Should Women have their own PDGA rating system and Do you care about your rating?

Hello Friends!


A couple of a weeks ago I did two polls on Facebook relating to the PDGA (thank you to everyone that voted). I knew that there would be differing opinions on each of these subjects and so I thought it would be interesting to give people a chance to not only vote but feel free to discuss their opinions on my page without being judged or criticized. I wanted to share those questions and some of the great responses I received for each.

Question 1: Do you care about your PDGA rating? Are you someone who after a tournament goes to check what their ratings were? Do you check others ratings before a tournament to see how you would size up against the field?

28 people voted yes.
16 people voted no.


Of those that voted yes, the common reason was to use the rating as a tool to check yourself for consistency and growth.

Robert Nieto Jr. says “Yes, I honestly just check for myself just to see how consistent my play has been but when getting prepared for a tournament I go in with the mindset that it’s just a number and that my performance now and that of my competitors has nothing to do with that rating.”

Zachery Jansen says, “It’s a great value the PDGA provides to its base. I think it’s what pushes the AM scene, as I know I kinda stopped caring about my rating when I started cashing in Pro and knew what I was capable of. But as an AM it was the only thing I had to quantify my progress if I wasn’t cashing.”

Of that that voted no, the common reason why seemed to be that it’s just a number and won’t help you win or lose. Others mention that there are flaws in the ratings system or they are just a newer player who wants to focus on their form.

TJ Swanson says, “I’m just starting to play tournaments, so I am trying to get better about checking it. I don’t feel like it helps much at my level of play, but I can see where it would help.”  To follow up I asked, “Does it motivate you? Are you interested in improving your rating or are you more focused on getting better and learning and will focus on ratings later?” TJ replied, “It for sure motivates me to try and be more consistent in my practice but I try not to focus on it as a whole to my game. Lately, I’m just wanting to work on my form and confidence, but I still want to be competitive so focusing on ratings will come later.”

Russel Schoffner says, “Ratings don’t make any difference to me. They don’t help you win or lose and I don’t pay much attention at all to them. I don’t worry about my rating going up or down, I am only worried about how I am currently playing while I try to improve.”


Question 2: Do you think women should have their own ratings system separate from the men in the PDGA?

19 people voted yes.
20 people voted no.

Many that voted mentioned that maybe certain courses should make it a point to have different tee pads for the ladies or to have their own tour like the LPGA does.

Kyle Barnhouse says, “I think we need a LPDGA. I think the ratings should differ. For example, Paige is a 1000 rated player in her own right, but it was a battle between Paul and her it wouldn’t be fair. The point to having two separate governing bodies would be so the ladies can set up, organize, and run their own tournaments and courses instead of “piggybacking” off a mostly dude tournament. This also makes the sport look more like a legit sport to the public. Tennis, basketball, golf, baseball/softball, etc. all have their own women’s division because they know what’s going to be best for the players. The sport is still in its infancy, so this will take some time, but I think in the end we should let ladies have their own divisions, especially as the sport starts to grow.”

Those that voted believe that if you are playing the same layout, the ratings should be the same.

Ryan Blazic says, “If it’s the same layout same day, the ratings should be no different.”

Ashley Sloan says, “It’s just a number. The recommendations for ratings for each division are adjusted for women. Paige is awesome, and her rating is awesome…we can all aspire to it. Being a champion isn’t just a rating. If we were to allow this, then we’d have to ask if age protected divisions deserve their own ratings…and then gender and age protected divisions. Before long, it gets out of hand.”


With such a divide in answers to the last question, I can guarantee you this won’t be the last conversation we see on this topic. I’d actually like to see both of these questions asked on a larger scale and see if the representation is the same. How do you feel in regard to these questions? What are your thoughts? Are there any other polls you’d like me to conduct or any topic you’d like me to blog about?

2018 HOTT Kyle Open Recap and Results

Hello Friends!

I hope you all had a great weekend but I know I am looking forward to the long weekend ahead.
This past weekend was the HOTT Kyle Open, a three-round B-Tier tournament in Kyle, Texas hosted by Team Justice. Huge thank you to Patty and Mitch, Fishead and Adam Case and the rest of the crew for all you do!

