March 26, 2019

Two years ago today, I stepped foot on a disc golf course for the first time. I had no idea what disc golf was all about but I played one round of doubles with some friends. I know I had to have been horrible. From the looks of the picture, the disc I was throwing was an Innova Tern, which is a high speed driver and by no means a first time throwers disc. My partner and I did win, no thanks to me…and although I enjoyed it, we never played again.

So we fast forward to a little over a year later when I got back with my ex, who just so happened to be addicted to disc golf. I can’t recall the first course or disc I threw this round, but it didn’t take long for his addiction to rub off on me.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted an outdoor hobby, I just couldn’t find something I enjoyed or that would really stick or work with my lifestyle. Horseback riding has always been my favorite but owning horses doesn’t really mesh well with the #flightattendantlife, so I needed to find something else. Disc golf was perfect because I quickly learned you can do it almost anywhere! There’s even a course on Antarctica! #goals

I had also been missing that competition factor that I enjoyed so much while doing competitive cheerleading and playing tennis, but as an adult it seemed harder to find those competitive outlets. Of course, when I first started playing I had no idea there was a true competitive side to it…but I was thoroughly enjoying the outdoor aspect.

A few weeks after I started playing, I got to watch my first round on JomezPro on YouTube, which happened to be the final round of the 2018 Glass Blown Open, where Eagle McMahon edged out World Champion Ricky Wysocki for the win. I had only just found out disc golf tournaments were even a thing, and I definitely didn’t think it was anything more than a few random people throwing frisbees at some baskets. So to watch such high quality coverage of a National Tour event, was pretty enlightening. Even if you aren’t into disc golf, JomezPro and Big Sexy commentary alone are enough to get you hooked. I’ve spent many days and nights since watching all the footage I missed out on before I found disc golf, and being lulled to sleep by Big Jerm and Nate Sexton’s voices. The whole production is truly amazing, and if you are ever curious about the wonderful world of disc golf, I highly recommend checking them out on YouTube because no one does disc golf better than JomezPro!

After realizing how competitive disc golf actually was, I was even more hooked. It didn’t take me long to start researching disc golf leagues where I soon stumbled upon our local women’s league, Chicks Chasing Chains. If you read my last post you know I’m shy when it comes to doing new things where I have to meet new people alone for the first time, but luckily my friend Kim was also hooked and down to come along! Sometime in May 2018 we went to our first round of girls league. Every six weeks the course changes, and the course in play when we joined was brutal. Due to work I only made it to two sessions at Bear Branch, where I shot a 90 and a 92, if I recall correctly. It was ugly and awkward, I didn’t know any real rules and I played horribly but I knew I wanted to go back. I finished last place or close to last the two or three sessions I played but that was fuel. Seeing how bad I started and watching myself slowly, and I mean really slowly, improve was all the fuel I needed to keep the fire burning.

I played for about 6 months with my ex and friends, and looked forward to every day I was home to play but still wasn’t taking it as serious. I also at that time had no real guidance, so I would just throw and hope for the best. I would play when I could and I knew I wanted to get better but I still wasn’t in a position to play tournaments.

When my ex became my ex again, disc golf became an outlet. I went from playing with a group to playing alone but I still loved it and I have no doubt it helped me get over it all sooner. Although out of my comfort zone, I eventually started reaching out and playing with new people. The disc golf community is one of the most opened armed communities I’ve ever experienced in my life, especially for females, so it didn’t take long for me to gain a whole group of new friends…who I already cannot imagine my life without!

I knew for 2019 I wanted to make disc golf more of a priority, but even more so once I started playing with so many other people who had already gotten to experience all these awesome events.

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In December I got my PDGA number and played my first tournament, The Southern Star Duo. It was played on my home course of McDade and another local course, Little Egypt. Little Egypt is no cakewalk and I played it blind (meaning I had never played it before that day), but I ended up taking 4th out seven. The top 3 girls all tied for first, so I was pleased with my finish. I shot my first 700 rated round that day, which isn’t great but was my first goal…and I got to satisfy that craving for competition I had been missing. Now less than 4 months into 2019, I’ve already played 5 tournaments and I’m already signed up for 5 more! I’m excited for them all but especially Glass Blown Open in Emporia and the Tyyni in Finland. The Glass Blown Open will really make it all come full circle, since it’s the first event I ever watched on YouTube and when I actually realized the full scale of the disc golf world.

I’m sure I’ve said this before in other posts but every now and then I have these experiences or these mind blowing weeks…where I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world, and this last week was no exception. It reminded me how far I’ve come and how thankful I am for the rocky road that got me here. So many good things happened leading up to the day that I had planned to drive to Waco for the Waco Annual Charity Open, one of the stops on the Disc Golf Pro Tour, so I knew the weekend would be just as amazing.

I got to Waco just in time to catch one of my favorite lefties and friend, Innova player Devan Owens, tee off on the last round of the event. We’ve played several casual rounds together and I’ve watched many of his past rounds on YouTube but seeing him play at an event was pretty cool.

I also gotta give him a shoutout for always sending me the best disc to bag. That Innova StarKite has been a game changer, and I would truly be lost without it (ask anyone who plays with me, I’m obsessed with it). If you’re a leftie or love watching lefties play, I definitely recommend giving him a follow!

