By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
The term "disc golf" prompts visions of colorful discs flying above lush green grass and between leafy trees. So what could get a group of disc golfers out on a cold February day to play in a snow-covered park?
Simple. Helping others.
Sixty-one disc golfers gathered in Salina's snowy Oakdale Park on Feb. 15 for a Central Kansas Disc Golf Club-sponsored fundraiser for the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank.
On Friday, members of the group presented Michael Chambers, executive director of the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank, with a check for $1,200 and a donation of food.
Richard Holmgren, a member of the Central Kansas Disc Golf Club, told Salina Post that having the fundraiser in Oakdale Park greatly boosted the amount the group was able to donate to the food bank.
Holmgren explained that for years Kansas Disc Golf Association affiliates hosted tournaments that orginally were known as "Ice Bowls" because they were established to keep disc golfers busy during the winter.
"With the success of the Ice Bowl tournaments across Kansas, they’ve since turned into 100 percent fundraisers with proceeds going to food banks all across Kansas," Holmgren said.
"What made this year's Salina Food Drive tournament unique is the fact the city let us set up a course in Oakdale Park. Disc golfers have been eyeing that park for years for its potential in creating a unique course. Of course, the park is the busiest park in the city so the idea of creating a permanent course there will never come to fruition. Having the tournament there created a bigger draw, thus allowing us to present a much bigger check than we have in past years; more than double our average amount," Holmgren explained.
After playing a round, participants played a doubles best disc scramble.
"The person who had the best round was paired with the person who had the worst round. The person who had the second best round was paired with the person who had the second worst round, and so on and so forth. Kind of a fun format to end the day," Holmgren said.
According to Holmgren, more than 50 people were members of the Central Kansas Disc Golf Club during the past season.
"We host three leagues each week during the season: a doubles league on Tuesday nights, a singles handicap league on Thursday nights, and a doubles league on Sunday afternoons. We average between 20-30 players each Tuesday and Thursday," he said.
Holmgren noted that persons of all skill levels are welcome to join the club.
"There’s no better way to learn more about the sport and improve your technique than to attend a league," he said.
More information about the organization is available by joining the Central Kansas Disc Golf Club Facebook group.