50 states of disc golf Published Oct. 16, 2012 By Senior Airman Peter R.O. Danielson 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Sometimes, a lifelong passion begins with a mild curiosity. "Take me to the park," high school student Larry Kirk said in the spring of 1978. "I want to know what this game is." The game was Frisbee golf, a game that has evolved into disc golf. Played much like traditional golf, a player attempts to throw a disc into basket in the fewest number of shots. As a player moves down the fairway, they must make their shot from the spot where the previous throw landed. Though he enjoyed the game, Kirk only played for a few years at his local disc golf park and never branched out to other courses. After he finished high school, he stopped playing disc golf and started working on aerospace ground equipment in the Air Force Reserve at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. He didn't touch a disc again until 2001. By March of 2004, Kirk had been promoted to technical sergeant and had played 160 courses along the west coast and Midwest. "We'd find out where my daughter's softball tournament would be, and my boys would ask if they should bring their discs," said Kirk. "We always brought our discs." Kirk took every chance he could to get to new parks and paid close attention to which states he had played. He ended up playing at least once in every state by 2010, a task only four other players have done. "I'm not a champion player," he said. "I've won a tournament or two, but I'm more of a champion traveler." In 2012, Kirk resolved to accomplish this feat again, playing all 50 states by the end of the year. He started on a 23-day 20-state tour on his way to the NCO Academy in Knoxville, Tenn. As of Sept. 2012, he had done 43, stopping at Offutt during a course he had grown accustomed to during a previous trip. He's currently done 49 states, and is saving Hawaii for a family vacation at the end of October. Though he has yet to complete his current goal, he's so confident that he can finish up his tour he's started plans for another tour. "If I can get sponsored, I'd like to do 50 states in 50 days next year."