After catching a few holes of his, we stuck around to watch the lead and chase cards. Paul McBeth made history again the day before shooting an 18 down, so watching the last few holes of his final round was a must. It was a cool vibe getting to be in the gallery for some of the top players in the world, and then getting to see ourselves in the background of the Jomez chase card footage the next day. Hali sitting next to me the whole time, making me laugh while saying “sit up straight, chin up.”

We watched the final cards roll thru and just like that my first DGPT event as a spectator was in the books. After that we made our way to the Jomez 100K Party. I know I’ve mentioned them a few times but what they’ve done to help #growthesport, even in the short time I’ve been around, is incredible. Fun fact: when I first watched JomezPro in April of 2018 they had about 60,890 subscribers on their channel (source: socialblade.com). Fast forward to less than a year later, they became the first disc golf YouTube channel to hit 100k subscribers…hence the Jomez 100K Party! Adding over 40k subscribers in less than a year is no easy feat but I have no doubt it’s attributed to their quality footage, timely production and dedication to the sport and their fans. If you think disc golf is just a bunch of misfits throwing frisbees at baskets, you’re kinda right, but it’s here and it’s growing. Paul McBeth’s four year, one million dollar contract and Jomez hitting 100k subscribers is proof of that. A four year, one million dollar contract may seem small compared to a lot of professional sports but it set a precedent for the future of disc golf and goes to show that it’s only getting bigger from here on out. I wish I had found disc golf sooner but I love that I’m here now and getting to see so much history being made. The 100K party was so much fun and I cannot wait to see what milestone they hit next! Half a million? One million? Who knows, but the sky is the limit!

After the Jomez Party, my Houston crew and I headed to a house party and drank keg beer along side of Simon Lizotte, Kevin Jones, Rebecca Cox and a few others. The next morning I ended up playing a casual round at Cameron Park with Seppo Paju and Vaino Makela (some of Finland’s best players), before heading to Austin to get tattoos with Devan and the pretty boy of professional disc golf and my birthday twin, Drew Gibson. Side note: I highly recommend Atomic Tattoo if you’re in the Austin area! Probably the best tattoo shop I’ve been in and Alex was awesome!

The week was a whirlwind of awesomeness and I couldn’t help but reflect over the last year on my drive from Waco to Austin. It also reminded me how blessed I am for everything I’ve gone through, the good and the bad. My ex got me into disc golf. He had dreams of playing in all these amazing locations, fangirled over all these big name players, and would have loved to play at a pro level. So it’s ironic that I’m getting to travel the world to play awesome courses, hang out with all these players he’ll probably only ever see on tv, and live this amazing life he can still only dream of (sorry not sorry). I’m glad he came, but now I’m more glad he left because I no doubt would have missed out on meeting all these awesome people and having all these cool experiences. I live for those moments of reawakening where I’m reminded that sometimes we lose things, to make room for bigger and better things. It just goes to show that no matter how low my lows may have gotten, life proves once again that after it’s all said and done, the highs will be a million times greater than the lows!

I literally drove away from Waco almost in tears because I can’t imagine what life would be like had I never found disc golf and how blessed I feel that I found something that meshes so perfectly with my lifestyle. I may not play as good as the pros but I definitely can travel and play like they do. It’s crazy to think I’ve already played in 8 states and two countries, with many more to come soon. Not only did I find a passion, it helped me find a new love for my career. I was getting bored and burned out. I was definitely a slam-clicker and would rarely leave my hotel, with little to no motivation to do anything. Now instead of my only goal being to find good food or sleep; I try to coordinate my layovers with those that have good courses nearby and I’ve also met a lot of cool new people because of it. It helped give me life again, at home as well as at work…and it’s definitely more fun than going to the gym. So many people think it’s weird or think I’m joking when I talk about how much I play or love it, but for me it encompasses so many things that I want or need to live a happier life. It’s therapy and exercise and so many other things rolled into one. Even during my worst rounds, I’m still happy just to be there and that’s a good feeling.

I truly can’t say enough how important it is to find something you love, or find your passion and run with it. No matter how cheesy or crazy it sounds…if it makes you happy or makes you better, do it! For me that’s disc golf, for you it may be something else but no matter your calling…listen to it and roll with it!

However, I do highly encourage everyone to come out to the course and play a round or two, especially the ladies! The memories we make and the bonds we share are truly remarkable. I’ve laughed until I’ve cried and I’ve cried until I laughed. I’ve broke down in tears on the course, with girls I barely knew, who comforted me like they had known me forever. We talk about the boys, and the boys definitely talk about us (we’re highly outnumbered). If you’re in a relationship bring your man to a round of date night doubles. If you’re single, there’s men galore and you never know, you might even meet someone special. I know I have 😍.

So again, if you haven’t found your passion I recommend you to get out there and explore until you do. But I do hope I can encourage a few new faces to show up at the course! I promise it won’t disappoint! Also if you’re interested playing and don’t know where to start, feel free to reach out to any of us and we’ll get you started! My good friend Nikki Nashhas done amazing things with our local ladies league and North Side Chain Gang is another great local Houston club! I’ve also got a few connections in other states, with plenty of people willing to show a new face around!

So until next time…get out, play disc golf…or whatever else makes you happy!

✌🏼🖤🥏⛓