I’ve been very lucky in my relatively short time disc golfing. I always seem to find someone willing to shoot a round with me. Recently, I had the day off work, the sun was shiny brightly and all of my discing buddies were unavailable. I didn’t want to let a perfectly good spring day go to waste, so I decided it was time for my first solo round.
I grabbed my bag and headed over to an easy-but-fun local course. It was, as expected, moderately busy on this beautiful day. I walked up the first tee about the same time as an older gentleman. Still needing to stretch a little, I offered to let him shoot first. He inquired if I was playing alone, and if so, if I’d like to join him. I’m usually a pretty reserved, some might say shy person, but he seemed friendly enough so I replied, “sure, why not.”
My first solo round turned into my first round with a random stranger. It ended up being great. I had a solid round with many great shots (including with my rediscovered 2011 Ace Race disc and my brand new Prodigy D4). My round buddy for the day, Tom, turned out to be a really nice fellow. He wasn’t a super star disc golfer, but not a newbie either. We talked about our disc buying obsession, and how to best hide your new discs from your wife. He gave me a few tips he had picked up on throwing styles, and I shared some of my acquired knowledge. The round seemed to go by so quickly, I barely had time to over-think my shots. I’m not sure if it was the casual conversation or the lack of competitiveness (which is often present with my regular buddies), but it was one of my best rounds recently.
I set out to have a simple round by myself, but ended up having an even better round with someone I just met. I had a great time, Tom, and hope to see you on the course again soon. Meeting new people is a little out of my comfort zone, but this experience makes me want to give it a try again. I encourage every disc golfer to take a chance and play with someone new. Even if it doesn’t end in a new friend, at least you got to play disc golf.