Disc Golf as a Career?

I used to play disc golf in my late teens and early twenties.  It was a fun way to drink beer and enjoy time outside.

There were always some crazy characters out there and many of them took an afternoon throwing frisbees way too serious.    Perhaps that was due to the fact that their livelihoods were tied to the 'sport'? 

I just can't believe that anyone can make their living play disc golf.

Here's an article in the Houston Chronicle depicting a tournament in Houston:

Club choice no factor here

 

This is fun, but it's serious for a lot of us too," said Seaborn, who is from Fort Worth. "This is some people's livelihood."

Disc golf is pretty similar to regular golf. There are 18 "holes" (actually metal baskets), and the player's goal is to toss a Frisbee into the hole with as few throws as possible.

Tough disc golf has long been a popular recreational activity, it has attracted a cadre of more serious players in recent years.

Top professionals can make around $40,000 a year. Because the overall cash pot isn't as large as in many other professional sports, each tournament is important.

At the Houston tournament, the big winner will get $1,400, according to tournament director Chuck Conaway.

To prepare for the tournament – an important event for Texas but not in the nation's tier of top disc golf tournaments — the best players have maintained specially designed regimens to keep them in competitive shape.

Houston professional Rob Engle said he has even placed a metal basket in his backyard so he can practice "putting," or throwing the Frisbee into the basket from a short distance.