“My first win in MA1 came at the iconic Eureka Temp course in Eureka, Illinois in August of 2022. I played a Ledgestone Open flex start on the course and loved every minute of it. I not only won the tournament in a field of 35-40 players, I also shot my personal best rated round (1011) and missed qualifying for the pro tour event by 1 stroke…”
Welcome to another edition of our Disc Golf Player Profile publication – where we feature disc golfers that you may or may not have heard of before. Everybody has their own disc golf story to tell. This is the place where those stories are being told and shared with the world!
Meet Jordan Monnin (PDGA #131176)
Tell us about yourself! How old are you? Where do you live? What do you do (work/school/etc.)?
I am 25 years old. I live in Hillsdale, MI with my wife, Regan. I am currently attending Hillsdale College to finish my bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. I also have 4 part-time jobs while I am finishing my degree. Regan is the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Hillsdale College Athletic Department!
Tell us about the most important people in your life! Who do you live with (family, friends, etc.)?
My wife, Regan, is certainly the most important person in my life. We have been married for almost exactly 2 years. We met at Hillsdale College in 2019 and got married in fall 2021.
Do you have a nickname or just something else that you go by?
JMoney. It started in high school as a joke on my last name and stuck. Now I use it for my disc golf handles.
Disc Golf Journey
How long have you been playing disc golf?
3.5 years
How did you get started with disc golf?
I played competitive Ultimate Frisbee for 7.5 years starting in junior high. My Ultimate career reached its pinnacle in 2016 when I was selected to play for Team USA at the World Junior Ultimate Championship in Wroclaw, Poland where USA took the gold medal over Canada in the finals. From there, I went to a college that didn’t have an ultimate team. I continued to play club Ultimate in the summers and coach youth teams as well. During my junior year of college in 2019, I blew out my shoulder playing flag football of all things and was unable to risk contact sports for several months. During that rehab, I picked up a disc golf disc for the first time and began loving the sport. When COVID hit, I poured myself into disc golf more seriously and started playing competitively in mid 2020. I’ve been hooked since then and have been working my way up in competition levels and loving every step of the journey!
Share some of your memorable disc golf moments…
A couple things come to mind:
- My first ever win (in MA3) came at my third tournament after playing disc golf for about 2 months. I got food poisoning the morning of the tournament and spent what was supposed to be my warmup time throwing up in a porta potty. I was able to pull myself together for the best round I had played since I started disc golf and took down my first win!
- My first win in MA1 came at the iconic Eureka Temp course in Eureka, Illinois in August of 2022. I played a Ledgestone Open flex start on the course and loved every minute of it. I not only won the tournament in a field of 35-40 players, I also shot my personal best rated round (1011) and missed qualifying for the pro tour event by 1 stroke.
Some Random Personal Stuff
What do you do when you’re not playing disc golf?
Right now, school and work fill up most of my free time. But when I am not working on those, I love fishing, hiking, and finding new cool places to visit with Regan. I have been an avid fisherman since childhood and take every opportunity to get a line in the water. In the past two years, I have also begun fly fishing, which is an amazing sport and I’ve been hooked since the first time I tried it.
What is your absolute favorite food (something you couldn’t live without)?
I don’t have a great answer for this, but my weakness will always be a really well grilled burger – the greasier the better!
What’s your favorite fast-food restaurant?
Fast – Taco Bell
Fast Casual – Five Guys
What are some of your favorite movies of all time?
War Dogs, Django Unchained, 3:10 to Yuma
What are some of your favorite TV shows/series?
Friday Night Lights, Peaky Blinders
Do you have any pro or college sports teams you are fanatic about?
Not a fanatic. I follow the Bengals and love Joe Burrow!
In the Bag
What is the first disc golf disc that you ever owned?
A Champion Excalibur I found in a field before I even knew what disc golf was.
What are some of your favorite discs that are in your bag right now?
Putter: Jawbreaker Challenger
Approach: Z-Glow Zone
Midrange: Mustang (Mint Discs)
Fairway: Color Glow Eagle
Driver: S-Line DD3
What else is always in your bag other than discs?
Climber’s Chalk
Disc Golf Courses
Do you have a course that you consider your ‘home course’? Tell us about it.
Since I’ve been back in school, the home course is Hayden Park in Hillsdale. It is 12 from different tees). It’s a mix of open and wooded, with several tunnel style fairways for really controlled shot shapes. It isn’t a world class course by any means, but it certainly pushes me to be better because it is so tight with a lot of unforgiving rough!baskets with an 18 hole layout running through them (play 6 of the baskets twice
What are a few of your favorite disc golf courses to play?
Echo Valley DGC in Waynesville, OH
Eureka Lake Temp Course in Eureka, IL
Hobbs Farm (somewhere in GA)
Boundary Waters DGC outside Atlanta, GA
What is a dream disc golf course for you that you hope to play someday?
Maple Hill in MA
Let’s Play Disc Golf
Do you have any pre-round or post-round rituals that you do when you play disc golf?
Stretching. I stretch before and after every round, casual or competitive.
Before tournament rounds I always listen to music before or during my warm up to get pumped for the day.
Do you drink, smoke, snack, or partake in anything else while playing disc golf? What’s your go-to?
I like the occasional cigar during rounds, especially a good Acid Kuba Kuba!
Fruit snacks and beef jerky are some go-tos as well.
Are you just a casual disc golfer? Do you participate in any local leagues? Do you compete in disc golf tournaments?
I compete in tournaments whenever possible! I played about 35 events in 2022 and will play about 25-30 in 2023
I try to play leagues when I can, but haven’t been able to much this year.
Casual rounds are one of my relaxers and I play 3-4 a week
Do you have any tips for aspiring disc golfers?
Love the sport and love the experience. Do it because you love it and have fun with it. The more pressure you put on yourself, the less you will enjoy it and improvement and growth will be much slower. If you see every practice round and tournament as a way to learn, enjoy, and appreciate the sport, you will improve faster with a better mental game.
Disc Golf Fun Stuff
Do you have any favorite professional disc golfers that you follow?
Simon Lizotte, Gannon Buhr, and Alden Harris
Do you have any disc golf goals that you are trying to achieve?
The ultimate goal is the pro tour! I’m not sure I will ever get there, but would love to someday.
In the meantime, goals include getting my rating to 950 by the end of 2023, winning a B-tier in MA1 by May of ‘24, and winning an A-tier in MA1 by the end of ‘24
Who do you typically play disc golf with?
Primarily alone or with my wife.
What would a perfect disc golf round look like for you?
One in which I make less than 3 mistakes, have 100% C1x putting, and I know that I played to my full potential at the time of the round.
Let’s Get Social
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jmoney_discgolf/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jmoneydiscgolf4349
Tiktok – https://www.tiktok.com/@jmoney_discgolf
Linktree – https://linktr.ee/jmonnin