Sunday, October 21, 2018
By Ed Runyan
HOWLAND
Bill Flynn of Howland has enjoyed the game of disc golf for most of his adult life, but his induction into the the Ohio Disc Golf Hall of Fame today is not all about his ability to throw a disc into a basket.
“I’ve only won one big tournament in my whole life,” Flynn said.
But Flynn has had a big impact on the game in other ways, installing the first Mahoning Valley disc golf course – Young’s Run Disc Golf Course in the Clarence Darrow MetroPark in Champion in 1996.
He followed that up with another course across the street at Kent State University’s Trumbull Campus and courses at Mosquito Lake State Park, West Branch State Park and Pymatuning State Park.
Flynn, who first played the game in 1983 while a student at the University of Cincinnati, proposed the first course in 1992.
His biography on the Hall of Fame Facebook page lists an extraordinary number of ways he has served the game.
In addition to course designer and installer, he has also been tournament director, Trumbull County MetroParks chairman, and even publisher of the national circulation Flying Disc Magazine for two years and producer of a DVD on learning disc golf fundamentals.
He and his disc golf friends are part of the Trumbull County Disc Golf Associates, which has the distinction of playing every week for the past 15 years, in any kind of weather.
What is disc golf? According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of using a ball and clubs, however, players throw a flying disc. The sport, which was first played formally in the early 1970’s, shares with “ball golf” the goal of completing a hole in the fewest number of strokes – or throws.
After all these years, the real meaning of disc golf for Flynn is the lifelong friendships that have developed.
“I’ve made a lot of great friends,” he said. “A lot of the guys are real close.”
Dan Busick, hall of fame administrator, said Flynn’s biography is “one of the most impressive I’ve seen. The hours and effort is just phenonenal.”
He said Flynn’s most impresive accomplishments have been his ability to install courses and create a community of golf in this part of Ohio.