The trend of releasing special holiday edition discs with special stamps is growing in the disc golf market. Let’s take a look at the discs that have been released to celebrate Halloween in 2016.
One of the most hotly anticipated Halloween discs of the year is the Z Glo Buzzz a stamp featuring the traditional Buzzz Bee mashed-up with the iconic Freddy Krueger. The glow plastic is perfect for the shorter, darker days that come this time of year.
Another very popular disc that is already hard to find is the Vanish by Axiom Discs with the awesome, three-foil stamped spider. There were a few extra-limited editions with color variations which already sell for high prices on the internet to collectors.
Legacy Discs also put out their 2016 Halloween stamp which you can get on a Bandit, Rampage, or a Nemesis disc. The foil stamps come in a variety of colors, from solids to some of the more flashy foils.
Innova stuck with a more traditional Halloween look by using primarily orange and black discs, available with Firebirds, Rocs, TeeBirds, and Aviars. There are black, white, or orange stamps on the discs featuring a skull and disc golf basket with bat wings. Innova Halloween Discs are always a popular hit in the disc golf world, which first began with their classic Orange Pumpkin Aviar.
At Infinite Discs, we’re most excited about our October special edition stamp that looks awesome in your bag all year, even beyond Halloween. We call it the “Infinite Monster” and it is featured on almost all of the most popular Innova disc models, as well as a few Discmania disc models, with many color combinations to suit your tastes. Here is a look at the Infinite Discs three-headed monster created by our VIP Club artist, NEOmi-trix.
Here is a quick tutorial on how to search remaining Halloween stamps, as well as other special edition stamps on Infinite Disc’s website:
1 – Use the Advanced Disc Search feature near the top of the page.
2 – Check-mark the box next to the word “Extras”
3 – Scroll down the resulting list until you see and check-mark the box next to “Holiday Edition”, or check-mark next to “Halloween Discs” or any other special stamp you want to search.
4 – Click the “View Individual Discs” button and scroll through the resulting pages of disc images, which you can click to purchase.
Hey Infinite Discs fans and readers! As many of you know, we recently picked up a ton of new members for Team Infinite – our new sponsorship! Here is what the team has been up to recently!
Markus Mika shows off his Biofuzion Defender at the Shoot the Moon Classic
Team Infinite’s youngest member Holly Saugling, 9, received a 26 point rating boost in the last update
Tony “T2” Martinez lines up for a putt at the Jolley’s Ranch Open, where 10 Team Infinite Members were present
Tournaments
Norcal Series Championship (A-tier), Ione, CA 10/15-16:
Brian Cole; 7th Place MPO
Autumn Glory Open presented by 1010 Discs(A-tier), Southaven, MS 10/15:
Robby Harris; Tie 9th Place MPO
Flying Eagle Open presented by Bonfire Brewing & Latitude 64
(B-tier), Eagle, CO 9/24-25:
Ryan Flahive; Tie 16th Place MA1
The Magnolia Open presented by Innova (Women Only)(B-tier),Appling, GA 10/15-16: Deann Donaldson, 1st Place FA1!!!
Lunacy VIII presented by Innova Discs (B-tier), Longmont, CO 10/8-9:
Andrew “Big Country” Belet; Tie 7th Place MA2
The Hollows Fall Classic sponsored by Dynamic Discs (B-tier), Manchester, NH 10/15-16:
Alex Sakash, Tie 14th Place MA2
Spring Valley Spectacular (B-Tier), Spring, TX 10/8:
Derek O’Neil, Tie 5th Place MA2
Jolley’s Ranch Open (PDGA C-Tier), Springville, UT 10/15
Tony “T2” Martinez: 4th Place MPO
Nick Lopez: 6th Place MPO
Taylor Salanoa: 11th Place MPO
Nate Reiner: 18th Place MPO
Rodney Tripp: Tie 3rd MA1
Casey Lee: 5th Place MA1
Jace Smellie: 15th Place MA1
Alan Barker: 6th Place MA2
Adam Helpingstine: 20th Place MA2
PureLine Championship (PDGA C-Tier), Logan, UT 10/1
Justin Bilodeau: 4th Place MPO
Steve Suhaka: 8th Place MPO
Nate Reiner: 11th Place MPOTaylor Salanoa: 12th Place MPO
Bradley Bauer: Tie 2nd MA1
Richard Alexander: Tie 2nd MA1
Brandon “Mook” Merzlock: Tie 8th MA1
Casey Lee: Tie 8th MA1 Rodney Tripp: 1st Place MA2!!!
