There are very few for whom 2020 was easy. But based on many reports of empty disc golf equipment shelves, sold-out starter packs, crowded courses, and equipment manufacturers seeing booming sales, it appears that more people than ever used disc golf as a method for adding a bit of joy to their lives last year.
We can also tell you that it wasn't just the number of people playing disc golf that increased significantly. Interest in reading about the sport also shot up. We were excited and humbled to see how, as the disc golf community grew in 2020, so too did the number of people who found this blog's content useful and compelling.
But what topics most caught disc golfer's fancies last year? That's what you'll find out below in our list of the top 10 most read stories from 2020.
Keep in mind that when we say "stories," we really mean it. Only articles posted in the "Stories" section of our blog (you can see all sections – e.g. "Instruction," "Gear," etc. – at the top of this page) were eligible for this list. But you might also be interested to take a look at some of our most popular lists from 2020, which included the World's Best Disc Golf Courses: #1-#100, The Most Popular Disc Golf Course In Every State: 2020, and Disc Golf's Best Putters, Hardest Hole, & More In 2020.
10. Cones & Tones: Alternative Disc Golf Targets That Almost Stuck
Today, the chain-and-pole disc golf basket is seen by many as essential to any "true" disc golf course. But in the early days of the sport (we're talking the 1960s to 1980s), it wasn't yet settled what would become the go-to target for disc golf.
Two of the chain-and-pole basket's competitors were a contraption with a conical deflector that directed discs into its basket and the tone pole, which made a distinct sound whenever a disc came into contact with it. We explored the history and fates of these targets back in July, including the time the cone target was shown off at a Minnesota Vikings halftime show. Additionally, readers could learn where to find courses still using these targets.
9. Explore The World's Disc Golf Stores With UDisc
It may seem like just an announcement about a new tool from UDisc, but this article was much more than that.
Yes, it helped let people know about the release of UDisc Stores, which is a directory of disc golf equipment retailers that includes store reviews, opening times, and more. However, it also included the stories behind three disc golf shops: how they got started, what they do to gain an edge over their competition, and the events they look back on as the best (so far) in their histories.
8. Dynamic Discs Owner Talks Off-Season Losses & Gains
It's funny that a year that started with some people wondering if Dynamic Discs was on the brink found the company, by the end of 2020, looking to move into a giant, new 80,000 square foot/7,432 square meter warehouse because their old space simply couldn't handle the current demand for their products.
The speculation had a lot to do with Dynamic's off-season loss of Paige Pierce to Discraft and subsequent cuts to its team of sponsored pros. In this interview from February, Dynamic owner Jeremy Rusco talked openly about why those changes happened and how they weren't signs of a flagging company.
7. How We Became Basket Cases: Disc Golf Basket History
Disc golf targets were a popular topic this year.
In this article we took a look at how the idea for the disc golf basket first came into the brain of the man known as the father of disc golf, the late, great "Steady" Ed Headrick. After digging into the basket's origins, we examined how basket design has changed since the first one was invented with input from the current general manager of the company Headrick founded: DGA.
6. 10 Important Disc Golf Shots You Should See
The conditions last spring and early summer couldn't have been much more conducive to people discovering coverage of professional disc golf on YouTube. New populations were finding the sport while looking for pandemic-friendly activities and doubtlessly learning all they could about their new interest online. Additionally, plenty of sports fans were scouring the internet for something new to fill the void created by the absence of live games.
To help these newcomers learn about important moments in the pro game's history, we gathered up 10 of the most important shots caught on film in recent memory. More than just video clips, the article sets the scene for the featured shots and also explains why they've become a part of the sport's lore.
5. Ezra Aderhold: Background, Tour Life, & Sponsor Outlook
In many ways, Ezra Aderhold is an embodiment of current trends in pro disc golf. More and more pros have been focusing on physical fitness to both improve play and prevent injury, and Aderhold's physique is commonly compared to the likes of the Hulk or the Terminator. The growing number of fitness regimens include well-planned diets, and Aderhold is a vegan. Players creating and cultivating a brand via various social media outlets is becoming increasingly important to sponsors, and Aderhold is an extremely active and approachable online presence.
With all that going for him, it's really no surprise that this profile of Aderhold got as much attention as it did. And if you're wondering: Yes, he's just as nice to talk to as you think he'd be.
4. Anyone Interested In 18 Free Disc Golf Baskets?
We admit that the title likely had something to do with why this one garnered so much interest. Still, the story behind it is compelling.
A disc golfer named Elliot Zettas won the U.S. Amateur Match Play Championships, which are put on by Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64. As his prize, Zettas received 18 top-of-the-line baskets and tee signs from Dynamic. But instead of using them for himself, Zettas decided to create a contest to give them away.
The contest has since ended, but it ended up having surprising results. We covered its outcomes in "What Does It Take To Win Free Disc Golf Baskets?" in December.
3. Inside Looks At Two New Disc Golf Video Games
It was a year when just leaving the house could feel a little risky, and the timing couldn't have been more auspicious for the release of disc golf video games.
We spoke with the creators of the computer games Ultimate Disc Golf and Perfect Round Disc Golf – both of which were released in 2020 – to learn what went into their creations and what sort of experience players could expect.
2. All In On Disc Golf: Åland Islands' 16 Course Gamble
With the pandemic threatening its normally booming tourism industry, the tiny nation of the Åland Islands decided to make a big play for visitors from Finland, the disc golf-crazed nation that the islands are an autonomous region of. That play? Build 16 courses in a country with a population under 30,000 in just a few months.
We talked with the architect of Åland's plan to learn how it made economic sense and how he got the country's government to support it.
By the way, we reported elsewhere that the plan appears to be working.
1. Maine Disc Golfer Hits Four Aces In One League Round
As we said in our Facebook post about this article: "One man. One Round. Four Aces." Apparently, that's all the disc golf internet needed to hear to make this feel-good story of a stunning accomplishment published at the tail-end of 2020 our blog's most-read story of the year.
Maine disc golfer Scott Walsh can add yet another "one" to his scorecard.
Thanks, Readers!
Before we go, we want to thank everyone who took the time to read any of our posts last year. We don't plan on letting up in 2021 and will continue to search for the most interesting stories the disc golf world has to offer so that we can present them to you here on Release Point.
