It was a tranquil Sunday morning at Binder Park, punctuated by the routine clanking of chains and occasional celebratory exclamations as the tournament players holed out along an 18-hole course.
Some 95 competitors from around the state and beyond were vying for cash prizes in the fast-growing sport of disc golf.
Russ Burns, owner of Disc Golf Monkey, organized the ninth annual Jefferson City Disc Golf Open. Competitors played 18 holes in Holts Summit on Saturday, followed by another 18 at Binder Park later that day. On Sunday, the tournament concluded with another 18 holes at Binder.
"The attraction is definitely (that) it's free to play," Burns said. "Most all the courses are in city parks. It's also low-cost for your discs and stuff, they range between $8 and $20."
Burns is a Springfield resident who operates Disc Golf Monkey, which sells discs and other equipment at events and through an online store, discgolfmonkey.com.
The sport, he said, is far less expensive than the traditional game of golf, and it's good exercise. Burns' Fitbit recorded 23,000 steps on Saturday alone.
He said the field of competitors over the weekend ranged from new players to seasoned experts. That shows the sports' growth in popularity, he said.
"It's the fastest-growing sport," he said. "It's been that way for over 15 years, (growing) by leaps and bounds," he said.
When he started playing in 1991, there were barely 700 courses in the United States. Now, there's about 7,000.
The game shares many similarities to golf. Players use different discs for different purposes. Some fly farther, while some are more stable for up-close accuracy. A throw off the tee pad is a "drive," and close-up tosses are "putts." A hole in one is called an "ace" in disc golf.
The goal is to throw the disc in the basket, which has chains above it to stop the discs.
Some of the competitors throw side-arm, while some throw back-handed, like a traditional Frisbee throw. Some throw different ways, depending on how they want to curve the discs in the air.
Competitors in the "pro" category on Sunday took the game seriously, at times throwing discs with a good amount of accuracy about the length of a football field.
Despite the serious competition, they still showed signs of camaraderie, often encouraging each other or applauding good throws by their opponents.