Dexter man to play fundraising disc golf for 24 hours

On Saturday, June 20, Adam Smith of Dexter will play disc golf for 24 hours straight at Black Stream Disc Golf on Burrough Road in Sangerville.

Smith aims to complete 240 holes in the 24 hours as part of “Last Card Standing,” a 24-hour disc golf endurance event, to help raise funds and awareness for the Paul McBeth Foundation, which is named for a professional disc golfer. The organization works to bring disc golf to underserved communities by supporting new course installations, providing equipment and developing programs where the sport has never been accessible before.

Last Card Standing is the 24-hour version of the larger Throw for More disc golf fundraiser.

Some of Smith’s colleagues at Tri-County Technical Center in Dexter, where he teaches, are pledging contributions per hole, some are sponsoring him per hour and others are giving flat amounts.

“Whatever they can donate and if they can’t, I ask them to spread the word and they share it,” he said.

“I have been playing off and on close to 10 years now but I have been doing it more steadily and bringing awareness and more people into the past two or three years,” Smith said. Now he plays disc golf several times a week and promotes the outdoor activity on social media.

“I believe in the power of the sport to teach life lessons, build relationships and create opportunities,” Smith said.

Through the Paul McBeth Foundation, Smith learned about Last Card Standing and agreed to participate. 

“Not only can I promote disc golf and get the community involved but I can help the Paul McBeth Foundation put disc golf courses in places that are underserved disc golf-wise,” Smith said.

Originally he thought of playing 90 holes but agreed to increase this total to however many can be fit into the 24-hour window.

“Ninety holes is taxing physically and mentally, but the 24-hour thing is going to be incredible,” Smith said. It’s a great opportunity, a great way to make memories.”

Smith learned about Black Stream Disc Golf last year after having spent much of his time playing previously at Quaker Hill Disc Golf in Fairfield. 

Black Stream Disc Golf has nine holes with three in woods Smith described as quite technical and challenging.

Many disc golf courses have glow nights with colored LED lights in the baskets and golfers can use special glowing discs, so Smith will be able to play in the dark on June 20.

“You can see the basket and you can see your disc and when you throw it you watch your disc fly into the night,” he said. “You can watch it glow and get it as close to the basket as you can.”

Smith will have a headlamp on for when the sun is down.

He prepared during a recent glow night at Black Stream Disc Golf, evenings intended to help get families out with kids getting their screens to “throw some plastic into metal.”

During Memorial Day Weekend Smith took part in a tournament at DND Disc Golf in Sidney with about 90 other participants. 

“It was like I was joining family. It was so welcoming and so inspiring to be around a great group of people like that,” he said. “You don’t get that very often in society anymore. I just love that and I think more people need to experience that.”

“You pretty much are your own motivator and schedule keeper,” he said. “I have been out probably for half a day, close to six hours, playing only two rounds, 36 holes. It’s going to be fantastic and it’s going to be full of memories but it’s also going to be physically taxing and mentally taxing as well come 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning.”

He hopes that by playing disc golf for 24 hours straight, word will get out and more people may take an interest.

“You don’t really need to be an athlete for it, you need to be somewhat in shape,” Smith said. “I have met people in their upper 60s and early 70s out throwing discs which is pretty fantastic. Everybody of all ages does it.”

Smith’s personal event page is at https://charity.pledgeit.org/throwformore/@Adam.

Other links are through his social media accounts (https://www.facebook.com/unclehardbody/ and Instagram at @uncle_hard_body) and through the Paul McBeth Foundation website.

Holes are tracked via the UDisc app. The company will donate 10 cents a round to the Paul McBeth Foundation for those played on June 20 by eligible participants. That day a world record for most rounds of disc golf played in a single day will be challenged.

The global record for the most disc golf rounds played on UDisc in a single day is 124,425. 

Michael Sale holds the Guinness World Record for the most individual holes played in 24 hours, 2,900 holes (approximately 161 full rounds) in September 2014 in Spotsylvania, Virginia.