Tom playing disc golf at Stratford Park, Stroud

As there was only very light rain I decided to go to Stratford Park, in Stroud, where the leisure centre is sited in the grounds of the old clothier's house, which is now the Museum in the Park,  I knew that the frisbee golf players were meeting for the last round of the year, and I wanted to say hello.  

I wasn't going to play today as I still don't feel physically ready but I'd mentioned that I would bring my camera and take a few shots.  Dan Brown, who is one of the prime movers in establishing the local disc golf course here is Stratford Park, also likes taking photos and also video of people throwing discs, but today he had left his at home because the light was so poor.

I arrived just as they had reached the second of eighteen holes and I followed them for about an hour.  There were six other people playing today including Tom, who I have featured, who had come from Cheltenham to play the course.

On each hole a tee is set up  as a line between two points about six feet apart from which everyone has to throw.  The target is a portable basket on three folding legs, and it is moved around from hole to hole as they don't have the resources to establish a permanent set of pole holes, which would be ideal.  The basket is about three feet off the ground and has a series of chains hanging from the top of the poles which absorb the energy of the disc so that it drops into the basket if there is a direct hit.   If you look at some of my other pictures here (I will post more from today as soon as possible) on the group's Facebook site you can see what I mean!

I took pictures of all the players when they were both driving from the tee as well as trying to gently approach the pole hole.  But Tom is actually putting from about thirty feet with a gentle but firm throw to try and land in the basket, which he did with this throw.

I had to leave before they finished but I am planning to start joining in with the game next year when I am a bit fitter!  Being much older than all the others, I dread puling muscles again, which I am prone to do because I think I am still in my twenties when I start throwing a frisbee!  But I do love it.