Alan Barker: 6th MA2
Dylan Durrant: 14th Place MA2
Adam Helpingstine: 17th Place MA2
Shoot the Moon Classic (PDGA C-Tier), Viroqua, WI 10/15: Markus Mika, 6th Place MPO
Middle Tennessee State Championship (PDGA C-Tier), Murfreesboro/Smyrna, TN 9/25:
Jennifer Lovett, 3rd Place FPO
Nockamixon Hoodoo 7 – Ams (C-tier), Quakertown, PA 10/1:
John Saugling, Tie 2nd Place MM1
Bring It to Blair! (PDGA C-tier), Blair, NE 10/16:
Christopher Ostheimer, Tie 8th Place MA2
RATINGS UPDATE!! Here is everyone from Team Infinite that didn’t lose points in the October Update! Great work team! I have put the highest ratings bumps in bold!
Deann Donaldson #66842: 833 to 839 Holly Saugling #78655: 389 to 415 (She’s 9 years old!) – 26 point bump!
Brian Cole #46301: 974 to 978
Justin Bilodeau #45478: 975 to 976
Tony “T2” Martinez #43921: Stays at 976
Jake La”Putt”ka #52776: 968 to 971
Casey Kemmerer #43710: Stays at 961
Ryan Flahive #65503: 951 to 955
Alec Falzone #57550: 950 to 954
Ryan Heeti #66814: Stays at 949 Richard Alexander #76467: 921 to 935 – 14 point bump!
Rodney Tripp #78186: 922 to 933 Taylor Salanoa #76083: 915 to 932 – 17 point bump!
Markus Mika #47001: 924 to 928
Bradley Bauer #78607: 917 to 922
Jordan Parks #76344: 913 to 920
Jonathan Grimes #82885: 897 to 910
Jordan Miller #82164: 899 to 907
Derek O’Neil #51465: 892 to 899 Nate Reiner #55277: 869 to 896 – 27 point bump!
Brandon Merzlock #24795: 891 to 895
John Saugling #68406: 889 to 893
William Trimble #71368: 877 to 882
Alan Barker #66339: 881 to 882 Cameron Beck #78346: 816 to 867 – 51 point bump!
Dylan Durrant #78185: 848 to 851
Christopher Ostheimer #76726: 829 to 838
Other Events
Markus Mika– TD of Pettibone Fall League II – PDGA Sanctioned League at Pettibone DGC in La Crosse, WI
Dynamic Discs 2 Disc Challenge – Tyler Nolen – CHAMPION
This summer we opened up applications for Team Infinite, and we couldn’t believe the response we got!
We have spent hours sorting through all of the many applications we received. Thank you everyone who applied!
Now, the time has finally come to announce the members of Team Infinite! So without further ado, here is our current team roster! Click on the names of the team members to see their profiles and learn a little bit more about them!
We are so excited to have these disc golfers representing our brand and this sport across the country. We look forward to getting to know these players more and to share with everyone what they’re doing to help grow the sport in their parts of the country.
For example, here is a picture we received just this week from team member Markus Mika (left) at a PDGA Sanctioned league he is running out of La Crosse, WI. This is a travelling league, and this picture was taken at North Valley DGC in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Markus is a great example of a selfless disc golfer that goes above and beyond to grow the sport and we are proud to have him on the team.
I applied, but I wasn’t selected. Now what?
You’re still awesome! We had so many great applicants that made it very hard to make our selections. Also, we are not completely shutting down the selection process, and will continue to add additional highly qualified team members. Here are a few things that you can do to better your chances of being selected for the team in the future.
