The early years of The Disc Golf Experience were all about seeing as much as I could see and doing as much as I could do in the sport as possible. Like I stated in the last blog entry I joined the PDGA within 10 days of starting the game, I played 7 courses out of state before ever playing 1 in my home state. By the time I returned to Wisconsin from that first roadtrip to Florida I already knew where all the courses were around my home area and wrote up a list and started checking them off 1 by 1, or sometimes 5-10 at one time. Little did I know some courses were closed in the winter, but I eventually learned to do research before heading to a course. I started taking mini road trips where I would check off a section of town by playing all of the listed courses on DGCR. I’d hit anything that was there . . . even if it was a 2 hole course (Kops Park became infmaous on DGCR). I still jokingly say I have the course record of (-2) because noone has ever posted an ace for that course. It just didn’t matter to me . . if it was 2 holes, if it used cut up 55 gallon plastic drums or bike wheel frames and chain. If it was meant for a disc to be thrown at it, I would play it and add it to my list. I don’t want to stake claim to “Course Collecting” by any means as there were plenty of people before me (Avery Jenkins and Gregg Hosfeld to name 2 of the most well-known who had also been playing at least a decade prior to me finding the sport) who would also play whatever they found whenever they travel, but I do believe I had a real impact in the online disc golf community as I became known as one of the guys who would simply play anywhere there was a basket. I also eventually became the 2nd quickest to reach 1000 courses behind only Matt Sime (Martin Dewgarita on DGCR) and that remains very special to me because I set out with a goal and I achieved it (and I am still currently achieving it as I approach 1100 courses in my 11th year playing the sport. If you want to checkout my list of courses played my DGCR username is harr0140.
