Leading US Disc Golf Manufacturer Sends Free Equipment to Active Military, Veterans

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.—Active-duty military and veterans are getting their hands on golf discs and sporting opportunities thanks to disc golf industry leader Innova’s outreach programs and promotional efforts celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

“We’re constantly getting requests from active-duty members all over the world, saying, ‘Hey, I’m stuck in Kuwait, I’m stuck on base in Poland, I’m stuck on base in Cuba, and there’s a disc golf course here, but we don’t have any discs,’” Chris Brophy, professional disc golfer and Innova’s project manager, told The Epoch Times. “So, we’re always sending discs out to the troops.”

Synonymous with the sport as a pioneer and original patent holder, Innova was founded in 1983 by Dave Dunipace and is based northeast of Los Angeles. The company is spearheading four separate initiatives to benefit service members. Dunipace served as an enlisted airman before founding Innova, according to a company statement.

A “Support Our Troops” disc, stamped with three colors, includes an American flag design on a fast Halo Champion Firebird or Roadrunner mold. For every disc sold, the company will send a disc to troops.

Installing disc golf courses on bases is a component of the military’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs, with newly opened tracks and more designs under development. A smaller footprint and lower installation costs compared with traditional golf courses allow faster adoption and easier integration into existing open spaces.

Notable courses on bases in the United States include a nine-hole track at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland near the nation’s capital; Blue Angel Park in Pensacola, Florida, which includes three separate 18-hole courses; Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama; and Fort Eisenhower in Georgia, among dozens of others.

The fast-growing game is scored similarly to golf. It’s played by throwing a flying disc from a tee pad on each hole and finishing it by landing the disc in a metal basket suspended on a pole, with chains hanging above the tray to help catch the flying object.

Innova also partnered with Armed Forces Entertainment, with Brophy traveling around the world to distribute hundreds of discs to troops, including on bases in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Honduras, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A blue and white midrange Halo Star Fox mold was designed for the “National Wheelchair Games,” with a commission sent to the Paralyzed Veterans of America for every item sold to help support their annual games.

The Southern California company takes pride in its “Made in the U.S.A.” commitment, with the signifier marked on its discs for more than four decades.

In the works is a new collaboration with U.S. Vets, with details coming soon to benefit counselors who help support the Veterans Administration. 

“A couple of these counselors are starting to use disc golf as rehab for some of these vets that are facing challenges,” Brophy said. 

Also in production is a disc for the Veterans Disc Golf Club, a nationwide organization with about 5,000 active members that “exists to reduce isolation and strengthen connection for veterans and active-duty service members through disc golf.”

“We create welcoming spaces where service members can compete, heal, and belong, one round at a time,” the group said in a statement, noting the sport’s accessibility and ease of entry to the game, which make it “a powerful tool for support and camaraderie.”

The industry-leading team at Innova expanded its promotional efforts in recent years to raise awareness about the sport’s many benefits for people of all ages and backgrounds.

“We raise money for all those causes,” Brophy said, noting the many benefits he’s witnessed over the years as an advocate for the game. “And we’ve seen studies that the game helps reduce stress.” 

Veterans have reported that playing disc golf, which includes hiking and outdoor activity, helps relieve anxiety and makes adjusting back to civilian life easier. 

“Suicide prevention is very, very important in the military, and the stories we’re getting back from some of the chaplains at some of these bases is encouraging,” Brophy said. “They are using disc golf to help keep troops feeling a sense of community and kind of a peaceful, nature-centric, light-hearted competition.”

Health benefits include improved cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility, vitamin D absorption, and mental well-being.

Soldiers accustomed to solving complex problems in high-stress situations while deployed can use similar skills while navigating the disc golf course, he said, thus providing much-needed mental stimulation for many that yields “emotional and spiritual health.” 

“Disc golf can be very meditative,” Brophy said. “You can go out and play by yourself and just be out in nature, or it’s a great way to connect with a group of friends and forget about your woes for a moment, and go out and find some new woes, like your putter falling out of the basket, or hitting that tree you didn’t mean to.”