Despite a soggy Saturday Morning in Rock Hill, S.C., a strong showing of 25 ladies shrugged off the rain to take part in the 2015 Throw Pink Event at Fewell Park in Rock Hill, S.C.
The all-female event began last year and is designed to be a relaxing, comfortable way for women and girls to get a first crack at disc golf, all while helping put an end to breast cancer via Throw Pink.
Throw Pink is a series of disc golf events across the country that take place from March to October with the goal of raising money for breast cancer charities, while encouraging women and girls to learn and play disc golf.
With rain steadily coming down as the event started at 9 a.m., organizers brought the skills clinic indoors to the nearby Fewell Park Community Center.
In the building’s meeting room, Debbie Scott of Charlotte, was providing the beginners with an introduction to the three main types of discs, throwing grips, and how to find the right disc for your game using the disc’s flight numbers.
Taking it all in was Cynthia Lary of Ft. Mill, S.C., who had one disc golf event already under her belt prior to Saturday. She came with the goal of working on her release for more control and gain insight from the clinic instructors.
Even though she hasn’t mastered throwing accurately yet, she’s intent on getting better.
“You just have to laugh at yourself and move on,” said Lary.
Downstairs, organizers had made the building’s basement into a makeshift putting area with a few Traveler basket putting stations set up for the more experienced players. There, five-time World Champion Elaine King helped the ladies generate more confidence with their putting.
“It really is a lot of fun,” said King to a few of her students as they aimed for the chains.
Once Scott finished her instruction with the beginners, they headed downstairs for putting practice while the more experienced players took their place in the meeting room upstairs, delving into a deeper disc golf skills discussion.
Though still raining slightly, the women then headed for a round on the Fewell Course with umbrellas in tow. Instructors including 3-time World Champ Valarie Jenkins, Hannah Leatherman, and Madison Walker, accompanied the groups during the round.
Also out there was pro Krystin Nowicki, of Pontotoc, MS, who drove all the way from Mississippi to help instruct on Saturday. Nowicki, a grad student at Mississippi State University, said the event can help these women become more comfortable with disc golf so they’re more likely to play. Plus, they see that other female golfers do exist.
Saturday’s event was the second Throw Pink event this year for participant Kristina Aldrich of Greenville, S.C., who threw a nice drive off the tee soon after the round started. Aldrich is a firm believer in Throw Pink’s mission of bringing women outside to play and its worthy breast cancer awareness message.
Despite the rain, Throw Pink tournament director Kelley McIntosh felt it was a success. Making the most of the rain, they were able to have the clinics in a classroom type setting, which was ideal for learning the basics of the sport.
“I think these are the things that ladies need to know to actually play disc golf instead of just flinging the disc,” said McIntosh.
