt Putt Golf course with lots of fun, gimmicky holes, the course averages about 100′ per hole, and is really more of a par 2 course for experienced disc golfers.  But the real magic is that every hole is themed, and a huge hit with the kids.  Daniel J. was there with most of his kids in tow as well, so it was an all around good time.

The format for the event was alternating shots for parents and children for each hole, as well as alternating tee shots.  (the kids teed off on the odd holes, parents teed off on the even holes)  While technically a competition, the real goal was fun and introducing kids to the sport with a lot of their peers.  Disc golf is challenging, and it can be pretty discouraging for young kids, so this was great.

Garrett usually plays with an old, beat up 150 DX Leopard from my original starter pack, which he has unfortunately lost.  Luckily for him, though, we got a 156 Opto Diamond in our players pack, which is a perfect replacement for him.  While we were practicing before the event officially began, he hit is very first “birdie” after parking hole 2!  So with that confidence booster, we were off to a great start.

We ended up finishing with a 54, which was good enough for 6th place (out of 18 teams), but more importantly Garrett had a great, positive disc golf experience with his dad, and I think this will keep him coming back.

Some of my favorite moments of the tournament:

• There is an island hole.  You have to throw onto the island from an elevated teepad. (seriously like 15 feet in the air up a staircase)  If you miss the island, you have to take a drop at the “pedestal of shame.”  Garrett was very concerned about this because the other people on our card missed the island.  I made the island.
• Splashed out a near ace on hole 10, the Persimmon Hole
• On the Lighthouse Hole, Garrett had the tee.  I told him “all you have to do is hit the side of the lighthouse and I’ll make the putt for birdie.”  Which he totally did.  It was probably a 100′ shot.  I was super proud.  But then he proceeded to explain to me that he had had to calculate for the wind and trajectory by aiming a little to the right and expecting the disc to come back to the left at the end of the flight.  I nearly shed a tear.
• One of the holes has a suspended basket (hanging from a tree like a bird cage).  On that hole, grip locked a bit and my shot went about 30 feet wide and to the left (I’m lefty).  Garrett berated me for my bad shot, leaving him with a long comeback putt, that he assured me he could have easily made if I’d have made a good drive.
• On the Alamo Hole, missed an ace again by going about a foot high of the basket, which made the disc careen off the doorframe about 10 feet back and to the side.  Garrett put his foot behind the disc, leaned over, and calmly sank about a 10 foot forehand putt at near full extension.
• On the Dinosaur Hole, there’s a large dinosaur statue about 100′ away in the middle of the fairway.  Garrett nailed it with his new Diamond.
• On the Lefty Hole, with Garrett on the tee, I coached him quickly in how to throw a forehand and where to aim.  He CTP’ed the hole.

Super fun day and a great opportunity to try out a fun new course.  And on that note, how bout some pictures of these awesome holes?