On Saturday Morning, the energy was buzzing. I had a game plan to keep me in check. I brought my head phones, I had my new Zuca Cart, and after saying a few hello’s I disappeared from the crowd to get focused. After a few practice throws I lost my new glow Alpha but couldn’t dwell on it, I had a tournament to play. I started on the shortest hole on the course (hole 5) and ended up taking a 4 the first round. The nerves got to me, but I was able to overcome that within the next few holes. My drives and upshots were confident, but my putts were weak…nervously weak. A new goal of mine is to figure out what I’m doing differently in tournaments where I putt really well and tournaments where I am a nervous-wreck. I think once that is figured out, I’ll feel like I belong in the Pro division.  After the first round I was down by 4 strokes for the lead.

Saturday afternoon was the start of the second round. I started on hole 5 again, but this time birdied it. I thought “Yessss…this is going to be a great round, I can feel it”. My round did indeed feel a lot better than the first round. I was able to get off the box cleaner, I incorporated a lot more forehands with my light blue Alpha and felt confident throwing it in the wind. My backhand was just turning over a little too much for my liking, so I was thankful to have that trusty Alpha in the bag. It came down to the last two holes. They are two of the longest and least-shadiest of holes and I think that mentally got to me. I know that on those two holes all three rounds I lost 3 to 4 strokes. My third round was very similar to the my second. Stephanie Vincent ended up taking the win, congrats girl. I ended up just barely holding on to 2^nd as Kristina Gold turned up the heat in the 3^rd round to only end up 1 stroke behind me. Whew! Way to power through Kristina!

This tournament I just wasn’t connecting on my putts. I can’t wait to figure it out. For now, I am going to work on coming up with a clear routine so that each time I putt, I am doing the same thing regardless of the distance. I am going to incorporate Yoga into my daily activities in hopes that I can learn to clear my mind and focus on my body and breathing. I am also going to just keep signing up for tournaments knowing that it will get easier as anything does with practice.

I’d like to give a huge shout-out to my boyfriend Andrew Wikert. He just moved to the Pro division as well and cashed this weekend!!! This was his first time to cash and he was ecstatic. This is one of the happiest times I’ve seen him. He too has worked hard to get where he is at and it’s definitely showing. I am so proud of you.

Hott Kyle Open Results

Open Men: Mason Ford
Open Women: Stephanie Vincent
Pro Masters 40+ : Russel Shoffner
Pro Masters 50+ : Vinnie Miller
Advanced Men: Connor O’Reilly
Am Masters 40+ : Armando Martinez Jr.
Am Masters 50+ : Glen Hall
Intermediate Men: Frank Valtierra
Recreational Men: Adam Dyer

The last event of the HOTT tour is the 20th Annual Oktoberfest and HOTT final. If you didn't make any other HOTT tournaments you can still play this one. It's a b-tier at the beautiful Moody's disc golf course in Red Rock, Texas October 6-7. Hope to see you there!

Do you have kids that play disc golf or are interested? Introducing the Junior Chain Smashers

Happy Tuesday!

Did you know that National Disc Golf Day was this month on August 4^th? And what better way to celebrate than by helping to grow the sport? That’s what these two girls from the Austin area did. Olivia Erickson and Zoey Martinez started their own disc golf league for juniors called the Junior Chain Smashers. How awesome is that?!? I had the pleasure of joining Zoey and Olivia on their first league meet-up at Mary Moore Searight Park to hear in their own words what the purpose of their league is and their goals.

* I recorded and interviewed the girls during their round when they had the occasional break.

Me – We are here at Mary Moore Searight Park on a Saturday at 8:30 in the morning with about 10 kids. Can you tell me why we are here?

O – Zoey and I are starting a group called the Junior Chain Smashers where we are going to gather a bunch of kids and throw discs together.

Me – So, I hear you helped Olivia create this group, the Junior Chain Smashers. How did you and Olivia meet?

Z – Yes, we met at the 2018 Texas Women’s Disc Golf Championships.

Me – Cool, so what’s your Ultimate Goal for this group?

O – My ultimate goal is to try and get 100 kids in each division and to one day have a tournament for all of the juniors.

Z – I just really wanted to get a group of kids out and playing together. I see this group as a fun group, not so competitive, where we all work on getting better together.