Use InfiniteDiscs.com. This may be obvious, but we want to see people are actively using all facets of our site, and this doesn’t just mean buy discs from us. We have put in a lot of work to develop Infinite Courses and Infinite Profiles. Keep your profile up to date. You can enter your scores in the system, record course scores, keep track of your stats, write disc and course reviews, and much more on our site.
Interact with us on social media. We don’t expect everyone to share every little thing we share on every social media format, but we do notice when you are actively engaged with us. Liking, commenting on, or sharing our posts helps us to share our message with the people within your sphere of influence.
Be active within your disc golf community. We want team members who are actively involved on a local level who want to grow the sport and disc golf experience in their part of the country. Play in as many disc golf events as you can. Even better, step up and run a league or tournament in your area.
And even if you aren’t interested in being a part of Infinite Discs, we hope you will still do the things we listed above. We hope everyone will actively enjoy the many ways that disc golfers can take advantage of the resources we are working to provide for disc golf.
A note for our Utah Golfers who were not accepted.
With Infinite Discs operating out of Utah, we had a lot of applications come in from our home state. We love Utah and Utah disc golfers, and there are so many folks who applied who if they had lived in a different state, we would have easily accepted them to the team. We really are so grateful for the homegrown support, and we hope you all know that just because you weren’t accepted to the team doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate you and your support!
Infinite Discs is happy to present the follow-up to the popular Infinite Bomber stamp which was used across many disc molds from different manufacturers. Behold, the Infinite Illuminati stamp!
Once again, the stamp will appear across many different disc molds and manufacturers. The Infinite Illuminati stamp was debuted on the Super Glow Wizard and the Glow Lil Wizard (a miniature replication of the Wizard). The stamp looks great when centered in the middle of that cool, glowing background.
Infinite Discs currently has popular disc models from Trilogy (Westside, Latitude 64, and Dynamic Discs) in stock featuring the new stamp. If you’re a fan of the Destiny, Justice, King, Trespass, River, and more, you can get them with the Infinite Illuminati stamp.
More selection will follow as we continue to spread the Infinite Illuminati influence across popular disc makers.
Here is a quick review of how you can search for this stamp and browse the available discs within the store website:
Step 3 – Scroll down the list on the left side and check-mark the box next to “Infinite Discs Illuminati” (you could also search “Infinite Discs Bomber” or “Holiday Edition”, etc.)
Step 4 – Click the button that says View Individual Discs.
Step 5 – Scroll through pages of discs and buy the ones you love.
As you can see, by using that “Extras” feature, you can search for different special editions stamps. Search for more Infinite Bomber stamped discs, or for Holiday Themed stamps, bottom stamped discs, etc.
We plan to continue the fun by bringing in more supplies of several Infinite Discs stamps. We hope you love them as much as we do!
This weekend Northern Utah will host the Pureline Championships disc golf tournament on the Sherwood Hills “ball golf” course. The TD, Steve Suhaka, has spent countless hours meeting and negotiating with the course owners and groundskeepers to allow us to have this tournament there. The price agreed on to reserve the course for the day is not cheap, but the course is amazing, and we’re hoping that this tournament will open doors for potential of a future permanent disc golf solution on this underutilized land.
I don’t have financial numbers, but know from general observation that this golf course is rarely (if ever), at full capacity. The course, including 200 acres of land and a nice club house is currently listed for sale for just $2,000,000, which leads me believe that the golf course itself is not very profitable. When I called to make a “tee time” to play a round this afternoon and the course pro admitted that it’s never busy so reserving tee times isn’t necessary.
Why are the course owners opposed to having disc golf on golf courses if it has potential to bring extra revenue for almost no additional cost?
I went with Steve to one of the negotiating meetings with the owner (an elderly lady in her seventies) and it seemed that her two big concerns were:
It would interfere with the “ball” golfers experience.
The discs would cause damage to the greens, and nice greens are where the money is made.
