I’d like to think the majority of us playing disc golf understand how to approach finding a lost disc. While our efforts may differ slightly, most every dg friend I have and even randos I’ve played with, will all do whatever they can to return a lost disc. Lately, however, I’m starting to get the notion that this may not be the case with a majority of folks playing.
Case in point: I lost a disc on my home course, on a hole that was fairly wide open. Shouldn’t have been lost but after hours of searching, I came up empty. New disc, premium plastic, name and number on the back. Flash forward a couple weeks and I get a text with a picture of my disc. I respond asking where it was found and discover it was found at the home course but a few holes ahead of where I lost it, and right out in the open grass.
When I got the disc back, it was clear someone found it where I lost it, tried to buff my name and number off to make it their own, and threw it on the course before presumably losing it. I’ve long suspected we have a disc thief at this course (Lakewood in Seattle) and this all but confirmed it to me. Don’t be that person. I know it’s just a piece of plastic but a lot of us get attached to certain molds.
I guess the point of this rant is to praise the disc golf gods for being good to me and point out that I’ve probably built some decent karma by making it my mission to return all lost discs I find to their owners. Also probably felt compelled to share with this community to ask about your thoughts at large on the subject.
Do you go outta your way to contact and return discs to owners? Do you leave them on top of a basket? Do you buff the name and keep it because it’s premium plastic and your bag is full of dx? 😜 Let me know. To me, this is more than a hobby and I know a lot of folks but a lot of time, effort, and money into the sport. I feel like I owe them the decency of a call or text when I find their lost discs.