By Claire Burke
The Master’s University (TMU) has a variety of clubs available for students to join. Because there are a lot of options out there some of the smaller clubs go unnoticed. One club you might not be aware of is the disc golf club (DGC). Since its founding in 2023, the club has slowly gained traction and numbers. This club consists of 12 members: 11 students and one professor.
Disc golf itself has been around since 1976 and since then has been enjoyed by millions of people. A typical disc golf course consists of nine to 18 holes and is spread out around a wide area. TMU’s course is located all throughout campus. The course starts at the Hotchkiss dorm and makes its way over to the intramural field with multiple baskets between each location. Although it is small, the DGC has been enjoyed by its members since the beginning.
The origin of the DGC dates to the spring of 2023. During this semester the club’s founders, Paul Kopp and Ethan Churchill, were enjoying a round of disc golf when they had the idea to start a club. One of the founders, Churchill, a junior, is a sport management major. He also is an outfielder on the Mustang baseball team.
The other founder, Kopp, is a senior kinesiology major and a member of the TMU men’s soccer team. Both founders had been playing disc golf on their own for years before they met and began playing together. This is what eventually sparked their idea for a club.
Once they received approval from Campus Life and backing from professor Dave Larson, the group got to work. They began by clearing the campus course. Kopp and Churchill removed bushes, trees and other unwanted obstacles to create a uniform area to play. Then by word of mouth, the group became larger, and the club was formed.
Although the club did not have a difficult time starting up, the founders have faced some issues along the way. Kopp discussed the difficulties of maintaining a club.
“The hardest part is finding consistent meeting times that work with each member’s schedules,” he said.
An added struggle is getting the word out about the club. To combat this issue, the founders have put together an Instagram page to promote their club and find others who are interested in the sport. On this page, they often do giveaways and other marketing to help boost their status. The club has also set up tables after chapel to get the word out. Despite some challenges, the group still consistently meets for their weekly games.
Currently, the group meets on Fridays at 7:15 a.m., and they typically play between 45 minutes and two hours.
The club is looking to expand and welcome any new members who want to join, no matter their skill level. Kopp explained an added benefit of joining their club is a personal Instagram shoutout featuring the new member. The group also has extra discs available for people who are just starting the sport and need equipment.
According to Kopp, the best part about the DGC is, “spending time with people who have similar interests, talking about life and playing disc golf.”
The TMU Mane 