No Sweat
Afternoons fly by with disc golf
Carol Thobae / KANSAN
Pat Dunn, Shawnee second year law students, aims for the first hole in a game of disc golf while Ryan Curtis, Overland Park senior, waits his turn. The two were playing at a course at Ninth and Iowa streets.
By Cameron Heeg Special sections reporter
The undersized Frisbee disc glided down the fairway, cutting its way through sun-baked air toward the elusive hole.
"Man, that shot sucked it up!" Adam Kraft, Overland Park resident, said after watching his disc slice hard to the left. "I've been playing for three years, and I'm still working on my stroke."
Even though every shot cannot be perfect, Frisbee golf still is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
That was what the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department decided when it constructed a disc golf course at Ninth and Iowa streets in Centennial Park.
A lot of people at KU were interested in a disc-golf course, and the KU Frisbee Club was instrumental in the fund-raising drive. The total cost of the course cost about $9.500.
The course is made up of 18 holes that cover a three-block area from Ninth to Sixth streets. Each of the 18 holes starts at a concrete tee pad that faces a grasscovered fairway with a chain-link disc basket at the end. The baskets are moved regularly by the KU Frisbee Club to vary the course.
Each hole is a par three, and the object is to obtain the lowest score. One point is
added to a player's score each time the disc is thrown or when a penalty occurs, such as when a disc lands out of bounds or in a hazard.
"There are some disc-eating trees out here," Dave Schultz, Overland Park senior, said. "Good thing discs don't cost too much." Discs cost about $8.50.
Most players use two specialized discs, a driver and a putter. Both discs are five to eight inches wide and one-half inch thick. The driver is more streamlined than the putter for better long-distance flight.
Discs come in a variety of styles and colors ranging from a neon purple Inova to a plain white Disc Craft. They usually are picked for their flight patterns. Some discs are made to cut the air sharply so they will fly low. Others are lighter so they will float above ground air currents.
Peter Grist, Kansas City resident, said, "I like to take my golfing easy, but some guys take it real serious. They come out here with shoulder bags filled up with different discs."
There are three courses in Kansas City, including one next to Worlds of Fun. Topeka has a course at Crestview Park.
Rules and information can be picked up on the first floor of the community building at 11th and Massachusetts streets. Score cards and maps are free at Bucky's Restaurant, Ninth and Iowa streets.
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Planet Lawrence
→ Hill | September.13, 1995