Pearland Disc Golf Degenerates

Tucked within with the south Houston metro is a group of disc golfers simply known as the Degenerates. Hosted at Centennial Park in Pearland, Thursday evenings have become a thing of ritual and routine for this Texas Disc Golf Community; hosting a weekly ‘mini’ (miniature tournament) that welcomes crowds of 50+ players representing skill levels from seasoned pros to novice beginners.

Beginning in 2019, Jakob Roedel, along with three other co-founders Chad Senter, Daniel Rodriguez, and Richard Vogel began there disc golf journey playing with a handful of discs as friends. As Jakob recalls, “Although I learned how to play disc golf back in 2010, I never really played a whole lot because I didn’t have a group to play with. I hated playing solo and as a result I would only get out to play only 2-3 times a year. I formed this group with the intent that no matter who you were, or where your skill level was, you will always have the opportunity to find people to play with.”

With the group established, the focus in 2020 shifted toward growth – reaching out and connecting with everyone they ran into at Centennial Park. Fate would have it for Jakob to connect with Joel Prebilsky, one of the leaders of the Friendswood Disc Golf Club, a connection that would lead Jakob to connect with the Pearland Parks and Rec Department at a vital time with the onset of Covid-19 bringing uncertainty into everyone’s life. Highlighting the ability to stay safe and have fun out at the course, the Degenerates set out on their path to grow in numbers and the development of what would become their community’s core group.

Continuing their momentum into 2021, the group continued their growth with the establishment of running weekly ‘minis’ at Centennial Park; emphasizing an inclusive culture welcoming players of all skill levels and backgrounds. 

Now in two locations: Houston – hosting the Pearland Disc Golf Degenerates, and Dallas – hosting the Rockwall Disc Golf Degenerates (led by Degenerates co-founder Chad Senter), the group known simply as the Degenerates have become a living example of what the power-of-community can produce within the sport of Disc Golf!

When Jakob was asked, What keeps people coming back week after week?  He responded, “ I think people come back to us each week for a few reasons. First, we are definitely All-Inclusive. We don’t care if you’re shooting 15 under par or 30 over par, we have a division for you, and you’ll always have people to play with. Secondly, consistency is key! We have several people who come to our minis that don’t follow us on any social media. However, after over 100 weeks straight, they know that we will be at Centennial Park on Thursdays – Every Single Week! There’s no rotation of courses, there’s no cancellations… and having a 500 dollar Ace payout helps too!”

With the Impressive record of holding strong with a 100+ weeks of consecutive minis and a dynamically fun club logo, the Degenerates embody the culture and community that make so many of us fall in love with the sport! 

So, if you find yourself in Texas… do yourself the favor and throw a round on Thursday with the Degenerates!