Over The River and Through The Woods - A Primer On Disc Golf

Imagine you’re on the game show Jeopardy and this was the answer.

Of the two choices below, what would be your correct question?
1. How do you get to Grandmother’s house
2. What is a fitting description of a Disc Golf course layout

If you selected question #2 you’re probably already a player or you thought it was a trick question, but I assure you it wasn’t. Yes, I said disc golf, it wasn’t a misprint.

To go one step further with the description, add the lines “in-between the buildings and around the maintenance facilities”. This would apply if the course was located on the campus of Douglass / Cook College at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Truth be told the river is actually a pond, but that minor fact didn’t matter to over 100 professional and amateur disc golfers who played at the 34th annual Jersey Jam on August 19th and 20th respectively on the Rutger’s course. Disc golf …who would have thunk it? More about this event follows below.

They’re real and they’re spectacular! Well, maybe that’s overdoing it a little, (as a fan of Seinfeld I just like that expression) but disc golfers are for real and the way the professionals make the disc fly is nothing short of magnificent. Yes, there are pro disc golfers and there is a professional tour where men and women compete for prize money. In addition, hundreds of regional events are scheduled year round for amateurs to play and compete (checkout www.pdga.com for all the details). In fact, disc golf is played in over 22 countries around the world.

Before jumping ahead to quickly, rewind back to the early 1960’s when Vince Lombardi addressed his new team the Green Bay Packers, for the first time. To stress the importance of the basics, he uttered his infamous remark (as he held up a football) “gentlemen, this is a football. Am I going to fast for anyone”?

So that I don’t make that mistake, it’s important to step back and review the basics of disc golf .

What is Disc Golf?
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf, with the exception of the chosen weapons and the intended target. Instead of hitting a ball with clubs into a small hole in the ground, players throw a flying disc, or Frisbee® into an elevated metal basket. The sport was formalized in the 1970's, modeled after traditional ball golf. A plethora of similarities exist between the two sports that include, but are not limited to the following:

· The objective of the games are the same; to complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in the case of disc golf the fewest number of throws.

· A hole begins when a golf disc is thrown from a tee area toward the basket, typically a par three or four, measured in hundreds of feet, not yards. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer (I’m sure there are courses with holes over a river, as the title implies, although I haven’t witnessed it). Therefore, the player’s strategy can vary from flying the disc over or around the obstacle, or play “a roller”, which hits the ground running hard toward its intended target. My observations compare playing roller type golf to “links golf” in that certain shots work out better by keeping the disc on the ground, especially in windy conditions. Remember, disc golf is played all year round, in all conditions. Finally, when “the putt" lands in the basket the hole is completed.

· The game is played in the same sized groups and combinations: singles, 2-somes, 3-somes, 4-somes, partners etc. They play shotguns, scrambles and partner better score.

· Discs are stored in a bag, described as similar to a gym or small duffle bag with pockets, with anywhere from a few to over 12-15 or more different discs, for the different types of shots required. A large majority of golfers carry the bag, but I’m starting to see more pull carts being used, during the tournaments I observed. During a tournament I saw a wife was caddying for her husband (just like you often see on the pro golf tours).

· Disc golfers share the same joys and frustrations of traditional golfers, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway.

There are some differences, however.
· The most significant is the cost. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee
· You won't need to rent a motorized cart. The equipment needed to start includes: One disc (approx $10-$15) and a bag costs around $30
· Disc golf uses a rating system to rank each player. There is no handicap system like in ball golf, where any player can play any other player fairly, by giving them strokes on designated holes to make up for the differential in ability.
· Dress code is a major difference. In contrast to the business casual look of khaki pants or shorts and collared shirts worn in traditional golf, disc golfers overall have a much more relaxed look, with jeans, tee shirts and sneakers or hiking type boots (no disrespect intended). Note, in tournaments a collared shirt is typically required.

Who Plays Disc Golf?
Just like ball golf, disc golf is played by boys, girls, men and women from school age to old age. It’s designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status. As you would expect, pros are typically strong and athletically built, but recreational players are a diverse group that come in all different shapes and sizes; from king sized “big dogs” to the twiggy thin. The game today is played by the baby boomer generation, predominately men, but women are always welcome and encouraged to join in. Disc golf is easy to learn, so no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there.

The Professional Disc Golf Association, with over 16,000 members, is the governing body for the sport, and sanctions competitive events for men and women of every skill level from novice to professional. Permanent disc golf courses are found throughout the United States as well as in countries worldwide.

Where do you play?
Many city parks have golf courses already set up. Most are free to play as often as you like. Disc golfers who do not have the benefit of a permanent disc golf facility in their area often "make up" courses in nearby parks and green spaces.

One of the great features disc golf shares with traditional golf is that they are both played in beautiful settings. A nine-hole disc golf course can be established on as little as five acres of land, and a championship-caliber 18-hole course on 30 to 40 acres. Disc golf courses can coexist with existing park facilities and activity areas. The ideal location combines wooded and open terrains, and a variety of topographical change.

The need for more courses is constant, as the sport continues to grow in popularity. The PDGA has created standards for the design and installation of new golf courses, to ensure their success in the community.

In Summary: Why should you play?
The ongoing fitness boom finds more and more people taking up recreational activities in an effort to improve health and quality of life. Disc golf provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and promotes a combination of physical and mental abilities that allow very little risk of physical injury. Concentration skills increase by mastering shots and negotiating obstacles. Players of limited fitness levels can start slowly and gradually increase their level of play as fitness improves. Scheduling is also flexible; a round takes one to two hours, and may be played alone, eliminating the difficulty of scheduling tee times. And as in traditional golf, disc golfers find themselves "hooked;" increasing the likelihood of frequent participation. Disc golf is played year-round, even in rain or snow. Perhaps the greatest attribute of the sport is the expense - or rather, the lack of it. A professional quality disc costs less than $10, and it only takes one for basic play.
And, of course, there's the sheer fun of the game - no matter what your age or skill level!