Madeleine Van Haute
Layout Editor
Frisbee fans on campus will have a new resource this semester that promises to bring high-flying fun. Started by senior Jon Meinholz, the new Franciscan University of Steubenville disc golf club is excited to begin its first semester on campus.
While it was created in the 1970s, the sport of disc golf became exceedingly popular during the summer of 2020 and its growth has not stopped since then. After playing often this past summer, Meinholz decided that he wanted to share the sport with others on campus.
“I’m hoping to give all of the people on campus who are interested in disc golf — even if they don’t know the sport — an opportunity to try it out,” said Meinholz. “Or, if they’re already involved, to give them a better venue to do it.”
Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is played similarly to golf. It is played with special small, dense regulation frisbees.
Similar to golf, in which players use different clubs, different frisbees are used throughout the round: putters, midranges, fairway drivers and distance drivers. Instead of a hole, the aim of the game is to land the frisbee in a metal basket. The player with the least number of throws wins.
There is currently no disc golf course on campus, but the club recently purchased eight temporary disc golf baskets and about twenty discs with help from the athletic department, Meinholz said. The baskets will be used to build a temporary course on campus behind the intramural fields.
There are plans to establish a permanent disc golf course on campus, hopefully within the next few years, Meinholz said.
After tabling only once, the club already has up to 50 students interested in joining the new athletic club.
As of now, the club is purely recreational. Meinholz said they are “in the process of getting everyone going and starting up to figure out what interest looks like on campus as far as what type of club people want this to be.”
While the club is starting out as recreational, Meinholz and sophomore Ben Hooper, vice president of the club, are open to exploring the idea of a competitive club that would travel and compete in different tournaments.
The club plans to host recreational games of disc golf open to all students. No previous knowledge of disc golf is required to attend.
Seeing that disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, Meinholz and Hooper both have high hopes for the club.
“I want to bring people together to play disc golf and advance any interest for it on campus, and use it to remember that sport is a great way for us to use the gifts God has given us to glorify him,” Meinholz said.
Students interested in learning more about the disc golf club should email either Meinholz or Hooper.