Disc Golf

Miniclip’s Disc Golf Game was, I thought, a neat find— I love actual disc golf, and am pretty dece at it. Especially if I play with the amatuer pars.

But what it really illustrates is how different golf and disc golf are from each other, and how you can’t just knock a disc golf game out based on a golf template.

First, the good things— Those four discs they offer really are pretty much what you’d carry with you, and the curves are well-defined.

Now, the bad things— Miniclip bites it on fairly fundamental stuff (like, y’know, having pars on holes), and that once you actually play with discs (instead of frisbees), your shots move a LOT faster than that game. And the scale is way off. I can throw a driver well over 200 feet, and I’m not even all that good. Greg and Geoff (happy birthday, by the way), can really whale those things out there, probably about 400 feet at least.

Most fundamentally though, Miniclip doesn’t understand the difference between throwing a disc and hitting a ball. Their limited set of discs isn’t anywhere near the number of different angles that you have to think about (and hold steady) while throwing. A control more like the classic swing/backswing target system (used in Golden Tee or Mario Golf or a million other games) would more accurately reflect throwing the disc and giving you more control when doing things like shooting around a tree.

By the way, what the hell is up with the sand traps? I’ve never seen a disc golf course that has them. What does Miniclip think they’re there for?

Even more important (and the bane of any disc golfer’s existence) are those random gusts of wind. I interviewed the club pro for the Ann Arbor Disc Golf association once and he said what he liked the most about disc golf was that it was played in a 4-d environment unlike any other sport. The wind jetties and turns, and you have to be able to accurately plan for that.

If I was redoing this game, I’d make all of the throws first-person, include an overhead view that had gusts (shown by leaves and grass blades being swirled around), and let you control your shots. Oh, and let me pretend to be throwing like a pro, regularly clearing those 400 foot shots that I always hope for when I release the disc (and spend the rest of the day bragging when I make one out on Hudson Mills. Have I told you about my eagle on that long par five? It was totally sweet).

As an added bonus, you could always make the disc just a little bit luckier after your golfer gets high. I mean, that happens to me…

Now listening to: Wolf Eyes