About Disc Golf

What is disc golf? Disc golf is a game that combines the sports of golf and frisbee. Much like golf, the game is played on an outdoor course. Players hoist a frisbee towards a pin or net. Scoring is similar to golf, and the player with the lowest score wins. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association (PGDA), disc golf is played in 40 countries throughout the world; mostly in North America, Central and Western Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Austria. There are thousands of courses established and hundreds of new courses pop up each year. The majority of courses are free to the public. A form of frolf, or frisbee golf, may have been invented in the early 1900s, but it was not until 1964 that the first tournament was held at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Disc golf rules are similar to golf rules. Players begin by driving from a designated tee pad. Most courses provide a diagram of the hole at the tee pad along with the number of yards to the pin. Par can vary from hole to hole, but a typical hole has a par of three throws. Depending upon the course, obstacles such as bodies of water or park roads may be in or out of bounds. Some courses dictate how obstacles must be passed. For example, a "mando" or mandatory obstacle may be that a boulder must be passed on the left.
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Discs are different from traditional frisbees. Technically, discs are smaller and thicker and designed to fly rather than to catch. Similar to packing around a set of golf clubs, players carry a bag of discs designed for different purposes.

Drivers are used for the initial shot on a hole and possibly for later shots if the hole is far away.

Mid-range discs are the most stable and predictable discs. These discs are typically used between driving and putting, though some players use them as drivers as well.

Putters are most similar to the frisbee and are designed for short shots close to the hole.

Each type of disc is designed with different characteristics. For example, it may be overstable, understable or neutral. There are also variances in types of plastic and weight. New players typically start off with generic discs to determine what type of characteristics and variances work with their throw. Players can find courses and tournaments by contacting the PGDA or their local disc golf store.