Alec has been playing causally for 18 years. When stepping up to the first tee at his local, he reaches for this his trusty Axiom Fireball.
He got the chance to play Maple Hills DGC and loved it because of the awesome water hazard, beautiful nature and mixture of long drives and tree shots he had to play.
Name: Alec Levandoski
Country: United States
Home Course: Taylor Mountain Disc Golf Course
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How did you get into disc golf and how long have you been playing?
When I was 11 or 12 my best friend’s brother took us to the local course in Santa Cruz, CA where I grew up and I was instantly hooked.
Fast forward I’m now 29 and have been steadily playing for the last 18 years. I’m a leisure player but occasional have played in tournaments and a couple times a month will make it out to my local clubs weeklies.
What is your dominant hand?
Right
Are you Backhand or forehand dominate?
I started only throwing backhand but somewhere down the line realized I could really pinpoint drives with my forehand. I would now say that I throw about 50/50 but in a pinch would lean on my backhand.
What was the first disc you threw and where is it now?
I believe it was either an Innova Spider or Gazelle either way it’s probably laying in a deep bush of poison oak.
You’re on the first hole at your local course, what disc do you reach for?
Axiom – Fireball
What is your favourite course and why?
I recently got a chance to play Maple Hills DGC in Massachusetts and it blew my mind. A ton of variety some awesome water hazard shots and beautiful nature all around. Felt like every hole was worth a picture and the kicker was having a great mixture of long drives with more technical tree shots.
Your disc golf bag catches on fire. You can only save 3 discs, What are those discs and why?
Innova – Star Valkyrie
Axiom – Fireball
Innova – Star T-Rex
What is your favourite disc and why?
My favorite disc is my Star T-Rex I love the distance I can get on it combined with a huge skip at the end. I’ve had some epic drives with this disc so it gives me confidence every time I grab it from my bag.
What is your favorite throw to play during a round of disc golf?
It feels odd to say but I really enjoy an uphill shot that levels out at the top. Growing up the 2nd hole on my home course was a big uphill shot and it was great to track how I was improving by how far up the hill I could shoot.
Are you part of a league, if so what is your handicap?
I’m not currently an active member in my local league.
How many times a week do you get to play or do field work?
I try to get out and play at least once a week, but I will practice putting my backyard 3 or 4 times a week.
The discs that you regularly bag are they all one manufacturer or a mix bag? Name the brand / moulds
When I started playing Disc golf there were only 2 manufacturers Discraft and Innova so for the longest time that was all I threw.
In the past couple of years though I have come to terms with the fact that more brands exist and might have plastic I would like to throw. So now I have branched out and throw some Axiom discs as well as Latitude 64 discs.
Do you have any superstitions or quirks when on the course. Such as like flipping your disc 3 times before a putt or special hat?
Not that I know of.
What part of disc golf do you find the most challenging?
For me the most difficult thing in disc golf is throwing a long straight drive down a corridor it’s hard to combine accuracy with power and speed.
What has been your greatest achievement to date in disc golf?
Last week I entered a tournament after not playing in one for something like 10 years and I won my division shooting -5 under par. This was a super cool feeling although it also meant I have to jump up to the next division for future tournaments.
If you could change anything about disc golf what would it be?
I wish more pro-shops existed, but currently it seems the sport can only support one in my local area of Northern California.
If you could play any course in the world, what would that course be and who are the other three players on your card?
I would love to play any of the courses in Finland, every tournament I have watched on Youtube make those course look insanely lush and technical. For my 3 other players on the card, I would pick Nate Doss, Simon Lizotte and Nate Sexton.
What advice would you give to a new player starting out?
Don’t try to go for the big drives right off the bat work on your form and those shots will come naturally.