Why I joined the IDGC?

When I first started playing disc golf regularly part of the appeal was that the courses were located in public parks and free to play. I grew up playing golf where it cost $20-$50 per round and you needed to call ahead to reserve a tee time. In contrast, the ease of just showing up to a disc golf course whenever you wanted and you could play as much as you want without pulling out your wallet was awesome. Like so many others my first year in disc golf I played every chance I got but mostly by myself because most of my friend group didn’t play disc golf.

After getting a little better and testing the waters at a few local tournaments I decided to show up to Saturday morning doubles at Washington Park. It was here I met members of the IDGC and was introduced to the club. Now you might think this is the point where I handed over a crisp $10 bill to be part of the club, but it wasn’t. The reason why I didn’t join right away was that I didn’t understand the benefit of being a member of the club. Why give the club $10 when I can still play for free whenever I want and play in any of the IDGC leagues/tournaments as well.

My perspective on joining the club began to change over time as I learned more of the backstory and was reminded there is no FREE lunch. When most people get into disc golf they might assume like I did that since the courses are located in city parks that the parks department pays for the equipment and maintenance of the courses. The reality is that almost every tee pad you throw from, every fairway you walk down, and every basket you putt into was paid for, installed by, and maintained by a local club. Thousands of dollars had to be raised to pay for equipment and hundreds of hours had to be put in by volunteers for that “free” course to exist.

After learning all that and beginning to volunteer my time to help maintain the courses, the decision to shell out $10 a year became an easy decision. At the end of the day, $10 is a small price to pay for all the benefits I get from disc golf. Not just playing the courses but also all the friends I’ve gained along the way.

There is no hard sell, no gotcha, or guilt trip to join the IDGC. Joining the club for me is about the community coming together, chipping in a few dollars, and supporting our courses so that the next new player can show up to the course to enjoy a round of disc golf. Hope to see you out at the park throwing some discs. - Kevin -