Tupp - The Disc Golf Revolution: Unearthing the Big Secret Behind Golfs Bright Future

Im not sure whether most authors can recall a specific moment when they decided to write their book, but I can. I remember it clearly. It was the winter of 2006. I was in Milwaukee for sales meetings, and I remember watching snow fall heavily past an office window. It was late in the day. My mind had begun to wander from the vital statistics on the 79th PowerPoint slide of the day, and like a homing pigeon it instinctively returned to its favorite roost. Disc golf.

I looked across the room at my fellow sales manager Boris, who had recently taken up the sport to lose weight, and I started pondering all the good packed into the fledgling sport. I scanned the room and wondered who else played or might like to. Then my marketing brain kicked in and I started scribbling down some questions.

Why didnt people know more about disc golf? The sport had displayed steady growth for two decades, but nearly all of it the organic kind that comes from word-of-mouth. Your chances of hearing about disc golf any way other than directly from a disc golfer were close to zero.

How far might the sport rise once major media, business, and government entities become fully informed about it? I must admit to starting this process from a rather biased perspective, and my immediate reply on the notepad was Skys the limit! (Happily, I can report that after exhaustive research my final answer didnt change much.)

I had no doubt that disc golf would eventually reach some type of tipping point, but became intrigued with a new question, one directed at myself.

How can I help make that happen now?

Its a question similar to one asked in earnest by so many who have been bitten by the disc golf bug since the 1960s: How can I help grow the sport? A common response for most players was and still is to tell friends and family about it in enthusiastic exclamations, then drag them out to experience it first-hand. Every long-time disc golfer has done it multiple times. Next level involvement includes efforts to get new public courses installed and launching and running local clubs. I was already doing my bit in these areas, and over time came to fully appreciate the indispensable role of this incredible volunteer network. Yet I was also fresh off a string of new ideas that turned into big wins in the glamorous world of mortgage software, and I wanted to find a way to similarly impact disc golf. Something new, with the potential to break new ground. But what?

I decided to write a book. In my opinion, books still have no equal as a means of presenting a Big Idea, and that day a vague notion became my personal mission. I would use the expansive format of a nonfiction book to compile and publish the full disc golf story. In addition to explaining the reasons for disc golfs broad appeal, I would endeavor to make the sports background, culture, and community common knowledge. I felt (and still feel) that men and women, kids and seniors, businesses, and government at all levels will embrace disc golf once they have not just the facts, but the full story.

The format did not come to me that day, or even that year, but I knew one thing right away. It would not work (at least not to suit my purposes) as a typical How-To or Everything You Need to Know About-type book. The disc golf story is far bigger than just the details of the game and rules of the sport. It reveals groundbreaking (if incidental) strategies for social change and community activism, introduces colorful figures, and represents a new beginning for an old game with lots of baggage.

After much effort to identify the central theme around which my growing mass of data should be structured, I finally conceded that there wasnt one there were two. Combined, they account for the rise of disc golf, and each deserves close examination.

The first is the depth of truth and significance behind the oft-repeated claim that disc golf is golf without the drawbacks and barriers. The fact that disc golf costs dramatically less, is easier to learn, and takes less time to play than traditional golf may not surprise you, but the complexity of disc flight and utter golf-ness (for lack of a better word) of the sport will. Add to all of that the social benefits of a popular activity that has always been open to everyone, and I dont think it is unreasonable to say disc golf is in every way better suited to thrive in the 21st century and beyond. The evidence is clear and convincing.

Equally fascinating is disc golfs history and current trajectory. Its expansion over four decades is somewhat impressive, but not particularly newsworthy until you consider the source of that growth. Disc golf has blossomed organically, from a spontaneous, intuitive game to a sport played on thousands of courses by millions worldwide a sport now recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The story remains under the radar because disc golf is, even today, primarily fueled by a tight-knit yet decentralized grassroots network. The key players and the headlines are local. All the while, the numbers are steadily increasing.

Large corporations will soon be taking a greater interest in the sport, but will they be savvy enough to leverage this network rather than trying to circumvent or overpower it? Disc golfs birth and development make it different than any sport that has come before it, something future marketers must consider.

When I chose the title The Disc Golf Revolution, I wasnt thinking along military or political lines, not even metaphorically. I wanted to officially identify disc golf as a source of major change that causes progress. The impact may not be as great, but I see a parallel between disc golf and the Gutenberg printing press. At one time books represented access to knowledge, but very few people had access to books. The moveable press revolutionized printing and knowledge spread, leading to the Renaissance. Another favorite comparison is the Apple Macintosh, which opened the door for everyone to use computers. In both cases, something wonderful but out of reach became accessible to all, and historically good things resulted.

I have hopefully made a convincing case for the greatness of golf, a game that has existed for more than 500 years, as well as, on the flip-side, the numerous barriers between it and most people on earth. That another game should rise from the mist and manage to extract and in some cases even improve upon golfs alluring and enduring qualities while eliminating each and every barrier, drawback, and black eye, well... I find that to be revolutionary. You decide for yourself.

Jack Tupp

January 29th, 2018