Me – What age divisions do you offer here?
O – We offer all ages from 0 – 18.

Me – What is your favorite disc to throw?

O – A champion beast.

Z – Discraft Avenger – Discraft is my favorite disc company

Me – How long have you been playing disc golf?

Z – Since December of 2017.

Me – Wow! That is incredible. You already have a lot of distance and really great shots.

Z – Thank you!

Me – When you think of disc golf, who is the person you look up to the most?

O – Ummm…my Dad because he’s won a lot of tournaments, he’s really good at it and he’s the one that got me into it.

Z – My Dad!


Me – Nice! And if you could play with any lady disc golfer who would you choose?

O – Paige Pierce.

Z – Sarah Hokom – I want to learn to flick like she does. I already backhand and flick but want to flick like Sarah.

Me –Do you have dreams of one day touring?

O – 100% yeah!

Z – Yes, and I want to play with Sarah and Paige.

Me – Do you have any tournaments your looking forward to?

O – Definitely Texas Women’s and would like to find others so I can get better and try to win some tournaments.

Me – What’s your favorite course?

O – Mary Moore Searight Park


It was so awesome seeing all the kids excited about playing. At one point it was getting super hot outside and the kids were asked if they’d like to call it a day and head to hole one for putting and prizes and almost all kids said No, they wanted to continue playing disc golf. Their enthusiasm is the cutest but also very vital to the growth of this sport.

I also saw one little boy who was shy and didn’t want to play and another little boy went up to him and chatted with him about how fun it was and how he should try too. The next thing you know, the two boys are running around throwing discs together and making new friends. I think this is such a great idea, because no matter how many times the parents asked if he wanted to play, it took another little kid his age to convince him and break him out of his shell. I think if kids see other kids playing, they will be more likely to want to try as well. Olivia and Zoey, great job on your first league meet-up. I can’t wait to see which future Pro Disc Golfers come out of this group

If you have kids that would be interested in joining, the next Junior Chain Smashers League date will be this Sunday, August 18^th at Zilker park @ 9 a.m. 

Lisa Fajkus Q&A

Happy Wednesday Ya’ll!

I took a couple of days off from disc golf this weekend and it was kind of nice. Drew and I typically play every day and I almost forgot what other things we love to do. We hung out with friends, went to a concert, made delicious meals and even went on a boat party. 
Sometimes I get so caught up on wanting to get better, that I don’t give myself any breaks and I noticed that my body was telling me it’s time to rest. We’ve decided to take at least one day a week off and on one other day we will only go to putting league. It’s a start…  

Storytime!! My second ever tournament in 2016 I was placed on Sammie Jo and Lisa Fajkus card. I remember when they read the names off for cards my heart started racing, my eyes got big, and I was super nervous. My second tournament and you want me to play with Lisa Fajkus? Well it ended up being one of my favorite, most fun rounds. Lisa and Sammie Jo were so kind and encouraging that it felt that I was playing with people I knew forever. At one point, I got the box…I know…I got the box. I threw my drive and bam hit the basket. Lisa and Sammie Jo hand me a $1 each, ‘cause you know 5-1 club. Well, Lisa goes after me and aces it!!!! YEAAHHHH!! It remains one of my favorite moments in disc golf because of the support I received, the laughs we had and how chill they made it for me. Thank you both sooo much!


Today I am super excited to have our Q&A with Lisa Fajkus.

Lisa is another Texas Disc Golfer who is currently on the National Tour. She has played PDGA tournaments since 2007 with 172 career events. She is also currently #5 in the Director’s Poll for the FPO division.


How/When did you start playing disc golf?
I started playing disc golf in the summer of 2005, the year after I graduated high school. My boyfriend had a friend with discs so we went to play one day at Cat Hollow. We were hooked instantly and started playing daily. I remember calling my right arm my “Disc Golf Arm” and would protect it accordingly.

What does disc golf mean to you?
Disc golf is my life and passion, so it means everything to me. It has given me opportunities to play lots of tournaments, travel all over the US and some in Canada, meet new people, make new friends and even earn a living.


How do some of the disc golf skills you’ve learned translate into teachings in your life?
Too many to note, really, it all translates in some way.

