Disc Golf
Tournament
Saturday
By Jonathan Kearney

The Randolph Recreation Area this weekend will host disc golfers from across the state for the Gnomes’ Challenge Disc Golf Tournament. It is the first time that a sanctioned tournament has ever been held at the Randolph disc golf course, which was created several years ago by Ric Timmons.

Spectators are welcome. The course starts near the river on the swimming pool side of the recreation field.

This Monday, under the expert supervision of Brookfield teacher Peter Flaherty, I intrepidly ventured along where few Brits had gone before me, to try my hand at this alien sport.

Soon after my arrival at the White River course it emerged that I could be way out of my depth.

Peter, who has been playing the game in some form or another since he was a child, began to draw out of his knapsack a number of discs, designed for different weights, trajectories and distances.

I had once attempted a round of nine-hole golf but spent much of those uncomfortable few hours reciting a vocabulary unfit for a family publication. Once I had learnt that disc golf shares a similar complexity of equipment, I felt the pressure of an expectant nation creep all over me.

We got started and Peter offered me the choice of the blue tee, for the ambitious disc golfer, or the red, a little closer to the intended target.

Without hesitation I chose red.

Peter’s disc, called a "driver" after its counterpart in real golf, sailed effortlessly to its intended target on the fairway. I feared that mine would end up in the adjacent river, but not to worry. It actually smacked into the nearest tree possible.

This had the potential to be a long afternoon.

Once we got going however, I realized what a fun and addictive game this is. My confidence soared as I made a couple of Par 3s and even tried my luck from the blue tee.

Just like golf though, the false sense of security gained from a couple of pleasing shots can quickly be replaced by a baffling slice way off course. Such is the attraction of the game.

Unlike golf, disc golf is readily accessible to all—especially with an underused but top-caliber course right here in Randolph. The multitude of discs can simply be categorized into driver, mid-range and putter and secured for something in the region of $8 each.

For schoolteacher Peter, who oversees a loyal band of recess players, the game can also have wider uses.

He said: "At school we play a long shot game for power and "Johnny one-step" to see who can get the furthest out," he said. "It’s a good way to teach kids about taking turns and complimenting each other."

Although the White River course comparatively short one, with the "holes" generally about 100 yards long, disc golfers have to negotiate two cross-river shots and snake their way through intense foliage as they make their way around the 18 holes. The number of trees in the way tends to be an "equalizer" that takes away some of the advantage of being able to shoot long shots, Flaherty said.

Kendall Smith of White River Junction, who will be participating in Saturday’s tournament, met us in the woods as I struggled through my harsh introduction to the game. He had just scored a 49 and then a 48 and was about to go around a third time.

"I started out competitively 11 years ago but I haven’t played at a high level since then," Smith told us.

So why is Saturday’s tournament called the "Gnomes’ Challenge"? It seems that Peter Flaherty, who has become the informal caretaker of the Randolph course, has been installing gnomes. You’ll just have to come along and see for yourself.

(English journalist Jonathan Kearney is working for The Herald this week as part of a summer adventure in America.)