Discovering Disc Golf History In Philadelphia
Hello Gatekeeper Media community! First I want to say it’s an honor to be part of this amazing team, and I look forward to interacting with all of you, either through comments here, or on any of the many social media platforms online. I’ll be using my YouTube moniker for these blogs, so you can find me @DiscGolfHunter wherever you like to satiate your social media cravings.
A few quick fun facts about myself before we get started. My name is Donovan Livingston, and I started playing disc golf in March 2017 at the ripe young age of 43. I was looking for something healthy to do to keep my heart healthy, and disc golf seemed like a perfect fit. So I bought a starter pack and headed to the closest course I could find. I had no idea how much this sport would take ahold of my soul, and now my entire life revolves around this game. I am lucky enough to have a beautiful wife that is equally passionate about the sport, so it’s very easy to convince her to spend every possible waking moment on the course. And my ‘real’ job allows me to travel all over the world, which gives me opportunities to play courses I may never have had a chance to visit. All of this lead me to start my own YouTube channel where I document my own adventures, and looking back, it has been one wild ride! I am excited to add this new chapter blogging with Gatekeeper Media to my ongoing disc golf experience.
Sedgley Woods Hole 12 Blue Tee
Derek asked me to start things off with something ‘Philly-centric’ to celebrate GM’s roots. I thought I would share my experience when I was able to visit the City of Brotherly Love and play the legendary Sedgley Woods track. This course has been featured on plenty of media coverage, including the 2020 Philly Open final round coverage featured on Gatekeeper Media. It is a wonderful property with 27 holes of pure woods golf located in Fairmount Park. It’s open to the public year round from sunup to sunset, and is always free to play. There are plenty of events, including tag leagues, monthly tournaments, PDGA sanctioned events, and of course, the Philadelphia Disc Golf Open. You can get more information at www.sedgleywoods.com.
Back then, when I considered the origins of disc golf, I thought of the West Coast; beach bums out there tossing lids and eventually venturing into parks to see ‘who could hit that tree way over there first man!’. There was no reasoning for my thinking, I just assumed that’s where it all started. There is no real definitive history of disc golf, and because of the regional nature of the sport, depending on who you ask, they probably think disc golf started in their neck of the woods.
I was very new to the sport when I visited Sedgley back in November 2017, so I really didn’t understand just how special it was to be at this historic course. Established in 1977, Sedgley Woods is one of the oldest permanent disc golf ‘pole hole’ courses in the world. So the reality was that over on the East side of the country disc golf was taking roots in the same city our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence. I wonder if Ben Franklin ever threw a pie tin…
Many of the themes that have permeated in this sport for me started on that course. I hopped in an Uber and headed over to the course with no knowledge of what to expect. Upon arrival, I immediately ran into a group of locals that were so welcoming and willing to let me play with them. I was able to jump right in and it felt like I’d known these guys for years. They were happy to show me around the course, gave advice on where not to throw, and shared a bit about the history of the course. It felt like family, a theme that has endured all these years since on my travels.
It was an afternoon round, and I was limited on time, but after 18, I was asked, “You got time to play the Outback?”. Of course I was intrigued, so I forgo my dinner plans and stuck around to play the aptly named other 9 holes. They call it the Outback because that track is equal parts disc golf and hiking. I remember walking what seemed like a mile between holes 24 and 25, and it was the first time I had heard the term ‘hiking with purpose’ to describe disc golf. We barely finished with any sunlight left, but that day left an indelible memory in my mind. Looking back, I think of all those guys I met, and how many of them are still playing, or even gone pro. I was still very much a ‘rookie’ in this game, and I had no idea how much of an impact that course would have on me. To this day, I still prefer woods courses over more open terrain, and I think it started there in Philly. One of these days soon, I need to get back there and feel some more of that Brotherly Love.
Sedgley Woods Hole 24 Basket
