I just got back from a game a short while ago and figured I would put this up on the board. Frisbee Golf is a great game. I had heard about it, but had never actually played until last year, primarily since I did not know much about how to play and the etiquette associated with the game. It's pretty simple. You can typically find a free course at a local City Park. The Professional Disc Golf Association has a webpage where you can find local course. You can find that here.
I am not that good and I am certainly not a sophisticated player, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's easy to learn. It is a game that accommodates an amateur just looking to enjoy something different or an experienced player striving to improve his or her game.
Players do not use everyday frisbees. Instead, there are discs designed specifically for the game. Beginners can usually find a set of three at their local sporting goods story that consists of a driver, a mid-range, and a putter (very much like the club names in golf). A set of discs typically runs around $20, but prices can vary. You can find great deals at stores that sell used sporting equipment.
Like golf, you typically play about 18 holes. The "holes" consist of elevated baskets (about waist level) that have chains hanging down from the top of the pole that essentially catch the disc when you hit it.
Disc Golf is really a game for anyone of any talent level. Walking the course gives you a great hour or two of exercise and gets you outside enjoying the sun.
The following is taken from the website of the Professional Disc Golf Association:
"Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc, or Frisbee® The sport was formalized in the 1970's, and shares with "ball golf" the object of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest number of throws). A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the "hole". the hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is called a Pole Hole® an elevated metal basket. 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. Finally, the "putt" lands in the basket and the hole is completed. Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations of traditional golf, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway. There are few differences, though. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee, you probably won't need to rent a cart, and you never get stuck with a bad "tee time." It is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status.
Disc golf can be played from school age to old age, making it the one of the greatest lifetime fitness sports available. Specially-abled and disabled participate, giving them the opportunity to take part in a mainstream activity. Because disc golf is so easy to learn, no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there. The Professional Disc Golf Association, with a member base of over 39,700, 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 in countries worldwide.
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 resources for the design and installation of new golf courses, to ensure their success in the community.
The PDGA also publishes and sells an annual course directory, and manages and maintains a free online directory of disc golf courses at http://www.pdga.com/course-directory
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 offers year-round fitness, 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 $15, 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!"
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