What’s up degenerates—I’m Jefferson, here to discuss Simon Lizotte, rubber ducks, and more on the very first episode of our new weekly series: Soup.
There is so much content out there nowadays that it’s nearly impossible to watch it all. That’s why every Saturday we’re going to break down the most important things you may have missed from the week. I highly recommend checking out and following everyone we talk about—there’s a reason we watch them in the first place. Also, if we miss your favorite podcast or show, let us know in the comments. Oh—and don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date on all things disc golf.
Simon on course design: “Well I designed it so it’s kind of a forced roller… which I like. I like it because there are so few holes where you step up and are like: that’s a roller.”
This is one of the many reasons I love Simon’s ideas—he does what others won’t, or don’t even think about. Instead of feeding into the roller-hating crowd, he embraces it as a skill that should be tested. Some will hate it, some will love it. That’s the best part—because it’ll be talked about. And that’s the goal at the end of the day.
Personally, I prefer that over some 1200-ft hole that’s just a couple of hyzers for no reason. Even on wide open or non-challenging layouts, Simon finds ways to make things interesting: “I wanted that tree to be a double mando. You have to go one side in round one, then the other side in round two. Same hole, two different plays.”
Is that happening? “No, it would be a nightmare to get that approved.” Too bad—the PDGA would never sign off. But the creativity is unmatched. And he doesn’t stop there.
Simon suggests putting the world’s biggest rubber duck in the pond on 18. Iconic. Imagine it just… staring you down as you line up an eagle. You’d have to throw around it. That’s part of the hole.
Would you be down to see something like this in the future? Comment below.
I would pitch this idea differently: a sponsor pays to have their logo displayed as a giant object on the course. Imagine a 5-story tall rubber duck with a logo. That’s the kind of ad money we need. It’s better than yard signs from garage sales.
Worlds could have had a huge gummy bear on the course. Don’t tell me that wouldn’t have gone viral. Yes, it’s gimmicky—but guess what? We throw frisbees into trees. Gimmick accepted.
It gets the sport attention. And the finishing hole becomes memorable forever. I truly believe artificial assets—if done right—could attract bigger sponsors from outside the sport.
If you hate that idea, don’t worry. Let’s move on to something Simon doesn’t like: the new PDGA time extension rules.
Simon: “Not a fan.”
What about Gannon saying he won’t even call it? I get it. The PDGA says players agreed to this rule change—but that’s the second pro against it. All the confidence I had in this working is gone. Which honestly… wasn’t much to begin with.
Luckily, Uli’s here to give some balance: “I think there’s room for everything. I want a super open course with no punishment. I want a par-3 course. I want mental challenges. They just need to be branded consistently so fans know what to expect.”
That’s the model disc golf should follow. One of the best parts of disc golf is that it can be played anywhere. We should embrace that. From tightly wooded to desert mountains to casual park courses—it all has value. Urban disc golf is blowing up. Why not use that versatility?
I’ve always thought it’d be cool to structure big events around different regional styles. I know majors rotate, but if another organization pops up, that’s how I’d start: tightly wooded course like Hornet’s Nest, wide open like Emporia (yes, I said it), a park course, and maybe something weird.
I once played in an abandoned prison—why not push boundaries? That could be what hooks a new audience. The key is keeping course identities consistent so fans build memories and expectations.
If anyone likes this idea—hit us up. We’d love to help make it happen.
This also helps fix one of disc golf’s biggest problems: the perception that the skill ceiling is maxed out.
Uli: “We’re not close. The course design makes it look that way. You can get more accurate at 500 ft. That’s what we’re seeing. It’s like the PGA Tour—hitting fairways at 475 is still hard.”
Then Brodie pulled up a video of 1950s pro basketball to show how sports evolve. Courses will need to evolve too. We just need to avoid 500-foot hyzer after hyzer. Keep it dynamic.
Speaking of the future: AI might have just solved spit-outs. The design looks similar to Steve Dodge’s “Jimmy Neutron” basket. But sorry—it’s ugly. Back to the drawing board.
And speaking of “back,” let’s talk Jomez. We’ve heard it from multiple fans over six months now—their videos are getting long. Really long. Last week it kind of came to a head.
I’m not going to lie: I can’t remember the last time I watched Jomez or post-produced coverage at normal speed. Don’t get me wrong, I used to—but live ruined it for me. After watching events in person for nine months, it’s hard to go back. (Just kidding… kind of.)
The pace doesn’t help my cooked Gen Z brain. I thought the appeal was quick coverage. Now it’s almost two hours for one round. And people complain that the interview happens too fast—what do you want, a clubhouse with a green jacket? That’s not happening.
Spectators scatter the second the last putt goes in. If interviews get longer, fans at home will bounce too. We need more podcast-style interviews to let the winner process their thoughts.
Now that Brian and Nate have All Birdies No Bogeys, maybe they can do more deep interviews—like the one they did with Simon. Or have a post-show livestream onsite with the winner. Air it on YouTube immediately. Free for everyone. Yes, it might spoil the winner—but if the DGPT wants more DGN signups, they should lean into spoilers.
This week on Smashboxx, they had James Kolier, the 2025 US Am champ, on to talk about the win and the sandbagger allegations.
James: “I love it. First time in my life I’ve been told I’m too good at something.”
He explained both sides and said he competed like everyone else. He won by one shot—it wasn’t a blowout. He focused and played hard. Even if he hadn’t won, his score would’ve been the same. High-level competition is still high-level.
Shoutout to James for the win. And for finally being able to accept cash—even if he did win the easiest major. (Hey, it’s only three rounds, so it has to be easier, right?)
It’s a major… but it still feels weird that it’s three rounds. Honestly, you and I probably never thought about it before. It’s just always been a major.
Still, I think some consistency would help. Should USADGC be four rounds? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
And while you’re down there, let us know what you thought of all the ideas in this first episode of Soup. Next week Swiss will be back, but I’m in Minnesota at the Preserve, so this needed to be edited early.
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