Q: I've been playing disc golf as a recreational hobby for the last couple of years and am just now starting to desire more competitive play. My question is whether you would recommend joining the pdga before I am really ready for the skill levels and if so where do I start?

A: The answer to your question is going to depend on many factors: your long term goals in disc golf, your desire for competition, and your geography.

If you, like many of us, have been hooked by this game and want to track your skill over time, then the PDGA is one of your best resources. Every PDGA event you play will be stored in their databases and every round will be rated so you can see how you did relative to the other players and your rating.

Also, if you are crazy competitive and just can't get enough, the PDGA sanctions hundreds (over 800 in 2007) of events throughout the world. You can probably find good competition in your neck of the woods, but to really step up and someday compete with the big dogs, the PDGA is the place to be. Almost every major disc golf event is PDGA sanctioned.

The third factor on if and when you should think about joining the PDGA would be geographic. There are some areas that are predominantly PDGA and there are some areas that have other well developed non-PDGA tour structures. Depending on where you are, how much competition you want, and how important lifetime stat tracking is to you, the PDGA may be the right choice for you.

On a side note, even if the above thought exercises don't necessitate your joining the PDGA, there are many regional and local disc golf clubs, all of which are worth supporting. Whether locally, regionally, or on a global scale, our overall goal is the same: let as many people as possible give disc golf a try. They may be like us and find their perfect sport.

Sincerely,

Torque Novitski, Marshall Street

Our mission is simple: Grow the sport, grow the sport, keep growing the sport.