If you could caddy for one male disc golfer and one female disc golfer, who would you select and why?
Ken Climo and Des Reading. Legends!! Plus, they are masters age and would appreciate a caddy ;)


Can you tell us a little about the tour-life?
Being on tour is such a rush because there is always something to be done to prepare for the next one. I am an Iowa as we speak preparing for the Titan Open. *Spoiler Alert – She won!!* Each day I am practicing a course or two and getting my body ready for the weekend. It’s both play and work. Meeting new people and enjoying local food and nature spots is an awesome part of being on tour. You meet the nicest people on the road who go above and beyond to open their house up to you and make sure you feel very welcomed.

What is your favorite disc golf tournament near or far and why?
My favorite event is the United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, because it is a major just for women. I love the vibes and excitement that comes with this event. We are competing to become US Champion, so that is very exciting. Since women’s participation is low in most tournaments, I like that the field size as USWDGC are much bigger. You get to meet players from all over.

What do you do to better the disc golf community and grow the sport?
I love being involved with clinics and meet and greets on tour. Kids Disc Golf is a cool program to get kids excited about disc golf. At all the Pro Tour events, there are Kids Disc Golf pizza parties. It’s a great way to introduce kids and their parents to pro disc golfers.

Thank you, Lisa, for the interview. Texas loves you!!! Keep up the great work.

Two fun Texas Summer Disc Golf Tournaments you must register for next year

Hey you guys!

These past two weekends have been filled with so much fun, disc golf tournaments and swimming. What's even better is all three happening at the same time. What, whatttt! You heard that right.


First up was the 1st annual Swordstone Social out in beautiful Spicewood, Texas. The event took place on July 21st and 22nd, and our wonderful TD, Bonner Butler made this a one round a day tournament. Thank you. Thank you very much! When the rounds were over you could find everyone in one of the 2 pools the course had to offer and it was magnificent. Also, a huge thanks to St. Elmo brewery for hooking up some kegs for Saturday, we thank you TJ for bringing those out. You tha real MVP!

On to the course and results. This is a private course that partially runs through a vineyard and overlooks the lake. It is beautiful no doubt. I've heard others compare it to a baby bible ridge and I'd say that is pretty on point. The hills are definitely alive at this course so be prepared to zig zag your way up and down the hills and through the vineyards, although you dont want to land in the vineyards, that's just straight up OB. I highly recommend this tournament for three obvious reasons: the course is beautiful, one round a day, and swimming pools to hang out with the other awesome people that come.

First place in each division:

Open - Timothy Escobedo Jr.
Pro Masters - Gary Marotz
Advanced - Tony Dieterich
Advanced Womens - Renae Farr
AM Masters 40+ - Marty Cooper
AM Masters 50+ - Mitch Justice (has played disc golf for 30 years, in PDGA tournaments for 20 years and this was his first singles tournament ever won. Congrats Mitch!!)
Intermediate - Trevor Morrison
Recreational - Cheay Keomany

Next up: The Sizzler driven by Innova

We played this tournament on July 28th and 29th. The courses are located in small town Junction, Texas by the Llano river.

This is an awesome weekend filled with great friends, disc golf, and you guessed it...a river. There are 3 courses that you will play over the weekend, one of them being a ball golf course. You also have the opportunity to throw down a mountain for a chance to win a basket and other goodies or a hole in 1 takes home a truck!!!

The county course and north course are  smaller, birdie alley style courses. Dont get me wrong, there is plenty of OB to avoid and some longer holes thrown in there but here is where you want to play great, technical golf and get some good scores in, because up next is the ball golf course. The hot round ended up being a 51, with par at 57. There are a few ponds sprinkled in and greens that you need to avoid. This course brings a little more length with a few holes being over 600. Here is where you need to mentally stay in the game, avoid OB and putt like a champ. If you can do those things, you can shoot well here.