I saw this video on my Facebook feed this morning posted by Dude Apparel that illustrates the cultural judgements of Skiiers attitudes towards Snowboarders in the 1980’s.
When this news report was filmed, ski resort operators simply refused to allow snowboarders to ride their lifts. A similar attitude likely exists between many “golfers” and disc golfers. The reason they are likely opposed for now is because they don’t fully understand.
Is this a real issue? Is it simply judgments and stereotyping that make it difficult to get disc golf on ball golf courses, or are there negative consequences that make having the disc golf option a bad idea?
After having the temp course in for two days the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The course manager has even requested that we leave the baskets up for a few more days. Now that it appears we have overcome the stereotyping and potential conflicts, it looks like having a coinciding permanent disc golf course might indeed be a real option.
If we look at golfing trends, a disc golf option really is something many golf courses should consider.
Graphs Comparing the Growth of Disc Golf and the Decline in Ball Golf
Here are trends showing the number of golfers in the United States according to the National Golf Foundation. As you can see, the trend over the past five years has been declining for both “total golfers” and “committed golfers”.
In disc golf there isn’t a survey that accurately reflects the total number of people that play disc golf in a way similar to the NGF data. However, the trend in active PDGA member clearly shows a rapid increase in the amount of tournament participating disc golfers.
Number of Traditional Golf vs Disc Golf Courses
While the number of open ball golf courses has declined for the last decade, the number of disc golf courses have dramatically risen in most areas.
This Graph is not an apples to apples comparison, but the trends are clear. For statistics used in the graph, ball golf only counts 9 hole courses as a “half” course, and the number of disc golf courses displayed is any sized course including the little 6 holer. In addition, I was unable to dig up US only courses, so the disc golf course statistics displays course throughout the world and not just in the US.
In Utah unprofitable golf courses, many of which are publicly owned, are a big problem for local governments and economies. Many cities have had to spend public taxpayer funds to pay the bills because the golf course revenue alone is not self sustaining. In recent years, several courses throughout the state have been shut down because they simply lost too much money. The question of what to do with the current public golf courses has been a political hot topic. One of these courses, the Jordan River Par three course, was completely shut down as an operating golf course and has now been transformed into a permanent disc golf course that requires very little public maintenance. With disc golf, they don’t have to maintain expensive greens and fairways or mow as often. At the Jordan River course, it doesn’t even look like they water a good portion of the disc golf course.
What Disc Golfers are Willing to Pay for a Round of Gold
The reality is that most disc golf courses are in public areas that are free to play. In general, disc golfers are used to playing a round without financial constraint. However, if the course is excellent and well maintained, almost all disc golfers are willing to pay for a round of golf.
From the 2016 State of Disc Golf Survey we see that 95.6% of disc golfers are willing to pay up to $3 for a round and almost 90% are willing to pay up to $5. There starts to be a significant decline when the rounds get more costly, but more than half–53.6% of respondents said that they are willing to play up to $10 per round.
While the average disc golfer isn’t willing to pay as much per round as the average ball golfer, they are willing to pay to play. Perhaps many financially strained and closing golf courses could remain open by creating additional revenue streams through disc golf, even if disc golf is only available during non peak hours.
The 9 hole Mulligans golf course in Ogden, Utah is now also a championship level disc golf course used for the Utah Open, a premier tournament that will be on the 2017 Disc Golf Pro Tour. With the way things seem to be going with our trial experience, perhaps we will also see the Sherwood Hills golf course on this exclusive tour.
Have you played disc golf on a ball golf course? If so where is the course at, and what was your experience?
