Fairway to fairway

While on a relaxing and scenic bike ride last night I was relieved to see for myself that one of the greatest sports ever invented, disc golf, is alive and kicking here in Sweden. Located on the campus of the local agricultural college was what appeared to be a nine-hole course neatly tucked away from anyone who wasn't really looking for it. Seeing the unexpected Pole Hole® sort of made this great big world feel just a little smaller.

See, this sport has come a long way from its origins in California. And besides the fact that the sport is super fun (and free to play, unlike snobby ball golf), I have some familial ties to the sport's progress into the Midwest United States. In the late '70s my stepfather Paul McCallister turned the Joliet Park District onto the idea of the sport and convinced them to turn a portion of the city's parkland into what is still West Park. He not only helped design the course, but along with the help of Joliet Disc Golf Guru Gary Lewis, organized tournaments and promoted the sport to what are now legions of diehard disc golfers in the Midwest.

Never heard of disc golf? Well then you haven't visited the area of Illinois where I come from. There isn't only one disc golf course there; there are no less than ten courses in Joliet and its surrounding areas. How's that for a hotbed of frisbee action?

So I've lived in Sweden for just over six months now and until last night didn't see any trace of disc golf. And wouldn't you know it when about 2 blocks from our apartment m'sweet says, "There's another one!" I turn and look and focus in on a playground in the courtyard of a group of apartment buildings, and I see it...


I'd dare to say that this is the only playground in the world featuring a Pole Hole® as its centerpiece. I mean I could be wrong, but I've got a hunch that some top players will be coming out of Uppsala in the next ten years.

Now unfortunately my bag of discs are stored away back in Illinois so I couldn't actually play last night; at least I couldn't play using the proper equipment. But I still shot pretty good nonetheless...