First place in each division:

Open - Austin McNabb
Open Women - tying for first Ashley Sloan and Stephanie Vincent with Ashley taking it in the playoffs
Pro Masters 40+ - Jim Davidson
Pro Masters 50+ - J. Shannon Fosdick
Advanced - Tony Dieterich
Advanced Womens - Judy Foster
AM Masters 40+ - Russel Shoffner
AM Masters 50+ - Jay Alba
Intermediate - Eric Lee
Intermediate Women - Melissa Veal
Recreational - David Schutt
Recreational Women - Kristi Gillis
Junior Girls <12 - Emily Weatherman

Congrats to all of our winners. Way to push through in this Texas heat!!!

Stephanie Vincent Disc Golf Q&A

Happy Monday!

Today we are privileged to have a Q&A session with Texas Disc Golfer Stephanie Vincent.  Stephanie is a professional disc golfer who has played in PDGA tournaments since 2006, has played 137 career events, and is sponsored by Mint Discs. In 2018, she has cashed in 4 of her 7 tournaments and has been working hard every day to become a better disc golfer.

How/When did you start playing disc golf? 

Back in 2006 I was sitting around with some college friends and all they would talk about was disc golf. What course they played, what they shot which new disc they were throwing. It sounded fun and I had played competitive softball for 18 years and was beginning to miss playing a sport. I asked if they would teach me and I threw my first disc at Circle R in Wimberly TX and here we are 12 years later. 

What does disc golf mean to you?

It’s a lifestyle so almost everything I do involves playing golf or spending time with people who do play. It has brought some of my best friends into my life and I’m grateful for finding this sport. 

How do some of the disc golf skills you’ve learned translate into teachings in your life?

I used to rage monster all over the course when I was younger. I wanted to be so good and I was terrible at accepting failure. One day I said you look like a crazy lady and it’s not helping your game, wake up! I have learned to be more patient and that failure does not mean you are a failure. 

If you could caddy for one disc golfer, who would you select and why?

Let’s see, Sarah Hokom because she is my bestie and chances are I will be watching 3 other amazing women play on the card too. 

Have you considered going on tour? If so and you have not yet, what things are stopping you from going? If you have, please tell us more about that experience. 

I dream of being on tour every day. 

Since I started I have always been competitive but I wasn’t always that serious. Tournaments use to be a place where I went to play golf and spend time with my friends. 

Now it’s much more competitive and while I still enjoy seeing my friends, I’m much more focused on the course than I use to be. For the last 3 years I have had the drive to tour, I just have to figure out what to do with my house and my job. I know I could sell it and live like a gypsy but I have to face the fact that I’m almost 40 yrs old and if I do go on tour how long could it really last so I don’t want to sell my home then have to start all over again when it’s over. I’m hoping to find someone to lease it to next year and get out there before it’s too late and I’m an old lady full of regrets. 

I did go on a mini tour one summer and I learned a lot of lessons on that trip. I met amazing people I still keep in touch with and realized I had the potential to be better. 

What is your favorite disc golf tournament near or far and why?

Beaver State Fling in Oregon is my favorite out of state tournament because the courses are beautiful and the tournament is well ran and there is always a big ladies field. Locally I love The Waco Annual Charity Open. The beast is my favorite local course and Ryan and Joey work super hard to pull off an outstanding event. 

What do you do to better the disc golf community and grow the sport? If you have not yet, what are some things you’d eventually like to do to help?

I started a club called Women Throwing Frisbees with my friend Laura Coffey. I worked on the PDGA Women’s Committee for a few years. I try to help with work days when I can. I have hosted several clinics and I’m currently the TX State Coordinator. 

Stephanie’s upcoming events include the 2018 Sizzler Driven by Innova and the PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Go Stephanie!!! Texas is rooting for you 

HOTT Gonzo Liberty Battle and Q&A with Timothy Escobedo Jr.

Happy Monday!!!


This past Sunday was the Hott Gonzo Liberty Battle. It was hot and there was a battle in the Open Men’s division. 13 guys battled it out over two 19 hole rounds, including 3 Advanced guys making the jump to Open this weekend, Kyle Jones, Zachary Ortega, and Andrew Wikert. But taking the win was Austin’s own Timothy Escobedo Jr. Shooting the hot round of 46 (1062 rated round). Wow! This put him at 5 strokes ahead of 2^nd place Marshall Blanks and Zachary Jansen after the first round. Would Tim be able to hold off the pack for the 2^nd round? Marshall Blanks shot another hot 51 and won the 2^nd round but was just short of clinching the lead from Escobedo.

