Disc Golf – Luke Stankavage

Ardrey Kell High School senior Luke Stankavage belongs to the National Honor Society and the Student-Athlete Leadership Council. He also plays the point guard position on the school’s men’s basketball varsity team, the AK Knights. When not busy with school, Luke Stankavage plays Frisbee golf.

Frisbee golf, also known as disc golf, is one of the fastest-growing sport in the world. Its popularity was evident in the Pro Disc Golf Association’s (PDG) June 2021 World Championships held in Ogden, Utah. Over the 5-day event, 288 competitors vied for the crown in two venues that complement the level of the game’s difficulty. The Mulligans had sand and water obstacles that prevent opportunities for participants to finish with a birdie. On the other hand, Fort Buenaventura’s vegetation poses more challenges.

The excitement of the World Championship came just before the playoffs. Five-time world champion Paul McBeth entered the tournament as the favorite. James Conrad, who ranked 10th, drilled a shot from 247 feet for a birdie. Considered the “greatest shot in the history of disc golf,” Conrad forced a playoff event with McBeth. Conrad became the eventual winner and improved his rank to sixth.

Student-athlete Luke Stankavage of Charlotte, North Carolina, is high-achieving, both in academics and in sports. A member of the National Honor Society, Luke Stankavage additionally plays on his high school’s varsity men’s basketball team and enjoys Frisbee golf in his free time.

Frisbee golf, commonly known as disc golf, is quite similar to regular golf in principle, though rather than a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc or Frisbee during the game. The “holes” in Frisbee golf are metal baskets elevated off the ground. Similar to golf, players try to sink the disc in the basket in the fewest throws.

The so-called ‘father of disc golf’ is considered to be “Steady” Ed Headrick, who invented two of the objects most essential to disc golf play: the patented Frisbee, which he invented in 1966 while an employee of Wham-O, and the Disc Golf Pole Hole, invented in 1975. Eventually, Ed Headrick would go on to found the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) in 1976. Players could join the PDGA with a lifetime membership for just $10 at the time.

In 1979, disc golf took another step forward, when Headrick organized an event in Huntington Beach, California, the $50,000 Disc Golf Tournament. The event was groundbreaking in disc golf for both its huge payout and its requirement for players to qualify to compete. Today, there are more PDGA-sanctioned events than ever, and the sport even has its own headquarters. Located in Appling, Georgia at Wildwood Park, the PDGA International Disc Golf Center boasts training putting greens, three championship-level courses, a main clubhouse, and a training center for players.

Tag: Disc Golf

James Conrad Makes the Greatest Shot in History of Disc Golf

Steady Ed Headrick and the Beginnings of Disc Golf