Disc golf starter sets donated to Cape library

For disc golf newbies in the Cape Girardeau area, the tee box has moved to the Cape Girardeau Library.

Or at least, that's where a new hobby just might begin.

The region's disc golf lovers want to make sure everyone in the region has a chance to try out the sport without having to fork over $60 or more for a starter kit.

The SEMO Disc Golf non-profit organization donated five disc starter kits to the Cape Girardeau Library on Thursday, so anyone who wants to try the sport can borrow a set of discs before they head out to one of the area's courses.

Jackson Hill, a dedicated member of SEMO Disc Golf and also a member of the Cape Girardeau Park Advisory Board, delivered the kits, which include a laminated sheet that describes area courses, complete with QR codes that point players to course maps.

Disc golf starter sets are now available for use at Cape Girardeau Public Library.Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian

Disc golf starter sets are now available for use at Cape Girardeau Public Library.Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian

Disc golf, as the name implies, involves players slinging discs -- smaller than traditional Frisbees -- from a tee box toward a "hole" which is a metal post contraption with chains forming a basket. While players can play with a single disc, most serious players carry at least three: a driver, a putter and another mid-range disc. Advanced players can make different types of throws with their forehand or backhand, and use different discs, which can fly at different speeds and curve differently.

Much like pickleball, disc golf is gaining popularity across the nation and locally. That's largely due to several courses being built throughout the region.

First came the disc golf course at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau in 2011, followed closely behind by a new course at Cape County Park North. Then Scott City Park and Perryville Park Center. Then Litz Park in Jackson.

Hill said disc golf saw a spike in popularity during the pandemic, when people were looking for physical activities outdoors.

Dusty Popp, president of the SEMO Disc Golf board, said membership of the group has tripled since 2015. Currently the group has around 120 members, but many more in the area play disc golf but are not members.

Nationally, the Professional Disc Golf Association membership doubled from 2017 to 2021, with more than 200,000 members.

Popp said he's been playing for about 10 years.

"We're definitely growing," Popp said. "I've played with some guys in their 70s, and they've been playing a long time. The sport itself has been around a long time."

Some disc golfers take the game seriously, while others enjoy it more casually, approaching the game like a hike with competitive benefits.

Regardless, the active group of disc golfers encourages everyone to give disc golf a try, especially if they're looking to become more active.

"We want to make sure that anyone on the fence, who has thought about playing, that they have the opportunity to go out and try it without spending twenty dollars on a single disc or sixty for three discs, plus a bag," Hill said. "What we're hoping to do is give people an opportunity to play without strings attached. I think if they try it, they'll like it."

Hill said the area's courses present a mix of hills, water hazards, woods and open spaces, all of which offer different challenges. The Cape Girardeau County North park course cuts primarily through wooded areas, requiring many straight drives to avoid difficult approach shots behind the trees. Jackson's Litz Park Course contains a couple of water hazards: one hole plays over a creek another requires throwing a disc over or around a lake.

The SEMO Disc Golf group holds weekly leagues for singles and doubles, which will begin in March. Each player pays a small fee for each round, with proceeds helping to maintain the courses and running certain events. The group holds two tournaments, including one for charity. The disc golf community raised $4,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The other tournament is sanctioned by the PDGA. Any funds left over from the fees go to various projects, such as the library donation.

Cape Girardeau library director Katie Earnhart said the library is very thankful for the donation.

"Obviously we have great parks in the area, and we're always encouraging our patrons to visit those facilities," she said. The discs are another way of providing different types of resources to the public other than books. The facility's "Library of Things" allows people to borrow DVDs, CDs, cake pans, telescopes and power tools, among other items.

Those interested in joining the disc golf leagues can find out more information on the Semo Disc Golf Facebook group page.