Powell guy John Diamond recently celebrated his 40th birthday, but he’s still a kid at heart. John likes to play disc golf and he wants to bring the world along.
“I’ve played on 160 or so courses and have always had a great time,” he says, ticking off the benefits of the sport: low impact on the body, cheap to install and play, and “it brings vigilance to neighborhoods.”
Diamond says the sport actually grew during the pandemic because it’s outside and non-contact. He expects some 70 participants in this year’s disc golf tournament at Powell Station Park. The event will be Saturday, Aug. 14, in the woods behind the splash pad on Emory Road. The 9-hole course is tucked alongside the high school ball fields and Beaver Creek. Unlike regular golf, the course is built in the woods, although John says Knox County keeps it well-maintained with “clean flight lines.
“It’s a good balance between challenging and family-friendly,” he says. “All ages have fun at disc golf. I’ve got beginners at age 14 coming and a woman who is 73. Our tournament is open to all ages and skill levels.”
The Aug. 14 event will have a flex start from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with four players on a card. Teams will start at 5- to 10-minute intervals, and John fills the down time with banter. He wants players to know each other.
What is disc golf? It’s played like regular golf with holes rated as par-3, etc. Players throw a frisbee-like disc at wire baskets. The course has concrete pads to start each hole, and a unique feature of the Powell course is the anti-smoking theme on signage. The course was built with a grant administered through the Knox County Health Department as part of the tobacco settlement with the states.
How to you learn to play? Just show up at the tournament, John says. He will bring his considerable collection of discs. (Yes, the folks who play frequently lug specialty discs in a backpack for use as drivers, putters, etc.) So, John will lend some of his discs to newcomers, complete with a mini-clinic before their round starts, demonstrating techniques and reviewing rules.
The cost is $20 per person, and the take-away is enormous. (We previously reported an entry fee of $25; John says, “I have noticed the rapid inflation and I don’t to be a part of that.”)
First, there is a high-quality commemorative disc picturing a steam locomotive in front of Powell Station. There are snacks and water, plus prizes of caps, towels, T-shirts, specialty discs, gift cards and more. Sponsors to date are Pluto Sports, Food City, KnoxTNToday.com, Caitlin Owen Massage, Glassadazical, and John’s own massage business, Energy Found. John and his sponsors make sure everyone goes away with something, and there’s more. Prizes are awarded after the final card finishes. For folks who must leave early, John organizes a second “more casual” tournament the next weekend for fun and to give out remaining prizes. Info: John Diamond at energyfound@gmail.com.
There is no wait list or pre-registration. Just show up. Like kayaking on Beaver Creek, disc golf is free, safe and close to home. Play with your kid after dinner or on weekends. It’s time well-spent.
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today.