The Infinite Discs VIP Club accepted its first subscribers in May 2016 and began our collector’s disc-of-the-month program. The intent of the VIP Club has been simple since the start– to introduce players to new discs featuring unique, collectible stamps. Each disc is produced in a limited quantity so that the VIP Club members have something truly unique in their bag and in their collection. The monthly featured discs come from different manufacturers and vary in style and purpose. We’ve watched the feedback so far and have found that many of the VIP Club members actually hang their discs on a wall rather than throw them, because they are so excited about the look of the discs. Here is an opportunity to look at the discs that have been featured each month from May to September:
Undertaker by Discraft in Titanium plastic
The first disc, featured in May, started off the club right. It was the new Undertaker fairway driver, which has been Discraft’s best-selling new release since the Nuke. At the time of the VIP release, the 2016 Undertaker had not yet been released to general retail outlets in Titanium plastic, so the VIP Club members got to feel and throw it first. Of course, the stamp is a limited edition, only featured on the VIP Club edition of the disc. All of the VIP Club discs were a fantastic silver Titianium plastic with black stamp which really popped. Infinite Discs ordered more of these than of the subsequent monthly discs because we were not sure at the time of arranging the featured disc how many VIP subscribers would sign up. Thus, it is not only labeled on the stamp as Infinite Discs VIP Series #1, but it is also the only disc that has a quantity of 500. The next few discs are all numbered with a quantity of 300.
Defender by Dynamic Discs in DyeMax plastic
The featured disc for June was the Defender, which was the newest 2016 distance driver from Dynamic Discs at the time. It had yet been seen on full-color DyeMax, and the VIP Club members received a really cool image designed just for the club edition. This high-speed, overstable distance driver is a great disc for experienced players. But even if it is “too much disc” or “too overstable” for new players, it proved attractive enough to add to any disc enthusiast’s collection. It will hold a place as the first full-color VIP Club disc, though it will not be the last.
Destiny by Westside in Tournament plastic
The featured disc for July was the new 2016 distance driver release from Westside called the Destiny. It was featured on a black Tournament plastic, though the discs that arrived from the manufacturer varied from stark black to swirly grey. All of them featured a unique, Tarot-influenced pink foil stamp design. Several VIP Club members have since commented that the Destiny was a disc that they ended up throwing frequently after discovering it through the club. It is a very player-friendly high-speed distance driver that can get great distance even for intermediate players.
A4 by Prodigy in 750 Plastic
After featuring a fairway driver and two distance drivers, the VIP Club members got something completely different in August. The A4 was one of Prodigy’s hot 2016 new releases and is a hybrid disc, blending elements of a putter and a mid-range disc. The “A” stands for “approach” and it is a very good disc for short-range approaches to the basket. The disc was featured in 750 plastic, the most premium blend offered by Prodigy, and the A4 had not yet been offered in 750 plastic at the time of the VIP Club release. The stamp featured a steampunk theme. This was the first disc in the VIP Series which came in a variation of disc colors and stamp colors. Thus different club members received different color combinations.
FD “Jackal” by Discmania in Metal Flake C-Line plastic
The featured disc for September was the first disc in the series that was not a new 2016 release. Instead, it was one of the top-selling discs from the growing Discmania catalog, a fairway driver called the FD. The disc was originally called the “Jackal”, so the stamp featured a ferocious Jackal image. Though not a new disc mold, the FD had not yet been released in Metal Flake C-Line plastic, so the VIP Club members got the first taste of this plastic blend with the FD. Once again, the disc and stamp colors varied, so different club members received differing color combinations. We received many messages inquiring about the identity of the September disc because many players are unaware that Innova manufactures all Discmania discs. Thus it has the Innova factory information embossed on the back. “C-Line” is the Discmania name for “Champion” plastic, so it is basically a Metal Flake Champion FD.
VIP Club Extras
Though the discs are the key focus of the VIP Club, those who have joined have also received a few extra items and benefits as members. For example, each new member of the VIP Club has received a metal bag tag which can be collected, or used in bag tag challenges when playing against other VIP Club members. Members have also received VIP Club towels, key chains, patches, and stickers. These little items are tossed in as a “thank you” to the subscribers and to help them identify themselves on the course as a member of the Infinite Discs VIP Club.
VIP Club members are also given exclusive access to a VIP-only store where they can pick up special edition discs that show up at the Infinite Discs warehouse, but at a discount. For example, some members have taken advantage of the store to buy discounted limited editions Buzzz discs, mini Wizards, and tournament stamped versions of the Destiny, etc. Though still in an early building stage, the VIP Store is a feature that we hope will be a tool for the disc collectors and enthusiasts in the club to get fun discs cheaper than they could on our already inexpensive website.
