Pioneering Kansas disc golf: Vahsholtz recalls disc golf career and shares intricacies of sport

May 31—Editor's note: This article is the second in a three-part series about Dennis Vahsholtz and the growth of the sport of disc golf.

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"It's a constant challenge every day with the changing weather conditions and everything. Nothing is ever the same. It just doesn't get old. Just like people get who love to play golf, it's the same way. You kind of get addicted to it."

Dennis Vahsholtz has been playing disc golf professionally for about 35 years. Starting in Kansas, he's traveled the country to play in tournaments. Overall, he's played in 104 Professional Disc Golf Association sanctioned tournaments and won 24 tournament divisions, according to the PDGA website. His highest rating has been 955.

Vahsholtz said his first tournament was an unsanctioned tournament in Hays, Kansas, one of the first in the city.

"There was six people total. It was windier then (ever)," Vahsholtz said. "I got the prize for driving the farthest."

The Hays tournament then inspired Vahsholtz to create his own course in Herington.

His first official PDGA sanctioned tournament was the Kansas City Wide Open in 1987. He came in 17th place in the advanced division.

The difference between an amateur player and a professional player is whether you take money in prizes, Vahsholtz said. Amateurs can take prizes that aren't money, such as discs and merchandise. Players can either choose to play in the open division or in age-protected. The age-protected divisions, while they have names such as master and grandmaster, are different age ranges.

Vahsholtz said his best performance was during the 2003 PDGA World Championships in Flagstaff, Arizona. He took 6th place out of 50 players in the grandmaster division, which is players 50 years old and higher.

"It was in a lot of different types of courses mostly in pine tree, mountainous type courses, tight fairways, a lot of trees," he said. "It was a perfect course for me because I was always very accurate, not a very long distance thrower. A lot of the players that were used to these open parks areas, they were complaining, but I wasn't. For some reason, I played for dirt days. Some of the best golf I've ever played."

At higher elevations like at the Flagstaff World Championships, Vahsholtz said golf discs fly differently then normal. First, they fly further. Second, heavyweight overstable discs, ones that tend to curve, "dive out very fast," Vahsholtz said. Players should use an understable, a straight throwing, lightweight disc. The condition also affects the fly pattern. More used, beat-up discs will fly more straight.

Vahsholtz said the world championships have changed since back then. The sport has grown in popularity so much that players don't get to see and meet all the other players due to how many there are and needing to play on other courses.

"All age-protected divisions, the women division, the open division we all met together. It was kind of like a family reunion for many years. The sport got so big now that the open division play off by themselves. The women play at another location all by themselves. The age-protected division play in another area all by themselves on different dates. Not like how it used to be."

Basically, there are three types of discs made for each type of throw. Drivers are thinner discs made for throwing long distances. Mid-range is a little thicker than the drivers and don't "cut through the air" as much as the drivers, Vahsholtz said, to close the distance to a basket. Putters have a deep rim in comparison and typically fly the straightest out of the three types. They are made for hitting the basket at a close distance.

"It's just like using golf clubs. In disc golf, your disc is you club, so depending on the wind conditions, with the wind, against the wind, side winds, determines what kind of disc you going to throw on any one throw."

For brands of discs, Vahsholtz said the Zero-G Quasar lightweight driver and the Omega Supersoft putter.

Something Vahsholtz wished he learned sooner was the x-step, a technique to have more power behind a throw. Overall, it is taking three sideways steps in the direction of the throw in a quick fluid motion. For right-handed throwers, the x-step is one right step sideways. Then, take a step with the left foot and place it behind and a little ahead of the right foot. Lastly, take a right foot step and plant it before throwing.

"That kind of gets your body cocked to get more twist in (the throw)."

While he is more focused on Discs Unlimited now, whenever he has energy on the weekends, Dennis Vahsholtz can be found on some course in Kansas.

"Everyone shares a common passion and, just like hunters, fishermen, if you share a passion, you have a common bond. You can go anywhere in the country and step onto that disc golf course, get into a group, start talking, find out where the leagues are, and when the next get together is. If you walk in a total stranger and walk away from the course, you have group of people you can identity with, have something in common with."

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The next and last article in this series will cover the growth of disc golf in the past two years with input from Vahsholtz.