Don't overindulge on New Year's Eve - at least, not if you plan to compete in the New Year's Day disc golf tournament in Holts Summit. You'll need a steady hand and a keen eye to measure up against members of the Jefferson City Disc Golf Club.
"It's open for anyone who likes to play," said Ron Braman, the club's president.
The tournament will consist of two rounds, one 18 holes and one just 10 holes, with a break in between for lunch.
"It's kind of hard to put a tournament together this time of year because, if you're going play two rounds, you'll be playing the second round at night," Braman said.
He and the other members of the Jefferson City Disc Golf Club are intimately familiar with the course, because they helped bring it to town two years ago.
"The higher-ups of the club went to Holts Summit, and we asked if we could put in the course," Braman said. "We worked with the city of Holts Summit to get the approval to get the course."
He said the opportunity came about when he was talking to the YMCA of Callaway County about potentially installing a course. While that deal fell through, he ended up in contact with Brian Crane, the former city administrator of Holts Summit. He and several other club members successfully lobbied the Board of Aldermen to put the course in Greenway Park.
"The disc golf club designed the course and did most of the work out there to put it in,"
Braman said. "The club helped cut down the trees, clear the fairways."
He described the course as "technical," with plenty of trees to work around.
"You won't get your big, long throws," Braman said. "You have to think about your shot, make sure you get around the tree, through woods. Some people like that; some people hate that."
However, he added, the two disc golf courses in Jefferson City are more open, so there's plenty of variety in the area.
Everyone, from newbies to veterans, is welcome to come out to the tournament, Braman said. There will be at least three divisions: pro, intermediate and recreational. Depending on how many people show up, youth and women's divisions may be added.
"You would need at least one but preferably three discs: driver, putter and mid-range," Braman advised. "You can find those at Dick's Sporting Goods or MC Sports. Other places around here sell them, like up in Columbia, the Show Me Disc Sports."
He added that Show Me Disc Sports is providing prize vouchers for top placers in the lower divisions, though winners of the highest divisions will receive cash prizes, according to the event page on Facebook.
In Braman's opinion, disc golf is a great way to get more active, if that's one of your New Year's resolutions.
"You do a lot of walking and climbing," he said. "It's almost like hiking with a purpose. You're throwing your disc and trying to get it into the basket. You're going to have to bend over at least three times per hole - there's aerobics or whatever. That's what I tell my wife when I'm going to go out."