The monthly subscription cost for the VIP Club is $19.99 which covers the cost of the disc, the shipping, and any extra bonus material. There are some players who have commented that they would rather buy the discs of their preference from the regular store rather than pay for a monthly mystery disc, and we love that idea! If you’re a player that already knows what you want and you aren’t interested in collecting limited editions, then the huge selection of more than 22,000 discs in Infinite Discs online inventory is the perfect place for you. But if you like the joy of opening a surprise each month, and you love getting your hands on limited editions, then the VIP Club was created with you in mind! We hope that each disc ends up maintaining, if not increasing in value over time, and we’re still working to make it exciting each and every month.
Looking Forward at the VIP Club
We absolutely love and thank the VIP Club members who have subscribed so far. Whether you’ve been in for all five months, or you were in for a month or two, or if you barely joined, YOU have helped to make it possible for Infinite Discs to create something new and special. You have made it possible for us to approach disc manufacturers with some really great ideas. We hope to keep growing the club over time so that even more manufacturers will see the value in presenting their newest and best discs in new ways so that the enthusiastic players and supporters in the club can benefit from their membership. The more we are represented by large numbers of disc enthusiasts, the more we can push the limits in the future.
Heading into the final months of 2016, we are really excited about the discs that we’ve planned and arranged to have produced for us. These discs often take months of planning and creative effort. The upcoming disc for October 2016 will be disc #6 in the series and it is being specially manufactured for the club by the disc maker. It will fit the mood of Halloween and we are confident that it will stand out. Plus, it will be a beginner-friendly disc, as well as being a great utility disc for advanced throwers. It will be easy to throw at pretty much any level.
In November, we will see our first non-hybrid mid-range disc (the A4 was a hybrid). Again, it is being produced to our specifications by the manufacturer and we’re excited about it. It is another featured 2016 new release.
In December we have something very special planned to celebrate the holiday season. We won’t ruin the surprise, but from the moment the VIP Club members open the package, they’ll be treated to a special disc golf experience. We’re especially excited that we’ll be presenting some high-quality discs that are not as well known to the general disc golf public in the USA. It will be fun, it will make club members smile, and it will spotlight the growth of the sport worldwide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION…
The Infinite Discs VIP Club currently has a limited number of spots available. So, those who desire to join need to be added to a waiting list. As previous members leave the club, we invite others to take the vacant spot. You can read more about the club here.
If you would like to be added to the waiting list for a subscription spot to open, then please email todd@infinitediscs.com with the subject header “I Want to Be a VIP”. You will receive a confirmation that you are on the waiting list. As soon as a spot opens, you’ll be notified.
One of the most hotly anticipated Halloween discs of the year is the Z Glo Buzzz a stamp featuring the traditional Buzzz Bee mashed-up with the iconic Freddy Krueger. The glow plastic is perfect for the shorter, darker days that come this time of year.
Another very popular disc that is already hard to find is the Vanish by Axiom Discs with the awesome, three-foil stamped spider. There were a few extra-limited editions with color variations which already sell for high prices on the internet to collectors.
Legacy Discs also put out their 2016 Halloween stamp which you can get on a Bandit, Rampage, or a Nemesis disc. The foil stamps come in a variety of colors, from solids to some of the more flashy foils.
Innova stuck with a more traditional Halloween look by using primarily orange and black discs, available with Firebirds, Rocs, TeeBirds, and Aviars. There are black, white, or orange stamps on the discs featuring a skull and disc golf basket with bat wings. Innova Halloween Discs are always a popular hit in the disc golf world, which first began with their classic Orange Pumpkin Aviar.
Undertaker by Discraft in Titanium plastic
Defender by Dynamic Discs in DyeMax plastic
Destiny by Westside in Tournament plastic
A4 by Prodigy in 750 Plastic
FD “Jackal” by Discmania in Metal Flake C-Line plastic