Offbeat Sports Series: Frolf

Come along my friends, on an escapade from mainstream sports into the mysterious rivulet known as Offbeat Sports.

This time, we sneak behind the predictable 5 o'clock sportscast in search of the obscure, to examine the lesser-known world of Frolf, otherwise called Frisbee Golf or Disc Golf.

Shhhh...the final twosome is approaching the 18th green.

The tall redheaded bloke in the polo shirt and slacks searches in his bag, still undecided as to which implement to select for the task at hand.

Finally, with a nod of approval to himself, he pulls out a day-glo orange disc. He takes aim at a lamp post shaped target, 30 feet away.

Flung ever so gently, the disc floats toward its objective. Suspended seemingly forever in mid-air, it finally drops, just short of the goal.

The gallery of two dogs and a faithful spouse lower their heads in solemn respect.

Then, without the benefit of fancy sports bag with its array of implements, the tan boy in tee-shirt and cut-offs readies his lone, dog-bitten frisbee.

He hurls it with deliberate force, directly at the post, not trusting the wind or aerodynamics. Homing in on its target like a stinger missile, the disc hits the chain curtain and drops helplessly into the basket.

The happy cheers of two dogs, wife/mom, and boy echo off the nearest oak tree: "Hey Pop, let's go again!"

Disc golf is enjoyed at all levels, from an informal family game to World Professional Championships, with purses exceeding $10,000. It closely resembles it's dimple-balled big brother, with minor rules deviations.

The course is laid out very similar to the senior game, with hazards, doglegs and even traps. In the more advanced competitions, disc selection comes into play, much the same as club selection in golf. The challenges of wind and distance are common to both games.

A glaring difference is found in the target. Golf, of course, finds its objective in a three-inch cup at ground level.

Disc golf's focal point is an elevated basket with a circular chain-link barrier designed to stop the disc's momentum and drop it into the basket.

Another notable difference relates to the hip pocket: many disc golf courses may still be played free of charge.

Some variation of disc golf has probably been played since the inception of golf on Scotland's heathered slopes. Many a child has surely found the joy of flinging a coffee can lid or old vinyl LP record at some unsuspecting target.

It wasn't long after Wham-o introduced the hula hoop and the Frisbee in the 1950s and 1960s that disc golf really took off.

Since the 1980s, it has been one of the fastest growing sports in the world. There are over 3,000 courses in the United States alone, dedicated specifically to disc golf.

One of the major sanctioning bodies of disc golf, the Professional Disc Golf Association, adds credibility to the sport. There are several regional tournaments held worldwide and of course the aforementioned World Professional Championships.

As with any sport requiring skill and coordination, technology has found its way into the game. Specialized discs have been developed for specific situations on the course, much like the various clubs in a golfer's bag.

The more advanced players use a driver off the tee, for instance, then select a different disc for the approach shot to the green, For the professional, even the short game near the green requires a specialized disc.

It might serve the "slacks and polo shirt" set well to note that the specialized discs do require adequate training and practice to master their finely-tuned aerodynamics.

However, for the duffer (and the T-shirt and cut-offs boy), it is comforting to know that an old sun-bleached, chewed-up frisbee still has enough of the elemental qualities to deftly find its mark.

To read more, and watch a cool video, go here.