DEPENDING ON DISTANCE, putting can be a struggle for disc golfers. “Our challenge lies mainly (in) getting off the tee and getting to the circle,” says Kyle Holt, noting most pro golfers hit 70 to 80 percent of their putts inside the 10-meter putting circle. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
THE BACKHAND MOTION used by disc golfers is unlike traditional golf and other sports, says Kyle Holt, with the possible exception of the body mechanics used to hit a baseball. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
KYLE HOLT started playing disc golf nine years ago after watching the baskets being installed on his home course: Falling Springs at the Woodford County Park. While playing multiple discs to work on his game after talking to the Sun, he nearly hit two hole-in-ones. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
Playing on the same courses, including Maple Hill, as the best disc golfers in the world are opportunities for Versailles resident Kyle Holt to “test every facet” of his game. Playing in professional tournaments against the best disc golfers in the world allows him to see his potential in a sport he has grown to love.
The Professional Disc Golf Association or PDGA organizes and sanctions tournaments, including the Professional Disc Golf World Championships in Milford, Michigan Aug. 26-30. Holt finished tied for 51st with two other golfers in the World Championships. He also earned his way to play Round 3 with Paul McBeth, who he describes as “The greatest player of our generation.”
His wife Anna was among 10,000 spectators on the final day of the tournament. It was the first time she has ever traveled to see him compete in a tournament. She flew out to see him play in the final two rounds because he was playing so well.
Holt says he wrestled with the idea of playing fulltime on the PDGA professional tour – and “Worlds validated that I could do it if I wanted to, and maybe that’s all I’ve been after the whole time” – but the money earned in disc golf is nowhere near what pros earn playing traditional golf.
While scores in both sports are determined by how many pars, birdies and bogeys a player has shot, the backhand motion used by disc golfers is unlike traditional golf and other sports, says Holt, with the possible exception of the body mechanics used to hit a baseball.
The average pro in disc golf can reach distances of 475 to 515 feet, but good course design requires players to make shots of different distances, Holt says. He can reach 500 feet, but like many players focuses on accuracy unless “the reward is worth the risk,” he says.
That’s what Holt likes about disc golf. Someone may be able to throw a disc 600 feet, “but if you can’t play golf you’re not going to score well,” he says.
McBeth can reach 600 feet, but Holt says, “Paul was known for putting it exactly where we he wanted it and being able to shape the most technical shots over and over and over – and then hit the putts. And that was his recipe for winning.”
Everybody wants to hit the “landing zone,” Holt adds later, because that’s their best chance at scoring a birdie.
Like traditional golf, he says, “There’s always something to be improving on. No one ever has a perfect game … there’s too many facets of this game.” It’s that endless pursuit of knowledge that keeps him interested in playing disc golf.
Disc golf is also cheaper to play because it’s free to play on most courses and a starter pack of discs for the sport is only about $30. His grandmother took him to buy his first starter pack, says Holt.
He started playing disc golf after being a cross country runner at Woodford County High School. The 2020 WCHS grad says seeing baskets being installed for the new disc golf course at Woodford County Park in 2017 piqued his interest in the sport.
He and his cross country teammates played ultimate Frisbee to warm up for meets at the County Park, but throwing a disc in disc golf is “far different,” he says.
An ultimate disc is much larger and slower, so everything he knew about throwing a disc had to change. He also needed to learn what disc to choose for his skill level.
Living a short bike ride or walk to the County Park made disc golf a more convenient sport for Holt to play in his teens, he says. His process for learning to get better began by watching the best players in the world on YouTube.
He credits players in the disc golf community for giving him insight into choosing the best disc for “shaping a shot” from the tee or fairway six months into him starting to compete in the sport. A Versailles player took him to 60-some courses over the next year, which gave him an opportunity to expand his game, he says.
Holt now uses 15 or fewer discs, which he describes as being on the lower end of the spectrum of other players. “Trees,” he says, “are our biggest friend and our biggest enemy in disc golf. They require us to shape the disc in certain ways.”
Two styles of throws puts different spins on the disc, with the backhand throw naturally fading right to left and the sidearm throw naturally fading left to right, Holt explains. Moreover, he says, “We have to make forward progress, but our forward progress has to be dictated by side-to-side motion.”
Holt describes Woodford County’s course as “a long park-style course,” with few trees. Efforts are ongoing to increase the difficulty of his home course so it’s more difficult for him to score 10- to 12-under par, he says. That involve planting more trees or adding longer tee pads or basket locations, he adds.
Holt is president of a nonprofit disc golf club, which he and his golfing friends organized so they could get support from Versailles-Woodford County Parks and Recreation in order to improve the par-64 course, including the installation of 21 new baskets.
The Saturday before talking to the Sun, Holt organized the second tournament here this year, which supports the club so more improvements are possible. He credits parks and recreation for maintaining the Falling Springs at Woodford County Park’s course, regularly ranked a top-10 course in Kentucky.
“The United States has more disc golf courses than any country in the world,” says Holt. He recently traveled to Pennsylvania to play 12 disc golf courses, and regularly travels to other states, including Washington, because “I love course collecting.”
He has played disc golf on over 200 courses, including an estimated 1,500 rounds on his home course: Falling Springs at Woodford County Park.