16 // Star Publications // Outdoor Adventures - February 8, 2022
Disc golf a rising star in outdoor sports BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
ST. CLOUD – As Minnesotans flocked outdoors for recreation in 2020, the number of disc golfers across the country doubled and then in 2021, the sport grew again, by an additional 75 percent. The impact could be seen on local courses and in local shops, with equipment hard to come by. The Professional Disc Golf Association tracked the increase and this season, store owners and local course organizers said they’re ready to greet experienced golfers and newbies alike. “It’s pretty much a family sport,” said Ken Wiggins, owner of Disc Golf Today in St. Cloud. “It’s open to everybody.” He’s been playing for more than 45 years and said while it used to be college-aged kids on the course, he’s seeing everyone from kids to those in their 60s playing. Starting up, he said, is relatively inexpensive, with discs rang-
ing from under $10 for starters to around $20 for higher quality. The sport, according to the PDGA, has seen a 10-15% growth annually for the last two decades so the onslaught of players, which coincided with COVID-19 restrictions, was sharp. More than 24 disc golf courses are located throughout Central Minnesota. The majority of courses, Wiggins said, are free to play and located in local parks. Players can head onto the field individually or in groups and the sport of the game naturally allows for social distancing. The etiquette is simple: Let others finish a hole before throwing, allow other park users to pass through before throwing, and take care of the course. PHOTOS SUBMITTED While disc golf is Holly Finley putts on hole 1 of the Timberwolf course at Airborn Disc Golf Preserve in Clearwater. an individual sport and every athlete is playing against themselves, lots of players go in groups and get competitive majority of players, he Paid apps allow players friends in real time. found in local parks, about it, tracking their said, use Udisc to keep to measure their throws While many disc Cale Leiviska founded progress on an app. The score and find courses. and show their scores to golf courses can be and designed a championship-style course in Clearwater that attracts players from all over the world. The Airborn Disc Golf Preserve in Clearwater offers various courses appropriate for players of different experience levels. The site includes a championship-level, Par 61 course. While many courses are built on a square city park block, this course is built on what used to be a traditional golf course.
Disc golf page 17 A group of friends gathers in the rain to play hole 10 at the disc golf course at Riverside Park in St. Cloud
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