Disc Golf on Armstrong

Amir Alexander, Staff Writer|January 31, 2022

Wes Johnson, Georgia Southern Admin

My experience on Armstrong campus closely mirrors that of the students in the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101. Like the students in the show, we have open access to the beach, pasta-obsessed RAs, and now: a disc golf team!

Disc golf takes the rules of golf and remixes them. In the place of golf balls and holes are discs and baskets. Some may confuse the discs used to play the sport with a frisbee, although the slightly different plastic material makes them more optimal for the sport.

“Whammo, is the trademark for the term Frisbee,” Wes Johnson, the new team coach, advised me. “If you call it frisbee golf to an avid disc golfer. Don’t be surprised if they correct you.”

Before I met with Wes, I’d always assumed the sport was played with the same cheap plastic toy that my dog obliterates in minutes. When I got to his office, he set a disc in one of my hands and a frisbee in the other.

“Frisbees are typically lighter, and if you throw it into a tree it’d probably break,” Wes said. “Whereas Disc Golf discs are designed to be thrown into trees, and metal, and all kinds of stuff.”

Last Thursday, I sat down with Wes to discuss the new course and team. On top of his new role as coach of the team, he is also currently The Treasurer and former President of The Savannah Disc Golf Association and an avid player of six years. “My wife works in the Recreation Department with Sean Willett. He’s the one that I worked with in helping get the course,” he advised me.

Two disc golf courses were established on and near the Armstrong Campus last semester. The first is located midway between Pooler and Savannah at Tom Triplett Park, and the second is right here on the Armstrong Campus. “We hired a professional disc golf course designing company to handle everything,” Wes explained.

“But once the course was put into the ground and there was student interest in forming a club, I had already laid the groundwork and both my wife and Sean knew that I’ve been playing disc golf for a bunch of years,” he continued. “And I had those ties with the local community so it was natural for them to ask me if I’d be willing to step in and help out with the students.”

Fliers were posted around campus by the club president, Matt Mahoney. “He is an active student, and I feel like he has a better voice to get other people involved. I’m here to help advise and help them improve.”

Once the team fully forms, they will compete as a collegiate disc golf team. Other participating universities will take turns hosting events. “Typically, they do team rounds or individual rounds,” Wes said. “The whole team plays together to get the best score possible.”

The team had their first two meetings this past week. “If anybody, even if they’ve never held a disc in their life, if they want to come and try to play, that’s fine,” Wes beamed. “They’re welcome to email me if they’re interested. Also, if they want to reach out to Sean Willett at the Rec Center, he would point them in the right direction as well.”

The courses are there for any student who’d like to try their hand at disc golf. Although, I will personally be using them as a vessel for my continued fantasy of attending the fictional Pacific Coast Academy.