One of the benefits of having a disc golf club in the area is that the club leadership provides opportunities for club members to play some kind of organized competition. These competitions range from sanctioned tournaments to very casual semi-competitive events. Another of the competitive opportunities come in the form of leagues.
Let’s look at the different type of leagues available, and talk about why you should join one.
Leagues are regular competitions that usually feature different divisions, so you are competing with people who have similar skills as you. They can take many different format, but they have one thing in common. They all bring disc golfers together to compete, enjoy each other’s company, and have fun playing disc golf. We’ll look at a few common types of leagues shortly, but first let’s talk about why you should join a league.
The Reasons
- Meet disc golfers in the area
- Learn more about the discs that other people are throwing, which helps us our skill progress
- As beginners, we can learn from experience players about rules, tournaments, upcoming events, etc.
- Feel like we’re part of a community
Common Types of Disc golf Leagues
Here are a few of the more common types of leagues that you might see. These were also mentioned in the article about clubs, which can be found here.
Weekly leagues
Weeklies are like regular, fairly casual tournaments that are fun and usually have some kind of payout. They usually have different divisions, but most of the time you can play on a card with whomever you want. There will be a place to sign up at the league, and maybe a brief meeting prior to play. If you are new to a league and don’t know anyone, let them know when you sign in and they will find someone for you to play with. After the round you’ll meet again for payouts and awards.
Many leagues have optional competitions, like closest to the pin and ace races. These side events usually cost a few dollars, but have pretty decent payouts if you win. They might not be the best for a beginner, but as your skill increases, so do your chances of winning.
Doubles Leagues
Doubles leagues are a fun ‘team’ league where you are paired up with another person and compete as a team. Most doubles leagues are random draw, which means that everyone gets paired randomly with a partner, usually by drawing cards or flipping discs.
Once partners are determined, both you and your partner will throw from the tee pad, then you’ll both go to whichever of your two discs is the best, then both play from that disc. It usually results in much better scores than singles rounds.
Doubles leagues may be intimidating to beginners, since they want to be able to contribute to the team effort. If that is the case, check with the club member who is running the league. Ask them how serious the league is, and if you would be okay joining the league as a beginner. It never feels good if you can’t throw as far as other people, but most of the time club members are just there to have fun. They won’t judge you for now being as skilled as them.
Flex Leagues
This is basically the same as Weekly league, but you don’t have a specific start time. It is a good league for people who have unusual or busy schedules. Flex leagues will have similar structures to weekly leagues. They may have registration and payouts virtually, such as using Venmo.
Putting Leagues
When the weather turns cold and snowy, one of the fun ways to wait until better weather is with a putting league. They are great for people of any skill level, and they really help improve your putting skills.
They are usually stand-alone events like doubles or weekly leagues, with participants buying in at the beginning each week, then getting paid out after it is over. There may be divisions to keep the newer players from competing against the veteran players. Weekly putting leagues rarely take a long time to complete, and provide a nice, usually indoor place to practice and compete during the colder months.
Women-only League
A majority of people who play disc gold are guys. By having a women’s league, it gives clubs a place for women to play, who might night feel comfortable competing against the skill level of the guys. They are usually run similarly to weekly leagues, with buy-in and payout occurring every week. The format for women’s leagues is also similar to weekly leagues. It is a singles event, likely with divisions.
Conclusion
Leagues are a great addition to disc golf, since they provide us with opportunities to play and compete on a regular bases. They also help us get to know other players in the area. Check with your local club and see what league options are available to YOU!