World-class player

Dario Re, a junior at North Central High School, is racking up tournament wins faster than Tiger Woods. Not in “ball golf,” but in the world of disc golf, in which competitors throw discs instead of hitting balls, and aim for baskets, not holes.

Re took second place in the 19-and-under junior division at the Disc Golf World Championships held in Des Moines, Iowa, in August, finishing 5 under par. It was the largest disc golf tournament ever held, with more than 900 players from Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, France, Finland, Canada, and the United States.

The event, sponsored by the Professional Disc Golf Association, is the culmination of a year’s worth of competition. It’s the “big dance” for serious disc golfers in professional, amateur and junior divisions.

Re, 16, has been playing for four years. He already has an endorsement and sponsorship from Gateway Disc Sports. His goal is to go pro next year. The top professionals make around $50,000, or more with endorsements.

He plans to take a year off between high school and college. “The sport is going to continue to grow in the next few years. By then, I think I can make a good living,” said Re.

His home course is the Downriver Disc Golf Course, designated a world-class course because of its length and challenging design. Re{minute} holds the course records at both public courses, and two out of three private courses in Spokane.

But Re says he keeps a balance in his life. “I’m involved in things at school. I play tennis, go to dances, go to football and volleyball games. I don’t play as much (disc golf) during the school year,” said Re.

On weekdays during the summer, Re can be found walking Arlo, his dog, and practicing his throws at Corbin Park. During the school year, he practices before school at North Central.

On many summer weekends he’s traveling the Northwest playing in tournaments with his dad, Steve Simmons.

Simmons, 51, is a certified disc golf official who competes in the grand master division. The self-employed mechanic sells disc golf equipment and supplies and has his own private disc golf course, “Stimpi Ridge.”

“This can really become addicting. It can take over your life if you let it,” said Simmons. He plans to continue building a business around disc golf. In addition to giving lessons and demonstrations, he works on designing courses, and his goal is to sell one disc to every person in Spokane.

About three million people play disc golf, according to the Disc Golf Association, and 100 new courses are sprouting up each year.

The game is similar in many ways to ball golf. The object of the game is to complete each hole in the fewest number of throws.

A disc is thrown from a tee area to a “hole,” usually a specially designed metal basket. Players head down the fairway making consecutive shots from the spot their disc lands.

Unlike ball golf, there are no green fees, tee times, course marshals or dress codes. You don’t need to rent a cart. And unlike the manicured ball golf courses, disc golf courses can run through thick forests with overgrown bushes and areas of rough terrain. The Downriver Course has a huge water hazard - the Spokane River.

There are two groups of disc golfers. “Folfers” or “casuals” are those that play recreationally. The other group is more serious. They practice daily and compete in tournaments.

While some people refer to it as Frisbee golf, that’s a no-no. Frisbee is a trademarked plastic disc, and its maker, Wham-O rejected early attempts to be associated with disc golf. Consequently, many disc golfers buy discs made by Gateway, Innova, Discraft, Lightning and DGA. Wham-O is now trying to get back in the game as the sport’s popularity continues to grow, marketing director Peter Sgromo told The Associated Press in July.

While you can play a round with only one disc, most experienced players carry a bag with specially designed discs. Like ball golf, there are drivers, midrange and putters; most cost between $8 and $15.

These discs are not your throw-in-the-park variety. The driver discs are very thin and hard and can exceed speeds of 60 mph. You don’t want to get hit with one of these.

Want to try it out? “Buy three discs and come to a course. Tell the players ‘I’m new,’ and they’ll help you out. They’re really good about that,” said Re.