Haiden Widener, Campus Carrier Sports Editor
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| Andrea Hill | Campus Carrier |
| Junior Matt Ogle throws a frisbee on the disc golf course. He was introduced to the sport his sophomore year.The sport uses all the same rules as golf, but is played with a disc and baskets. |
While official sporting events bring a large sense of community to Berry, unofficial sports are just as popular.
Neither frisbee golf nor disc golf have set teams, uniforms or coaches, but students take the rules just as seriously as any other sport.
Many students enjoy playing frisbee golf on the student-created Dana Course. Berry students designed this course about seven years ago. It consists of targets around campus such as trees, certain doors of buildings and even near Martha Berry’s grave.
Players use ultimate frisbee discs to hit these targets, and all of the same rules of golf apply.
Senior Tommy McBride, a frequent player, said he was introduced to Dana Course and frisbee golf by his freshman-year RA. Since then McBride has become an RA and teaches new students how to play as well because he knows from experience that it can help you make friends. After all, frisbee golf is how he met his best friend.
“We met just by playing frisbee golf, and we continue to be best friends today,” he said. “We still play and compete against each other. We even throw bets out for milkshakes.”
McBride encourages students to play frisbee golf because he thinks it brings students a great sense of involvement.
“It builds community,” he said. “It gets people outside and moving around, it’s a good little study break and it’s something to do to be a part of the Berry community.”
While frisbee golf is more well-known by students, disc golf is also popular. Students often think that frisbee golf and disc golf are the same thing, but there are many differences between the games.
There are two permanent 18-hole disc golf courses on campus that are registered with the Professional Disc Golf Association. The game is played with small, dense discs that have the ability to fly far and fast. Players aim to make these discs into metal baskets along the course. While students do use these courses, many adults and independent groups also travel to campus to play.
According to sophomore disc golf player, John Patten Moss, these courses can take an hour and a half to two hours to complete.
Much like McBride, Moss has taught other students how to play the game, and even met his friend and current roommate through disc golf.
“We were in BCC together and he mentioned it,” Moss said. “So I approached him and we still play together.”
Moss is from Augusta, the disc golf capital of the world, so he started playing long before he came to Berry, but said that the two official disc golf courses on campus were a big perk in coming here.
“We have full 18-hole courses that are both really nice and well developed,” he said. “Most of the time you’d be lucky to even get a nine-hole course.”
While Moss doesn’t think that there is currently a disc golf community like there is for frisbee golf, he definitely sees potential if more students were to be informed about the courses.
“Someone should promote tournaments for students,” he said.
Frisbee golf and disc golf are very accessible and cheap. Students only need the right type of disc and time to play. Moss said this is one reason that he loves playing so much.
These games, though not officially recognized as sports on campus, are very official in students’ every day lives. They create a sense of involvement and community for Berry students from every type of background.
“It’s weird looking in,” said McBride. “But when you’re here it’s not so weird. It’s just a Berry thing.”