Rogers County Man Creates Disc Golf Innovation

Rick Wells, News On 6

CHELSEA, Oklahoma -- It's a bit of good fortune when you can turn something you love doing for fun, into a business.  A Rogers County man is a disc golf fanatic. Add a bit of recycling, and you have Re-Tire Disc Golf.

Kenny Morton has been playing disc golf for about 25 years. The game is similar to regular golf in a lot of ways, but the objective is not to get the ball in the hole, but the disc in the basket. 

Kenny was injured in the military. His therapy involved a Frisbee. 

"Part of the recovery, a guy came in and threw a Frisbee across the room to me," Kenny Morton said.

Pretty soon he was playing Frisbee or disc golf and was hooked. He wanted to create a disc golf course for himself, but the baskets were too expensive - maybe 350 bucks.

"I couldn't afford that," Morton said.

So he started tinkering. Get some old tires, cut them apart with a box cutter. Take some pipe and chain, add a solar powered light: you have 24-hour disc golf.

"These are PDGA-sanctioned worldwide," Morton said.

PDGA is the Professional Disc Golf Association - didn't know there was one, did you?

Instead of clubs, they carry different sizes and weights of discs. 

"I carry 12 to maybe 15 at a time," Morton said.  

Kenny Morton: "You don't fling it - like you're gonna throw it long distance - you wanna push it"
Rick Wells: "So it's like horse shoes."
Kenny Morton: "There you go. Look there, you're already a disc golfer."

He's installed a nine hole course at Claremore Lake with nine more going in next year he hopes. Fun for all ages and good exercise too.

I could learn to like it…maybe.

Re-Tire Disc Golf will begin selling its baskets at Sparky's 19th Hole Disc Golf store in Oklahoma City.

And of course you can find them on Facebook.