1^st place winner of all divisions:
Open Men – Timothy Escobedo Jr.
Open Women – Ashley Sloan
Pro Masters 50+ - Michael Ynfante
Pro Masters 60+ - Lance Steck
Advanced – Jordan Knowles
AM 40+ - Armando Martinez Jr
Am 50+ - Fred Needham
Intermediate – Kevin Browning
Intermediate Women – Laura Hovey
Recreational – Cheay Keonmany



Today’s Post is featuring our Open Men’s winner Timothy Escobedo Jr.
Tim has played 40 career events and his current rating is a 999.

How/When did you start playing disc golf?
My Dad started playing back in 1994. I was around 7-8 years old when I started going out to the courses with him.

What does disc golf mean to you?
Disc golf is an outlet for me to relax after a long day. I also like that I can be outside and enjoy nature while playing a sport I love.

What are some important things you’ve learned while playing disc golf?
Even though I have played since 1994, it wasn’t until these last 3 years that I was able to learn body control and the importance of focus in my training.

What is your goal in disc golf?
To play consistently excellent each tournament, mini, and practice.

Have you considered going on tour? If so, what things are stopping you from going?
Yes, I have considered going on tour but need to reach a higher level in my game. Touring professionally will be tough mentally, physically and financially so I am working on all 3 before I commit to touring.

What is your favorite disc golf tournament and why?
My favorite tournament was the Nick Hyde Memorial in 2018. I had so much fun and I also cashed. Cashing in a big event like Nick Hyde is a small milestone towards my end goal.

What do you do to better the disc golf community and grow the sport? If you have not yes, what are some things you’d eventually like to do to help?
While I haven’t been as active as I’d like to in the community other than playing events, I would be open to mentoring individuals that are looking to improve their game, those that are focused on getting better. 

Please Be Kind to Women Disc Golf Players

It takes a lot to get out of your comfort zone for anyone. Especially when you are first starting something new. Guys, you remember how awkward it was to play through a group or when you went to your first mini. Remember those feelings when a lady comes to play.

She is scared. She is embarrassed. It probably took every ounce of courage before she forced herself out the car door when she saw no other ladies. She wants to run away. She doesn't want to be a burden. Depending on how she is treated, this might be the first and last mini/tournament/group round she'll ever play.

We have eyes and ears. We can sense the disappointment in some of those that get partnered up with us. We can see the eye rolls and hear the aggravation in your voices when we missed that putt. It brings us down in a bad way. I am not saying everyone treats women in disc golf this way, but there are enough instances this has happened that it needs to be talked about.

Everyone says they want the sport to grow, and it is. But I think making women feel more comfortable and being more supportive of the women that do come out will help to grow the sport even more. At most tournaments, we dont have good turnouts. I've spoke to several women on what would drive more ladies out and here are some of the responses:

1. Please ensure that there are restrooms available at all events. Why are we having large tournaments and there is not an available portapotty or restroom anywhere near the course?? Sometimes we can go in the woods, sometimes there are no woods to hide in...and sometimes we have our monthly and there NEEDS to be an available restroom.
2. Please give a shout out and thank you to the women that did show. Recognize them in some way. Showing that you care could be enough to keep her coming back and will let others know how welcoming everyone was.
3. Please make sure you have trophies for the ladies. If the guys get trophies the girls should too. I've seen at least twice now that a girl received a generic trophy. The guys trophy lists what division Mens Advanced 2018 winner blah blah and the ladies get a 1st place... 1st place in what??? I've even saw when the ladies trophy said nothing at all.
4. Please make it a point to talk to the ladies. They may not know anyone there and feel like an outcast. Go up and introduce yourselves and let them know you are happy that she was able to make it.
5. When a girl gets placed on your card because there are not enough in her division, please give her the same courtesy you give everyone else, even if she is taking twice as many throws per hole as you are. This is also a patience exercise for all involved. Be encouraging as much as you can.

There are many other ways we can make this sport more enjoyable for the ladies. Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear them.

