In Halifax County, Virginia, we are fortunate to have a great and well-maintained disc golf course at Edmunds’ Park. I’m very fortunate to have a 91-year-old Grand Legend World Champion teaching me the game.
I found that disc golf is every bit as fun and frustrating as regular golf. I had many misconceptions before starting so let me share some truth for the benefit of all before touching on mindfulness.
You would think that throwing a disc is so much easier than swinging a club that you will never shank a shot 20 degrees to one side. Nope.
You would think you will never lose a disc because it is easy to find something so large in the woods instead of a tiny white ball. Nope.
You would think that a thin-edged disc could not roll so far on its side that your shot ends up 20 feet behind you. Nope.
You would think the equipment is less extensive than regular golf. Nope. There are distance drivers, fairway discs, mid-range discs, putters, rollers and many weight and form varieties for wind conditions and other factors. Some players carry 20–30 discs.
As mentioned, it can be frustrating. On some long par four holes at Edmunds, the par represents the number of trees I hit. The sound is distinctive. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
When playing, I try to visualize a good round, but my plans often go awry. I start to grumble when walking to the next tee. If I play well, I might start thinking ahead about what it will take to make my best round yet if I just make this score on 17 and that score on 18.
With mindfulness, we seek to not get too high or too low. I remind myself how glad I am to be out in nature, observing the trees, creeks, and hills. How fortunate I am to be playing with a good friend. I remind myself to focus on the breath to avoid overthinking about what just happened or what might come. Staying in the moment is so important.
Do I manage that all the time? Nope.
As with disc golf, I’m always learning and mindfulness takes much practice. My goal: Let go of the think and perhaps that will reduce the thunk.