Disc Golf Tournament Comes to Crockett
Event Slated for Saturday, Aug. 24
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – If you drive through Davy Crockett Memorial Park in Crockett chances are you will see some posts sticking out of the ground with a basket and chains encircling them. This isn’t some type of weird looking bird house – but if you look closely – you just might see a birdie or an eagle coming home to roost.
You see, the baskets are the hole locations in of a disc golf course located right smack dab in the middle of the park.
So, what is disc golf? According to the Professional Disc Golf Association “Disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, though, players use a flying disc or Frisbee®. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws). A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target, which is the ‘hole.’ The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the ‘putt’ lands in the basket and the hole is completed.”
The sport is catching on in the oldest county in Texas so much so there is a tournament scheduled to take place on Saturday, Aug. 24 at Davy Crockett Memorial Park.
With the date fast approaching, one of the tournament organizers, Michael Billig, stopped by The Messenger offices earlier this week to discuss the tournament and his love for the sport.
Asked how long he had been involved with disc golf Billig replied, “I believe it’s been at least 20 years when a friend of mine got me out to play. Within a year I would say I was addicted.”
He explained the first time he played it was just “alright” but the second, third, fourth times he played, Billig said he really liked it.
He said the sport is very similar to gulf but instead of a hitting a ball you throw a Frisbee® but “… instead of a hole in the ground, we call them targets, you throw at the target. What we have is a basket target with chains and the disc has to land in the basket.”
Questioned about what par is considered on a disc golf course, Billig said it really depends on the course.
“Most disc golf courses are mostly par 3s. Now, however, there are a lot more that have par 4s and par 5s just like a regular golf course. Our course in Crockett, I call it a recreational course, it has 17 par 3s and one par 4,” he said.
Describing a par 3 hole Billig said the longest par 3 can be around 500 feet while the shortest is around 150.
“Here on our course, the shortest par 3 is 151 feet and the longest is 408,” he said. “We have a lot of holes set up so you can get a hole-in-one. It’s a recreational course,” he said.
The tournament will benefit Houston County SHARE and will be a one day, two round non-sanctioned singles tournament on Saturday, Aug. 24.
Registration will begin at 8 am and last until 9am. There will be a player’s meeting at 9:15 am and the first tee time is at 9:45 am.
There is a $25 entry fee for Pro, Advanced, Intermediate, Novice, Ladies and Juniors. The first 50 players to register are guaranteed a tournament disc. There is also a $5 optional “ace’ (hole-in-one) that will be spilt evenly for all aces or a closest to the pin for the ace pot after round two for places at a 70% and 30% breakdown.
To sign up or for more information call or text Michael Billig at 512-565-5200.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
