If One Isn't Your Game, Disc Golf Is More Fun

Who's a golfer? If you are, you're skilled, patient, and eager to play the gentleman's game. Golf is a gentlemanly sport, but it's not for everybody. Especially for those of us with such a dangerous slice that the driving range becomes an invitation to put someone's eye out.

But for those who haven't been able to get into the swing of things, pun intended, and play golf, there's a substitute that's easier to comprehend, equally fun, and more affordable. It combines one of the most popular social activities in history with golf, and even smaller, rural communities have added the attraction to their parks.

The Game Is Disc Golf

Maybe I'm a little behind the times, but the idea of frisbee golf sounded bizarre at first. Seeing the game of golf rise to never-before-seen heights with Tiger Woods, it was hard to imagine combining frisbee and golf into one game. But if you think about it, frisbees are something you have to work to aim, practice to control, and with all the effort in the world, a stray wind can kill your chance. So, to land a frisbee in a hoop-like apparatus isn't the easiest thing to do in the world.

What are the rules of frisbee golf? I wondered, how does someone play the game? Is it comparable to golf, or mini-golf, where you take a shot, take the next one from where the ball (or disc in this case) stopped, and you have a limited number of shots? It's pretty much that way.

Core of the Game

Frisbee or Disc Golf is played on a course with 9 or 18 holes. Having seen the setup, instead of a golf tee, there's a tee pad, or place from which to throw your first shot. The hole has been replaced by a metal basket with chains to catch the disc or frisbee.

What about the discs? How do they compare to the old frisbees we played with as kids? And how do disc golf supplies compare with golf supplies?

The discs aren't the same as the old plastic frisbees. They are heavier, aerodynamic, and are made in three main types.

• Drivers: For the longer throws. Drivers are the fastest-flying, sharpest-edged discs in the disc golfer's arsenal. But they require more advanced skills to accurately throw them.

• Mid-range: Balanced for distance and accuracy. They're slightly sharper-edged than the putter, and good for controlled shots requiring more speed and distance than a putter can deliver.

• Putters: For shorter, precise shots to the basket. These are the most similar to the original frisbees, in both shape and flight. They usually have a rounder edge and are shaped like domes. Putters fly slower, have a controllable and straighter flight path, and are great for short, accurate shots.

Why would such a game grow in popularity? Throwing a little disc into a basket has legitimately captured a lot of attention.

Disc Golf is an inclusive activity. It's something that anyone, at any age, can get into doing. It's often played for free in public parks around the country, and there are thousands of disc golf courses.

The game makes it more accessible than golf. There are no greens fees or club memberships required. The equipment is lighter, and the rounds are shorter.

The game actually has history behind it, with early forms going back to the 1920s. It wasn't until 1975 that Ed Headrick patented the first standardized target and brought the sport formally into what it's become.

As we grew into the COVID-19 ERA, the game's spread had reached nearly a 72% growth rate, and there doesn't appear to be any slowing it down in sight. The Professional Disc Golf Association, formed in 1983, sanctions more than 3,500 annual events and has a membership of more than 80,000 competitors from 47 nations.

Check out disc golf supplies and get started for as little as forty to fifty dollars. The discs range from $10.00 up, and you can find them in designs that fit your personality.

The link goes to my new online store, Guilty Pleasures and Treasures. I'm happy to offer 20 percent off on first purchases.

When you get going in the Disc Golf fun, and once you try it, I'm sure you'll become a regular player, make sure to check out local opportunities and organizations, and get more involved. And good luck.