Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta Luke Shelton throws a disc during the Winter Putting League on Wednesdays at Penguin City Brewing Company in downtown Youngstown. Shelton is the owner of Pure Flight Disc Golf in Boardman and organizes leagues around the area.

BOARDMAN — Luke Shelton did not think that throwing a plastic disc into an elevated basket with chains on the sides would change his health, his work and his social circle. But it did.

“I worked in an office for about 16 years. I drove every day from Bristolville to Solon. My day consisted of three hours of driving and an eight-hour shift. I was just sitting and not being active. I was pretty unhealthy,” Shelton, a native of Green Township, said.

During this time period, he gained a lot of weight. Then, his younger daughter stepped in to motivate him.

“My daughter, Rebecca, and her boyfriend were trying to find something to do together so they could be more active and be outside. Someone told them about disc golf. They tried it and they loved it. They thought, maybe I would like this and it would get me into shape,” Shelton said. “One throw and I was hooked.”

He played traditional golf at Maplewood High School, but said he became disillusioned with the sport as he got older.

“It just kept getting more and more expensive. It got really glitzy and pretentious. If you went out to the golf course and you didn’t have the nicest clubs or the fancy shoes or shirt, people would literally look down at you,” Shelton said.

Disc golf has its origins in throwing lids at targets such as a tree or trash can for points. Frisbee golf, a precursor to disc golf, was created for children by a recreational counselor in the 1960s.

After designing the rings on a Frisbee to make it aerodynamic, Ed Headrick left its parent company, Wham-O toys. He created the basket and chain disc golf target. In 1976, Headrick and his son founded the Disc Golf Association to manufacture discs and standardize the new sport. His first course was in Pasadena, California, and it became a popular game on college campuses.

Disc golfers do not adhere to a dress code. Their attire is comfortable and casual.

Once he played disc golf, Shelton noticed a change in his body.

“It was June of 2015 when I started playing. I was up to about 245 pounds and by Christmas, I was down to about 180. I was literally playing every single day,” he said.

Initially, Shelton played on courses in Bristolville and Champion, but then started playing in Austintown and Boardman when it opened.

“My first wife and I divorced. It was cordial. I was playing a lot in Mahoning County at this time and living in a big house by myself. I sold the house and bought a condo in Austintown to be closer to the course and my disc golf friends,” he said.

He played in night leagues on Thursdays and Saturdays.

When the original organizers who ran the leagues started playing less, Shelton added running a disc golf league to his experience with the sport.

“People wondered who would run the leagues? I stepped up because I did not want them to die,” Shelton said.

When someone mentioned to him that there are no disc golf tournaments in the area, he started these events, which involve one to two days of competition that divide players by their skill level or age to complete a course and win prizes.

“I said, ‘Fine. I’ll do that.’I’ve been running tournaments now since 2016,” Shelton said. He now runs more than a dozen of these events a year.

He also noticed that at tournaments winners received gift cards from shops outside of the area. His second wife, Danielle, suggested he open a disc golf shop.

“I said, ‘Okay,’ but I was really nervous. I did not know how to run a business. Right then, I started Googling how to run a business. I am still learning every day,” he said. To open a disc golf shop, he needed a name and a logo. Danielle showed her support again.

“Pure Flight was literally the first thing I thought of naming (the shop.) When I was dating my wife, I went to her house for the first time. It was a very nice house. She had owls everywhere. She collects owls. White owls were so obvious as part of the logo,” Shelton said.

His first shop was located in Hubbard. After three years, he realized he needed more space and moved to his Boardman location a year ago. The store sells discs, cases and offers clinics and private lessons.

Shelton, who now lives in Campbell, was working remotely as a software developer for Oracle and running the store, leagues and tournaments for four years. It becaåme too much, so in September he retired and now runs the shop full time.

He doesn’t play disc golf every day as he did when he first started. Shelton said now he needs more recovery time. But, even in the frigid winter, he enjoys playing the sport.

He has a winter league that meets on Wednesdays at Penguin City Brewing in downtown Youngstown.

If someone is interested in checking out disc golf at one of the local courses or the winter league, they may discover a new sport that they love, and are healthier and happier, just like Shelton.