ENID, Okla. — Several years ago, Chad Nech was looking for an activity to lead a healthier lifestyle.
He caught the “disc golf bug” in 2016 and began traveling to various disc golf courses throughout Oklahoma and in Kansas and Texas to play in tournaments.
Then, Nech formed Enid Disc Golf Club and became a tournament director for Professional Disc Golf Association so he could organize and run events.
Nine disc golfers competed in the first tournament Nech ran in Enid. There were about 80 players in the most recent tournament.
“I wanted a community, so I built it,” he said. “Disc golf is just this inclusive thing that’s bringing all of these different people from all walks of life together.”
By 2017, EDCG was running tournaments and fundraisers, giving money back to nonprofits in the Enid area and helping fund additional courses and holes, such as the NWOSU-NOC Disc Golf Course and the 18-hole Meadowlake Disc Golf Course.
EDGC has grown in membership, reaching nearly 50 now, with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to an “explosion” in membership.
“(Disc golf) has given us an outlet in a time when we need it,” Nech said. “One thing I started to see — especially in 2020 — is that people just needed a good time.”
Chad Nech, founder of Enid Disc Golf Club, rings up a customer who purchased discs at Flight Farm on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. (Kelci McKendrick / Enid News & Eagle)
The cost to become an EDGC member is $50. Disc golfers who are interested in playing with EDGC get a free “First Flight.”
The 2022 season begins on Feb. 20 and will last for 10 to 11 months, depending on the weather. EDGC offers both sanctioned and non-sanctioned leagues, and players are awarded 1.5 points for every player they tie with or beat.
EDGC’s winter indoor putting league, which started on Jan. 9, will continue from 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 27 at Enid Axe and costs $5. Mulligans Over Meadowlake will begin at 11 a.m. on March 6 and costs $60 per team, with all of the proceeds benefiting Forgotten Ministries’ Youth Program, The Bridge.
Nech said the support from the community since 2016 has been great, adding he wants to keep seeing the sport grow in popularity, especially targeting youth.
“I definitely want to … focus on the next generation, because we obviously can’t hold the torch forever,” Nech said.
For more information on disc golf or to get involved with EDGC, visit Enid Disc Golf on Facebook or join the EDGC Facebook Group.
More information also can be found at Flight Farm, 1012 Hite Boulevard, which sells discs and other disc golf items and is open from 2-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.