Our Great Team Ace Stories Continue

Some might call it perfection while others just think it’s really cool, but no matter how you define a disc golf ace, there’s always something special in the air when it happens. For some, our aces happen at almost inopportune times, while others find that even if nothing incredibly crazy or amazing occurs, simply that feeling of your disc hitting chains is enough to make your day.

Players in the DD family have shared so many great ace stories with us that we just had to write another blog post about it, so let’s check out a few anecdotes that highlight all the ways that making a hole in one matter:

Peter McBride:

“I was at Whistler’s Bend near Roseburg, OR for a doubles event last week. Before our morning round on Saturday, I warmed up slowly. I like to loosen up before I throw any shots. I step up to hole one, a 250 foot fairly wide open shot and throw my Retro Anchor. It tracks to the basket and hits the pole low. Next, I step up with my sparkle glow EMac Truth and hit dead center. It smashes the chains and the pole ejects it onto the ground.

At this point, Nate Sexton, who was putting on hole one, tells me to stop throwing. He yells, ‘Hey Pete! Stop throwing. Save it for the tournament.’ I laugh and turn around to grab my other Anchor. I wanted to keep warming up since those were the only two shots I've thrown. I throw my Anchor a little wider since it's more overstable and it hits left side chains and falls out. Nate and a few onlookers give a disappointed yell. I continue to warm up, buzzing off of those three shots I just threw. Once our tee time rolls around I give hole one a good run but just miss drawing metal.”


Eric McCabe:

“I have had plenty of memorable aces, but one, in particular, seems to stand out above the rest.
In the summer of 2014, Bobby Brown and I traveled to Skellefteå, Sweden for some promotional videos. While there we participated in a tournament called The 81 Hole Challenge. That’s right - 81 holes in one day! This seems impossible to accomplish, but with 20 hours a day of sunlight, anything’s possible!

I mentioned to Bobby how cool it would be to have a Swedish ace on our visit, so this was my opportunity! I played pretty well throughout the event maintaining a decent sized lead the majority of the tournament. However, on my 81st hole, I turned to my group and said, ‘Well, this is my last shot at a Swedish ace!’ I was mostly joking but low and behold my Truth found the chains and came to rest in the bottom of the bucket! While there was no ace pot, it was still to this day my most memorable shot, which honestly says a lot, because I’ve been fortunate enough to hit a couple $1000+ aces in my career.”

Tina Stanaitis:

“I don't have a crazy good story but I did make 1 ace in all of my 8-9 years! It was about 200 feet and I had a supergroup of about 8 people with me who all signed my disc and I made like $40 bucks from them!”

Do you have a crazy ace story? Share it with us in the comments below!

What's Your Best Ace Story?

Getting a disc golf ace is as elusive for some as finding Sasquatch in the woods, while for others it seems they rack up the 1’s with ease. Even if you happen to be lucky and get aces more often than most, there’s still something special about them.

We thought we’d have a little fun with this blog post and highlight some of the best, weirdest, or just plain funny aces that our DD team members have executed themselves or seen happen in real life. These are just a few of the many anecdotes that have been shared along the way:

A Ray:

“The team, especially those members around DFW, used to rib me for a long time. I didn't hit my first ace until nearly 9 years of playing disc golf (in 2016). The ironic part is that my now wife, when we were dating back in 2008, hit an ace the second time I took her out to play disc golf -- at my now home course Crowley Bicentennial. So for a while whenever the topic of aces would come up, they'd ask, "A Ray, how many aces do you have...?" "...and how many does your wife have?!!!"

Danny Lindahl:

“I hit an ace when I just got a brand new Moonshine Warden with the team stamp on it. I was so proud of that brand new, beautiful disc I threw it on pretty much every hole. I aced hole 13 and immediately my stomach sank. My friends were hooting and hollering and I was excited but I was dreading what was next. We got to the basket and they were all ready to sign my disc and I quietly asked if they would mind not marking this one. They agreed but on the condition that they deny it ever happened. So did I really ace hole 13 at Beaverfork with a Moonshine Warden? I did, but nobody believes me.”

Christopher Wojciechowski:

“In 2012 I was paired up at our long-running Sunday doubles with another pro's 11-year-old son. During the round I picked up my longest hole in one at 416' (Vienna Park #18 Long), split the ace pool with the other pro who hit the 237' #3, and then beat the other pro when his son parked the second hole of the sudden death playoff for us (that other pro had offered to pay my entry for putting up with an 11-year-old from the long tees before the round). The funny thing about my ace - I got within 50' before I realized it wasn't lying on the ground behind the bucket and figured out I had the hole in one. Some locals had done such an incredible job the day before cleaning up the cramped green that I wasn't even paying attention. It was an amazing eventful day of golf.”

Chris Smith:

“I was playing the Lewisville Open with teammate Bryce Longerbone. We came to hole 2, our second to last hole. I had a nasty spit and Bryce capitalized with a birdie to tie us up. After teeing off on hole 3, an anhyzer over the lake, his disc came to rest 20 feet out. He said ‘now you need a birdie to tie me.’ So I aced it to beat him by one.”

Ace stories are always some of the best around in the sport of disc golf, and we love hearing about these proud and funny moments. Do you have a spectacular ace story that you want to share with the world? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

Did Someone Say Ace? Now You Can Earn Money Along With Your Hole In One

The elusive disc golf ace - it’s something that all players strive for, and when you hit your first one it feels oh so good. Some people seem to be naturally lucky when it comes to a hole in one and rack up ace after ace like it’s no big deal. Others play multiple rounds per week for years before they ever hit chains on the first try.

While the traditions around hitting an ace vary depending on the part of the country you’re in, we want to discuss some general guidelines and stipulations that come with getting an ace, whether it’s during a casual round or tournament play. Plus, you can even earn money from your ace - keep reading to find out how!

You’ve Hit An Ace - Now What?

That moment of hearing chains when you’re standing on the tee box is nothing short of a miracle, and even if you’ve hit dozens of aces throughout your disc golf career, it’s always a great feeling. Once you’ve retrieved your disc and relished in the glory, what do you do next?

Again, some parts of the nation do different things but what we commonly see is that anyone who witnesses an ace pulls out a Sharpie and signs the ace disc. You can include your PDGA number if you have one or even write a fun little message on it. More often than not, people like to hang their ace discs at home and it’s cool to see one on the wall with a bunch of signatures.

What shouldn’t you do? Out of respect for the course and other players, you should never sign any part of the basket. The same thing goes for the tee sign, a bench, or anything else out there. Keep your penmanship limited to the disc and only the disc.

All About The Money

You can’t hit the proverbial disc golf jackpot without making some cash, right? In most instances, those who witness an ace will pay the player $1 or sometimes even $5. If you’re competing in a tournament or weekly and paid into the ace pot, you could also earn some hefty cash.

Another great way to make some real money with an ace is by playing in an event that’s participating in the $5K/$10K Grow Disc Golf Ace Challenge. In short, tournament directors can choose a specific hole on the course and designate it as the ace hole. They’ll film each shot thrown, and if you hit an ace on that specific hole you can win up to $10,000! For a complete outline of the details, including the benefits of participating and how to set everything up so that the aces count, visit our Grow Disc Golf site.

Hitting an ace is always a day to remember, and sometimes the ways they happen can be a bit unexpected or even pretty funny. Stay tuned for another blog highlighting some of the most memorable aces thrown or seen by members of the DD team.