After not playing disc golf since college, today was my first chance to get back on the course. It was a great learning experience even though I didn't play nearly as well as I would've liked.
I was in a group with probably one of the best players in the quad cities, and watching him play was a treat. Not only did he display incredible accuracy, but he made all of his throws look easy.
More often than not I found myself watching in awe as he curved the disc and made throws that left it within feet of the hole. I soaked up every bit of advice he gave me, and appreciated the opportunity to learn from the people I was with.
In just three hours I learned more about the game than I had in a whole semester of playing at WIU. Everyone in the group helped correct my obvious mistakes, and offered me pointers when I was struggling.
The course, Camden 1, in Milan, IL was also the toughest I had ever player on. Most of the baskets were in the woods and hidden by trees. After today, playing at Western would be a breeze because on this course even my good throws seemed to find a tree to hit.
One of the best tips I got was to play for the center of the hole. At first I was trying to make the same throws as the others in my group, when I should have been trying to make the safe and easy throw. Going for a throw that your not ready for is a good way to good into trouble, so for me today was all about playing smarter.
I'll definitely be out there again next week, and plan on adding to my arsenal of one disc. I've had my "Viper" since college, but it's time to invest in a putter and a new disc that isn't scarred from playing the last hole at WIU's course.
Wish me luck, and next week I'll describe some of the holes. The photo above was taken by me at Western.
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