Aaron Wilmot has been playing disc golf for three years. That’s more than long enough for him to be sure he’ll be one of the sport’s aficionados for a long time.
“You play once and you’re addicted,” Wilmot said. “We constantly get compared to skateboarding, how it was so underground and then it just blew up.”
Wilmot, of Winthrop, is the event coordinator for the Winter Team Challenge, a series of disc golf competitions from today through April at local courses, culminating with a championship round on the Quarry Run course at Augusta Disc Golf Park on April 7. He said the goal is to grow the disc golf community in Maine and stimulate local businesses.
“We have a really tight-knit community,” Wilmot said, “so I wanted to create something that would get people playing throughout the winter.”
Disc golf is kind of a cheaper, all-weather version of regular golf. You simply throw discs at a basket until you get it there. Like regular golf, it’s much tougher than it sounds.
An all-purpose disc runs about $10 to $20, while pros like Wilmot have a bag with distance, mid-range and putters. As Wilmot tells it, the putters look more like a familiar Frisbee, while the distance discs are sleeker and more compact.
Wilmot secured several sponsors, including Grip Equipment as the title sponsor. The fees per competition are $60 per team of two pros and two amateurs. Teams are encouraged to bring food and make side bets.
And, Wilmot insists, it really is a sport that can be played on a January morning in Farmington or Vassalboro.
“We’re hardcore in Maine. We play in the snow,” Wilmot said. “Our first event happened on the 8th. It was 38 degrees and freezing rain. And we played. We try to show how dedicated the Maine scene is by playing in any kind of weather.”
For more information on the Winter Team Challenge, contact Wilmot at 485-4442.
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
mdifilippo@centralmaine.com
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