For many at Fluvanna County High School, playing with a Frisbee is a fun way to spend a warm afternoon or an activity to bond with their dog. However, for the members of the recently formed Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club, this activity becomes a little more competitive.
The Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club was formed in the summer of 2023 by FCHS faculty member and boys soccer coach Joseph Crisp. Crisp decided to form the club after discovering disc golf over the pandemic and falling in love with it.
“I’ve become obsessed with the sport and play as much as I can, most often at our local, free public course at Pleasant Grove Park. But that course needs a lot of maintenance and upkeep, and the Parks & Rec Department relies primarily on volunteers to do most of that work,” he said.
Crisp viewed creating a club at FCHS as a way to introduce the sport to more people, generate interest, add variety to the school’s sports offerings, and gain volunteers to help maintain the course at Pleasant Grove. The club meets every club day in the 3100 locker bay before heading out to the courtyard by the bus ramp to practice with a portable disc golf hole.
Players in the disc golf club are able to compete in the Virginia Junior Disc Golf Series, a series of tournaments that run between March and October and are only available to those under 18. Tournament play can be individualized or team-work based, although the VJDGS is strictly individualized. Crisp has plans for a team jersey that designates all FCHS players, as is the norm in other individualized sports (fishing, golf, swim, etc.). Other local tournaments are also available for interested players of all ages. (You can find a list of current tournaments in Virginia here.)
Crisp said he hopes that there will eventually be an interscholastic tournament for schools in Virginia. This would turn disc golf into a true team sport and increase the visibility of the developing sport.
“I’m hoping to work with John MacDonald of the Miller School of Albemarle to establish a team-play interscholastic series between our schools and any others we can bring on board,” he said.
Disc golf is a rapidly growing sport that is seen as a fun and easy way to get out into nature and spend time with friends and family on challenging courses, but that doesn’t have the often hefty price tag associated with traditional golf. In addition, disc golf rounds can be completed in a fraction of the time that it takes to play a normal round of golf. For example, a round at the course at Pleasant Grove only takes about two hours for an intermediate player who loses discs occasionally to play 18 holes, while a round at Lake Monticello is closer to two hours for nine holes.
Like traditional golf, disc golf is a sport that can be played for decades. Crisp loves the inter-generational aspect of disc golf. “I played in a Veteran’s Day tournament this past weekend and played on cards with a 13-year-old, a fellow 40-something, and three guys in their 70s. And one of those 70 year-olds carded a better score than half of the players in the tournament, most of whom were probably half his age or younger,” Crisp said.
Disc golf can provide a good workout, with players regularly walking almost three miles over the course of an 18-hole round. Many of the courses in the Greater Charlottesville area have multiple elevation changes, increasing the difficulty of the workout. With over 90% of courses in the United States being completely free to play (if you have your own discs), disc golf is one way to spend a fun few hours and get a workout at the same time.
All FCHS students or faculty members are welcome to join the Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club. Over the past few months, the club has had approximately 30 individuals come to a meeting, with skills ranging from complete novice to intermediate or advanced.
Interested volunteers willing to work in the woods for a few hours on a Saturday to help maintain the course should visit this link. Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age and willing to work with their hands.
For more information on the club, email Joe Crisp at [email protected] or check out their website at Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club. To support the club and help fundraise for jerseys, visit the team store at the Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club Pro Shop.
