Photography by Jessica Turner
B.B. Owen Park boasts an 18-hole disc-golf course that draws a community of avid players every day.
Disc golf takes the concept of golf and replaces the club and ball with a small plastic disc. Instead of shooting for a hole in the ground, disc golf’s targets are 5-foot-tall metal baskets that the discs glide into. Besides that, the sport’s rules are similar to golf. Players throw discs toward the basket “holes” and try to stay under par for higher scores.
“It’s good exercise that you can be social with too.” says Jordan Willows, who plays at this park a couple of times a week.
Willows is one of many who call the park “B.B.”
“My friends and I played the full 18 during the snowstorm last year.” Willows says. “It was super cool and different to play in those conditions, and it added another memory for us at the park.”
The park draws equally passionate players, young and old. Among them is Trace Cabaniss, an 18-year-old senior at Lake Highlands High School.
“At first it felt a little awkward being surrounded by mostly adults,” Cabaniss says. “However, everyone in the community is extremely welcoming and encouraging of new faces so it’s easy to fit right in.”
Even on the disc golf course, the Lake Highlands sense of fraternity is found.
“Disc golf became a game to share not only with my friends, but with an entire community in Dallas,” Cabaniss says.
Dallas disc golf culture is an inviting and mostly casual community, he says. Recently, the sport has expanded to hold a year-round pro tour featuring the game’s biggest stars. B.B. Owen now hosts professional tournaments on site occasionally.
“I enjoyed playing casual rounds with friends, but I longed for the competitive side of disc golf,” Kyle Moran says. “It was fun playing for something other than bragging rights.”
Moran frequently participates in organized mini-tournaments at B.B. Owen and has found a perfect competitive niche. Combining a small-scale presentation with large-scale stakes, tournaments at the park have become well-attended and are a great meeting point for the serious members of the community.
At B.B. Owen, Lake Highlands’ most thriving subculture grows bigger by the day.
“To the people who have never played disc golf, I’d say to give it a try,” Willows says. “At the very least, I can guarantee that you’ll have a good time.”
