Lose a Disc, Find a Friend

Today we see how when you lose a disc, you might actually find a friend. We also explore the ease of forming friendships on the disc golf course versus other avenues. Let’s begin…

Back in my college days, I went to a Halloween party at a bar in Boston. The winner was supposed to get a check, and I like money (I wrote a post on growing your money to play more disc golf for you to check out), so I decided to give it a go.

I used an old ball-golf chipping practice net (just a circle on a stand with a net to catch the ball) and strung together a make-shift shower a la Daniel La Russo in the original Karate Kid… As you might expect, the one in the movies was better, but I must say, mine wasn’t quite bad!

You can view the scene I’m referencing here!

In typical fashion, I showed up too late and wasn’t able to enter in the contest. I got a few “You woulda won!” comments so that was good enough I suppose…

But, this is not why I’m telling you this story. It was later that night out on the dance floor when a young lady opened the shower curtain, looked at me, and decided I wasn’t for her, that I want to reference.

What, a future 40+ year old disc golf blogger isn’t quite your type? Your loss! I’ll show her… If she ever reads this post, the weight of her split-second decision will come crashing down on her like a ton of bricks.

He who laughs last laughs longest… I may need help.

All delusion aside, I’m going to get to the point now. Weirdly, that feeling came back to me when a guy who found my disc, texted and eventually offered to meet up, play a round, and return the disc at the same time.

I felt the need to explain all of my potential pitfalls. “Hey just so you know I’m a 42 year-old virtual beginner. I won’t be offended if you just want to drop it in the lost disc pile the next time you are in the area…”

I’m beginning to understand that this was unnecessary. The disc golf community is a little more forgiving and I appreciate that very much. Check out a post I wrote on how great the disc golf community is…

It just so happened that this guy was exactly my age. And though he was better than me, it didn’t really matter all that much. We had a great time.

But it got me wondering, how many people have similar experiences to mine?

Lose a Disc, Find a Friend

I lose a fair amount of discs. Partly it’s because I’m not terribly accurate and partly because I throw a bunch of tee shots and sometimes forget about a disc or two…

In this particular instance, this guy lived 2.5 hours away from me in Southern Connecticut. He was in my neck of the woods so that he could get his cigarettes in New Hampshire at a massive discount.

We met in the middle at an amazing course called Wickham. The disc golf force was strong in this place. The course is so fun, that I can see why.

But on this particular day, we were able to meet up early and get out before the crowd hit in full force. In a way, it was kind of odd to be meeting up with a complete stranger. And truthfully, we were so different in so many ways. Nevertheless, we shared this common bond of disc golf and that easily erased all of our differences.

I’ve been lucky to travel a lot in my life. And in my humble opinion, most people are good people. But good and kind doesn’t make the headlines. It’s boring in that sense. As a result, the headlines give us a distorted view of what values other people in other walks of life have. Just my two cents, but it’s a really helpful point of view to have when you are meeting up with new people to play a round.

We had a great time, shared a few laughs, and played some disc golf. During the round, we had a few great shots and more than a few bad ones. In the end, he tells me I beat him. I don’t know if I did, but if so, it was because of my putting. My practice is paying off! Here‘s a page dedicated to putting if you are interested in exploring it…

Will we meet up again? I’m not sure! Logistically, we are a good distance apart. Also, I feel like I already have many great friends that I don’t necessarily make time for at this stage of my life. But I suppose it doesn’t matter. Really, what matters is that I had a memorable experience that day. When I look back on some of my favorite memories, there’s usually an element of novelty with all of them. This certainly had that novel feeling to it. And it all started with a lost disc…

Have you Ever Lost a Disc and Found a Friend?

I know this experience is not unique to me. I wonder, how many of you have made a friendship on the disc golf course? In addition, I wonder how disc golf ranks in friendship conversion ratio (a metric I just made up). In other words, what is the likelihood that two people meeting on a disc golf course will hit it off versus some other sport or hobby?

Having something in common with someone else is a great way to connect. So, if I’m into gardening and join a gardening club, I’m putting myself in a position to succeed. The same is true with other sports/hobbies.

Nevertheless, I get the feeling that disc golf converts a higher rate of friendships than most. Why I feel this way is unclear. Is it the fact that it’s not a mainstream sport? Is it because there is a whole language and culture associated with it? A sort of secret club that only the members know about? Maybe it’s the unassuming friendliness of the disc golfer? Perhaps it’s a combination of those or something completely different…

Whatever the case, I want to hear your thoughts on the matter. Help me me put my finger on this. Have you made a friend on the disc golf course? Do you think disc golf converts more friendships than other sports/hobbies? If so, why?

Let me know in the comments below.

Always Be Safe!

Look, I’m a teacher, so I have to put this out there. We’ve all been trained to be careful around people we don’t know. This is no different. So, if you are deciding to meet up with someone for a round make sure you are careful about it.

Bring a friend if it makes you feel better. Let someone know where you’ll be. Play at a course with high traffic. Don’t give them your social security number (Huh?). You get the idea! I’ll leave it at that!

I have very high opinions of the disc golf community, but you should always take care of yourself as well!

Lose a Disc, find a Friend – In Summary

In disc golf, it is natural to become attached to your disc. They all have unique flight characteristics and it’s helpful to have different discs for different situations. It’s also helpful to know what each one does to set yourself up for success. I wrote a post about the importance of “knowing thy disc” for your consideration…

As a result, we tend to put our name and number on the back, in case we lose it.

Being the friendly, giving culture that it is, a disc golfer that finds your disc is much more likely to shoot you a text and try to get it back to you, rather than greedily keeping it for themselves.

We’ve all been there and we all know what it’s like to lose one of our favorite discs…

Should this scenario happen to you, you might just be getting a text from a future friend. The odds are probably more in your favor than most other activities. You’ve already got that unique game of disc golf in common and most people that inhabit the sport tend to be pretty friendly.

If you are interested in making more friends in disc golf, this post (not written by me) has ideas on the subject…

Of course, you should be safe about it. But if you do decide to meet up, have fun and take a memory away from that novel situation.

Also, if you have this experience, or have had it in the past, be sure to let us know in the comments below. Who knows, maybe losing that disc will be a way better thing than you ever thought it could be?

When you lose that disc, you might actually be finding a friend…

Thanks for reading everyone. As you may know, I’m new to writing online (as of 4/22) and am always experimenting with different ideas to write about. Feel free to give feed back below. But more importantly, feel free to chime in on any experiences you have had losing a disc and finding a friend. Finally, while you are here, think about subscribing to get posts delivered to your inbox (obviously free and sans spam!). I have big plans and want to take you along for the journey! And as always, keep disc golf’n around with your life!