LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The disc golf community gathered this weekend to compete in the 2021 Big Arms on the Brazos competition in Lubbock.
Participants were divided into groups of at least three players while they played three rounds over two days. The players were divided into different groups according to their age, gender and ability. This year the participants ranged from 12 to the 1970s.
“It’s good not just for young children, it’s good for the elderly as well,” said Dillon Vallance, a 15-year-old participant. “I think we have someone at the tournament who is 71 years old, I think he just turned 71.”
Disc golf has been compared to bowling as an inclusive sport that does not require a certain level of athleticism or physique.
Tournament Director Steven Storrie said, “Broad audience. You won’t find a particular mindset. Small and big, big and small. It doesn’t matter how you look or what your hobbies are. “
Vallance said he started the sport to compete after high school. Eleven-year-old contestant Lisa Gallagher, who had traveled from Clovis, New Mexico for the tournament, said she took up the sport to get out of the house.
“I was very happy about it,” she said. “That was it, you know, it’s sporty. I don’t sit around, do nothing, watch TV and waste my time. It gives me the opportunity to be outside all year round. “
Although players must travel in groups, disk golf is another one-on-one sport. As in normal golf, however, the elements of nature can affect your game.
Gallagher said, “A couple of small trees that can really cause a lot more trouble than you think. I know my next course, which I will play in May. There are a lot of trees there and that will be really difficult. “
And if the trees don’t stop your disc in midair and crash it to the ground, the west Texas wind could deliver too much air and force you to shoot beyond your hole.
“Here in Lubbock, of course, we have to deal with the west Texas winds,” Vallance said. “That definitely doesn’t make it easier.”
While a great advantage of the sport is that anyone can pick it up and play it, it takes certain skills to get good at it. Technique is one of the most important keys to being able to play the game. But the players say your mindset has to be your greatest strength on the pitch.
Vallance said, “When you go to a tournament you want to be calm and focused. You know, you don’t want to be too nervous or too nervous or anything. You just want to get out, have fun and do what you know what you can do. “
As with any other sport, everyone wants to win the tournament and take home a trophy, but it’s just as important for the disc golf community to spend time with their peers who they call family.
The disc golf community met this weekend to compete in the Big Arms on the Brazos competition in Lubbock in 2021.(KCBD photo)
“It’s great. It’s probably my favorite thing to do at tournaments, just meet friends you haven’t seen in a long time,” Big Arms said of Brazos coordinator Dustin Dulaney and played around with Tyler and it’s like I haven’t seen her in over a year. “
After the coronavirus outbreak last year, the group held a small group competition with strict guidelines approved by the CDC. But this year a total of 325 players turned up to take part in the tournament.
Vallance said, “It’s nice to see all of these familiar faces I’ve known for years, who have come from all over the state and across the country to really play this tournament.”
Organizers were proud to attend but were expecting a large crowd again this year as things continue to normalize across the state of Texas, but also attribute the formation of a close-knit community to the locals.
“It’s really amazing to see that,” said Storrie. “Something the Lubbock community should be proud of, and especially the Lubbock disc golf community. They have put their heart and soul into it. And you know, it’s really great to see what they’ve put together out here this weekend. “
Across the various brackets, 19 players were chosen to be the winners of the competition, and their plans for the next tournament were already in the works.
Further information can be found at https://www.pdga.com/
Copyright 2021 KCBD. All rights reserved.