Local clubs are the lifeblood of disc golf, and the examples of NEFA and SFDGC from the regional to course level show just how strong the foundation of the sport is. Steve Hartwell, PDGA #2465 and founder of the New England Flying Disc Association shares how NEFA
almost made itself obsolete, and Ross Hammond, PDGA #9510 shares the impact of the San
Francisco Disc Golf Club on the sport as a whole.

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This is the one where Dan “Stork” Roddick won a car in 1974. Jim Palmeri, PDGA #23, takes us through the early history of the American Flying Disc Open, possibly the earliest disc golf-focused event that still runs today as the Rochester Flying Disc Open.

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Part I gave us the evolution of course design through the lens of John Houck and Dee Leekha. For Part II, we talk more with Dee about why designing courses is important, and with one of their students, Leonard Muise, PDGA #3974 about the grittier details of making a course work.

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Without course designers, there would be no disc golf courses, and without courses, there would be no disc golf. Like many aspects of disc golf there are countless people out doing the work and a few out-front pushing things forward. John Houck, PDGA #1688 and the #1 course designer in the world, and Divya “Dee” Leekha, PDGA #38087, tell us how design evolved and has started becoming a profession in which you can make a living.

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If you follow professional disc golf, you know about the Memorial Chamionship in Arizona, but do you know the people being memorialized? Roots of Flight talks with Flying Disc Museum curator and Arizona disc golf organizer 1980-1990, Mike “Hubie” Hughes, PDGA #1438 and his successor, Dan Ginnelly, PDGA #3591 about the origins of the Memorial Championship, the Shelley Sharpe Memorial, and the Brent Hambrick Memorial.

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Disc golf stores are more than just a place to buy your discs. Tom Monroe and Snapper Pierson of the first two episodes are joined by Dan Mangone to give us a fuller picture of the impact disc golf store owners have on the community by providing several valuable services.

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Early in the life of disc sports, disc golf wasn’t the only game in town. Juliana Korver, PDGA #7483, takes us through her experience with the current overall flying disc disciplines, and shows us how similar to and different from disc golf they are.

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Disc golf took on traditional golf rules and had a bit of a head start on the other Frisbee disciplines, but the way specialized rules developed to adapt play for golf discs was not always easy. We hear from Hall of Famers Dan “Stork” Roddick PDGA #003 and Ted Smethers #1159 who guided the way as the heads of the International Frisbee Association and the PDGA, respectively.

More on the history of the PDGA Rules: https://www.pdga.com/rules/history

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You cannot trace the origin of disc golf in the South without Tom Monroe, PDGA #033 who was one of the earliest people to make money with disc sports. He takes us through his early years touring for Wham-O, and how Frisbee spread around the American South.

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Disc golf was Frisbee golf first, and the widespread availability of discs and courses can be directly attributed to the wide reach Wham-O had from its seat in Southern California. Dan “Stork” Roddick #003 guides us through how Wham-O’s International Frisbee Association spread Frisbee competition across the world and “Snapper” Pierson #691 gives us insight into SoCal disc golf play and the mainstay that is Morley Field in San Diego.

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Hosted, written, and produced by Gabe LaBounty - IG: @grizzlygingerdg - Twitter: @GGDiscGolf

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Find out more about the Disc Golf Hall of Fame: thediscgolfhalloffame.org

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