The Prey? Birds of Clay

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts October 1999 Current Issue
October 1999
Short Cuts:
The Prey? Birds of Clay

Sporting clays, often referred to as "golf with a shotgun," pits armed participants against elusive clay disks that simulate bird movement patterns. Like golf, it is played on a course with different stations, but it could give golf a run for its money where meetings are concerned: It is less time-consuming (a round of 50 shells takes 90 minutes) and more novice-friendly. "In golf, everyone's just expected to get through it," says Bill Daniels, director of sporting clays at the Willows Sporting Clays center at Grand Casino Tunica in Mississippi. "Here, you go out with an instructor, so you're continuously getting a lesson nice for someone new to the sport."

Shooters who never have held a gun often are surprised at their skill (this reporter was) and the excitement of watching the clay disk shatter as the pellets find their mark. Depending on facility size, corporate groups work nicely into the framework of the sport, playing shotgun-style (a commonly used golf term that actually originated with this sport). Corporate rates average about $35 per person.

"Most people are new to competitive shooting," says Daniels. "People just go out there to have fun, so everyone feels good about their performance." Animal lovers need not fret. No actual birds are harmed in the process.

A.D.T.