What Disc Golf Means to Me and the Importance of Encouraging Others

There was a time when I was that girl that just watched her boyfriend and his friends play. Even though disc golf intrigued me and I loved being outside, I never really picked up a disc until a couple of years later after just watching for so long. I remember finally having the courage to ask my boyfriend for a disc and to ask his buddies if I could join. I remember feeling embarrassed and not good enough, and I think that's what keeps many people from trying anything in life.  But now I know the importance of taking that first leap and throwing the first disc.  Those feelings i thought I was going to have quickly vanished as I realized how helpful,  motivating and encouraging everyone I met in the disc golf community was. I started playing everyday after that first day and have not put the discs back down.

With a lot of encouragement from the DG community, I registered for my first tournament,  2016 Texas Womens Championships. I didn't know what I was getting myself into because now I was not playing at my "comfort course" or around people I knew, i was playing in a tournament at an unfamiliar course amongst unfamiliar faces. Those scared feelings rushed back in,  but again,  everyone was so welcoming and I felt right at home.  I ended up winning the recreation division and thus began my love for tournaments.

It was really exciting taking that first trophy and getting to stand alongside Paige Pierce and Sarah Hokom and lots of other greats knowing that one day I wanted to be in their shoes.  I have now became great friends with some of those that I admired.  You learn that they are people too. My dream of being a pro player is now.  I have a lot of work to do, but have the full support of my DG family which means so much to me. I wouldn't be where I'm at today without the encouraging words of this community.

Disc Golf means so much to me. It is my calm after a long day at work. It is my happy hour on the weekends. It is my motivation to be a better, more accepting, more patient individual. DG is not just a sport to me.  It is a community that I feel comfortable in and happy and free to be myself.

When I see a group of disc golfers and the randomness of age, ethnicities and beliefs come together to play,  it gives me hope that the world does have good people and that we can get past our differences. I do believe we need to encourage everyone to play, but even if they don't,  I hope they could find something that makes them feel all the things that disc golf makes me feel,  because it really is special.

First Open Tournament and Back to Basics

This past weekend I played my first Pro disc golf tournament at the Live Oak Summer Open and finished last. I know, I know....what a way to start a blog. But that sort of is the whole point of this blog. To watch my progress, to give insight and encouragement to others, and just to have something to express myself through this journey that is just beginning. 

Signing up for Pro was not necessarily something I thought I was ready for, but when are you ever really "ready" for anything? So, with a lot of courage, self-doubt and motivation from family and friends, I did it. And even though I finished last, I am so happy that I made that leap. 

The round started on Saturday and we had tee times. I have mixed feelings about that. I felt that the course flow was smooth and I liked being able to start a little later in the day especially when you are travelling for a tournament. You dont have to wake up at 4 a.m to get to the shotgun start. The only downside is that I am a huge people person and part of the whole disc golf experience I enjoy is getting to meet up with friends before the round, gives high 5's and get that good energy and vibes coming through. With tee times you dont really get that feeling. Everyone is on their own schedule and if they start early than you, they may not even be there when you are done. 

Back on track, Renae! (I will probably ramble a lot, so get used to it.)

We played two rounds, 27 holes per day. It was rough. My tee time was around 11:30 both days. Smack dab in the middle of the Texas heat. The first round started on the Lakeside course and after the first few holes I felt that I was playing okay. My nerves wore off a bit, my drives were average, upshots and putts were great. Somewhere in the middle of that round, I started to fall off big time. I took an 8 on a hole and literally thought "what am I doing playing Open, I am not good, I thought you love this game." Haha literally all of the emotions drained me on that hole. Later on I picked it back up and finished strong. I was chasing 8 for 1st and 3 for 2nd after a 5 1/2 hour round, just wow!

Speed up to the day 2 - I lost my shit! I never gave up, I just couldn't bring my game together. The strongest part of my game is my putts but not this day. It was bad...I mean I had some highlights of that round but was not consistent. The fight in me was worn to pieces, another 5 1/2 round proved that I was not physically or mentally prepared. 

With that being said, I know I have it in me. I am a fighter. I have always been a fighter. I will figure it out and will not stop until I do. I hope with this blog I am able to see the growth in my physical AND mental game. I will be posting tournament recaps, thoughts going on during a round/tournament/practice and steps we all could take to better ourselves mentally and physically.