Southern students, employees and their families have the opportunity to throw discs, have fun and possibly win prizes on Sunday during the first Southern Sling Disc Golf Tournament.
“The tournament is free and more than $500 worth of disc golf prizes are up for grabs,” said Loren Barnhurst, professor of chemistry and tournament director. “The prizes include a disc golf backpack, disc golf bags, more than 15 premium discs, mini markers, Dynamic Discs hats, a T-shirt, and a towel.”
Participants will compete in one of three divisions – women’s, men’s novice or men’s intermediate. Prizes will be distributed to the top three finishers in each division, as well as prizes for the closest drive to each basket.
The on-campus tournament starts on Sunday at 10 a.m. with an instructional meeting near the disc golf course practice basket – between the tennis courts behind Iles P.E. Center.
Disc golf is a game with some similarities to golf, except participants throw plastic discs – comparable to Frisbees – and aim at a chained basket on a pole. Discs weigh five to seven ounces and can vary in several attributes that affect how far, straight and fast a disc can be thrown. The objective is to throw the disc into the basket with as few throws as possible.
Southern installed a nine-hole disc golf course in 2008. Within a few years of its inception, the course was expanded to its current layout of 14 holes, which includes teepads, signs and baskets. More than 5,000 disc golf courses exist in the United States, according to the Disc Golf Course Review website.
“Our goals for this tournament are both immediate and far-reaching,” Barnhurst said. “First, we’d love to spend a great day having fun outside of the typical classroom setting as employees and students playing disc golf together. But beyond that, we are looking for a core group of students to help create a disc golf club at Southern, with the future dream of expanding the current 14-hole course to a complete 18-hole layout.”
Students should bring their own discs to the tournament. The Hulsey Wellness Center sells some discs, and local sporting goods stores, like Academy Sports and Outdoors or Dick’s Sporting Goods, offer a much larger inventory.
The tournament is sponsored by Dynamic Discs and generously funded by Bob Benge and the School of Physical Education, Health and Wellness. For more information, email Loren Barnhurst or call him at (423) 243-8423.
