Monday, May 17, 2021
PHOENIX – Carla Walker was tired of sitting inside during the coronavirus pandemic. She missed going to the gym, shopping and spending time with friends and family. Her retail job in Central Phoenix had laid her off and she had time on her hands. She wasn’t sure how to fill it.
One day while returning from buying groceries, she took a different route to avoid traffic and drove past something she had never seen before: a disc golf course.
“I remember seeing two guys throwing a Frisbee, but not to each other or to a dog,” Walker said.
She dropped off her groceries at her apartment and returned to Conocido Park in North Phoenix to walk around and watch a little longer.
“They were throwing the Frisbees at these metal basket things on poles,” Walker said. “It looked sort of weird but I could see a bunch of other baskets around the park and figured that’s how you play the game.”
Walker did research on her phone and learned they were playing disc golf. She watched a few videos and quickly learned the rules. She even found a beginner’s set of discs online and bought them while she was still at the park.
When the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to most recreational sporting events and activities, people began looking elsewhere for exercise and competition. While many indoor sports are slowly returning, outdoor activities have seen major growth and involvement in the last year. Disc golf is one of them.
The sport is similar to traditional golf. Participants begin at a tee box or launchpad and throw their disc toward a “hole,” which is an elevated, metal basket. Each hole has a set number for par, and scoring is the same as traditional golf, where each throw equals one stroke. A round of disc golf is typically 18 holes but some courses also offer nine and 27 or more holes. Depending on how busy the course is and how quickly one plays, a round of disc golf can take anywhere from one to three hours.
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Friday, May 14, 2021
Pima County and Tucson Medical Center are offering 800 free swim lessons to children at three Pima County pools.
The free lessons will be available at:
- Kino Pool, 2805 E. Ajo Way
- Los Niños Pool, 5432 S. Bryant Ave.
- Flowing Wells Pool, 4545 N. La Cholla Blvd.
The lessons are part of an overall water safety effort to teach children proper swimming techniques and how to be safe in and around water.
Register at pima.gov/swimlessons or (520) 724-5171.
“Drowning is 100 percent preventable. Offering free swimming lessons to the community is critically important to reducing the risk of a future drowning,” said Grant Bourguet, program manager at Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Monday, May 10, 2021
Sunday, May 9, 2021
