FORT RUCKER, Ala. (June 30, 2016) -- Continually gaining in popularity, disc golf is one sport that mixes competitive edge with a leisurely pace.
Fort Rucker boasts its own 18-hole, 55-par disc golf course located at Beaver Lake, which follows the lake trail and offers varying levels of difficulty from basic holes with no hazards or trees, to more advanced holes with water traps and obstacles.
The rules of the game are much like the game of traditional golf in that the goal is to use as few strokes as possible to throw a disc from a designated spot into a basket.
The holes are set up throughout the Beaver Lake trail and offer a great view of the lake and trails for people to play, and the sport can be enjoyed alone or with a group of friends.
For Randy Heirs, who is an avid disc golfer for about 30 years, it's about building relationships with fellow disc golfers that keeps his interest in the sport.
"It's all about meeting people and you get to meet new people all the time," he said. "If I see someone on the course, I'm going to come over and shake their hand and introduce myself. It's just great and that's what it's about."
Jeremy Dagger, who has participated in many disc golf tournaments on post, said he loves to play with friends as a way to get together and spend some time with one another.
"I just think it's a good way for friends to get together and have a good time without stressing out about the competition too much," he said. "With a lot of other sports, the energy can be really high and people can get worked up, but with disc golf, it's just really laid back and everyone's just trying to have a good time."
"Disc golf has its own little unique community and you really get to connect with a lot of people," he said. "You link up on the message boards or on websites and find out where the next tournament is going to be. You really get to develop relationships with these people -- it can be a real bonding experience."
Disc golf has been around for a while, but was formalized in the 1970s, and began to gain most of its popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s among the college crowd and, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association, which has more than 50,000 members, there are more 4,000 courses around the world.
Another one of the draws of disc golf is that it is a non-contact sport that is open to all ages, and playing an entire round of disc golf, 18 holes, takes anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the amount of players, and costs little to no money.
People can visit the Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Center to check out a disc and give it a try. There is a $10 deposit required per disc. The course is open to the public. Disc check-out is open to authorized patrons only.
For more information, call 255-2296.
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