Innova, the leading company in the emerging sport of “Disc Golf,” has launched a series of promotional and charitable activities to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. These initiatives aim to provide active duty and veteran military personnel in America with more equipment and opportunities to participate in disc golf.
“We often receive requests from active duty military personnel from around the world. They would say, ‘I am stationed in Kuwait, a base in Poland, or Guantanamo Bay, where there is a disc golf course but no discs available.’ That’s why we have been sending discs to the troops,” professional disc golf player and Innova project manager Chris Brophy told Dajiyuan. This rapidly growing sport, similar to golf in scoring, involves players throwing discs from tee boxes at each hole with the goal of landing the disc in a metal basket fixed on a pole.
As a pioneer and the earliest patent holder in this sport, Innova, headquartered at Rancho Cucamonga in Northeast Los Angeles, was founded in 1983 by Dave Dunipace. According to the company’s statement, Dunipace was a former US Air Force soldier before starting the company and they are currently running four different programs to support military communities.
One of their programs includes a commemorative disc called “Support Our Troops,” featuring a tricolor American flag design and made with the “Halo Champion Firebird or Roadrunner” high-speed disc molds. For every disc sold, the company donates one disc to a military member.
Constructing disc golf courses at military bases is one of the morale, welfare, and recreational projects for the armed forces. Several new courses have been opened and more are in the planning stages. Due to the smaller land footprint and lower construction costs compared to traditional golf courses, disc golf is easier to promote and integrate into existing open spaces. Some well-known disc golf courses in US military bases include a 9-hole course at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, three 18-hole courses at Blue Angel Park in Pensacola, Florida, and facilities at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and Fort Eisenhower in Georgia, among dozens of others.
Innova has also partnered with Armed Forces Entertainment to distribute hundreds of discs to service members at military bases worldwide, including those in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Honduras, and Guantanamo Bay.
This Southern California company takes pride in being “Made in U.S.A.” for over 40 years. They have introduced another disc, the blue-and-white Halo Star Fox mid-range disc, designed specifically for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. For every related product sold, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Paralyzed Veterans of America to support their annual events.
Additionally, the company is preparing for a new collaboration with the US Veterans organization, U.S. Vets. Details of this project supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs counseling will soon be announced. Brophy stated, “Some counselors have already begun using disc golf as a part of rehabilitation activities for some veterans.”
Innova is also producing a commemorative disc specifically for the “Veterans Disc Golf Club,” which has approximately 5,000 active members across the United States. The organization aims to “reduce the sense of isolation among veterans and active-duty service members and enhance their connections” through disc golf.
The organization mentioned that disc golf has a low entry barrier and is easy to participate in, with many veterans expressing that this throwing sport combined with hiking and outdoor activities helps alleviate anxiety, making it easier for them to adapt to civilian life.
Brophy emphasized the significance of suicide prevention in the military, with encouraging feedback from chaplains at some bases indicating that disc golf helps maintain a sense of community among service members, creating a peaceful and nature-immersed atmosphere for enjoyable competitions. Its health benefits include improving cardiovascular function, enhancing strength and flexibility, promoting vitamin D absorption, and enhancing mental health.
Brophy mentioned that military personnel are accustomed to solving complex problems in high-pressure environments while on duty, and on the disc golf course, they can apply similar skills to plan routes and strategies, gaining valuable mental stimulation, thus enhancing “emotional and mental health.”