PANHANDLE PUTTERS DISC GOLF: League promotes camaraderie, competition

Be careful if you head out to Deer Run Park Disc Golf Course – you just might get hooked on the fun.

For three years, the Panhandle Putters Disc Golf Club has been playing its regular league nights at Deer Run Park in Sidney. This season, you can expect a group of about a dozen or more to gather every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. And for this crowd, weather isn't necessarily a factor for some.

"I started back in March," said club member Andrew Roche. "I was invited out here by a friend and I loved it right away. I started by buying a few discs from another club member in Chadron. I was able to get a bunch of discs cheap that way."

While the biggest draw for most club members is an enjoyable night out with an easy-going group of people, there is also an element of low-key competition that bubbles just below the surface. Additionally, entry into the sport is very inexpensive as is membership in the club.

"We started Panhandle Putters because me and Nathan (Austin) were tired of just playing against each other and wanted to get more people involved," said club president Mick Wright. "We've grown quite a bit in the last couple of years. We have quite a few new people who joined us this year."

Austin, the club's vice president, and Wright began the club with just a small group of friends. Since they started in 2013, the club has grown every year. Membership in the club costs just $10, while the cost for playing on league night is $5.

All one needs to play is a single disc, though several have a bag full of discs. While Roche was able to acquire some inexpensive second-hand discs, new discs run about $7 to $20. Like golf clubs, discs are made for different distances or purposes. There are discs specifically designed for driving off the tee and others for short shots like putting.

As for that little slice of competition, perhaps the most fun for members is the occasional battle over their bag-tag numbers. With membership comes a bag tag in which a new member will automatically get the highest number available. At present, the tag numbers range from 1 to 27. A player's bag-tag number reflects a sort of pecking order or bragging rights, with the No. 1 tag belonging to the "top dog" in a sense.

"Anytime someone with a higher tag number wants to challenge a lower number, they can do so at any time," said Wright. "But the challenge could be issued in any number of ways. It can be just one shot closest to the pin or an 18-hole score. There any number of other creative ways someone can challenge for someone else's bag tag."

The top tag is presently held by a member from Sterling, Colo. Among the players present on Tuesday night, Michael Dickman held the low tag at No. 2 with Wright at No. 3. Besides individual challenges, bag tags are automatically at risk within players of each foursome on league night.

"I started playing when I was a kid in Kansas City," Dickman said. "Then I didn't play for many, many years and then got into it. I play mostly for the fun, but it's fun to be competitive too. To be honest, I think there's a lot of luck involved. That's why I have the No. 2 tag."

By the end of the night, Wright and Dickman had swapped tags.

Besides challenging another club member for his tag, there is also a battle for cash on league nights. All the money collected in membership fees and league nights goes back into the club. On league night, 60 percent of the $5 entry fee goes into a purse that is paid out at the end of the round.

Part of the balance goes into an "ace pot" which is paid out to anyone who gets a hole-in-one. The ace pot builds up throughout the year. The league-night purses are paid out to the low 18-hole net score in each group. Like traditional golf, players are given handicaps based on the scores they submit. With the handicap system, all players are on a more or less even footing. That gives everyone an equal chance to collect the purse money at the end of the night.

The money that goes for club purposes pays for various social functions and tournaments. The club's biggest tournament of the season is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29. at Deer Run Park. The event is open to all comers of any age or experience level. In fact, those new to the sport will benefit the most.

"The tournament is really designed to get new players interested in the sport," Wright said.

All entrants who pay the $30 entrance fee will be given three discs, and play is restricted to those. Entrants will also be given a "swag pack" with various other goodies. Play is expected to begin at 11 a.m. depending on the number of players. Registration is ongoing until Aug. 7. For more information or to sign up, you can visit http://www.discgolfscene.com or write to [email protected].

"The best part of disc golf are the people you come across," Wright said. "We're all out here to enjoy ourselves and have a good time. It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere."