What is Disc Golf? Everything You Need to Know

By now most people in the United States have come across disc golf in some form or fashion. But many only have a vague idea of what the sport is. So, what is disc golf, anyway?” We’re here to tell you in this guide to disc golf. 

What is Disc Golf?

Disc golf is an individual sport played outdoors that is similar in many ways to traditional golf (what disc golfers often call “ball golf”). The object is to take a specific type of disc and get it from the tee into the basket in as few throws as possible. A complete course can include anywhere from 9 to 27 disc golf baskets. The player with the lowest score at the end of the round wins. Disc golf is a low-impact sport that can be played for your entire life and is enjoyed around the world by people of all ages, genders, skill levels, and abilities.

**Disc golf uses special kinds of discs made from plastic. These are different from Frisbees that you may have used for a game of catch. More on this later. 

Traditional Golf vs Disc Golf

Let’s explore more similarities with golf. Scoring (lowest number on the scorecard wins) and equipment names (drivers and putters, for example) are similar to golf as is how a round is played, which is often in groups of four. Plus, in both sports, players carry a multitude of equipment to address different shots needed out on the course. There are also similarities in the courses themselves, like tees, greens, hazards, and out-of-bounds areas. In fact, disc golf courses can occasionally utilize traditional golf courses, but in a different format. 

There are also differences between the two sports. In traditional golf you are propelling a ball by striking it with a club. However, in disc golf there are no clubs are balls, just plastic discs you throw. Though disc golf courses are occasionally set up on well manicured golf courses, most disc golf courses are found in public parks. Unlike golf courses, you don’t need a smooth, well manicured surface. Disc golf courses are admired for their use of just about any land especially wooded pieces of property where you learn to shape shots around the trees. Read this, if you’re interested in installing a permanent disc golf hole. 

Frisbee vs Disc Golf

Frisbee is often played with a lighter weight, slower flying, higher glide type of disc that’s easy to catch. It’s usually used for a casual game of catch, an impressive display of freestyle tricks, or a competitive event like Ultimate Frisbee. Disc golf is a specific game with a specific set of rules played on a course with defined targets, tees, and landscapes. Disc golf discs are heavier, faster, more aerodynamically versatile, and usually not something you’d ever want to play catch with. Competitive disc golf even has its own governing body, the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA).

Ultimate vs Disc Golf

While there are a surprising number of “disc sports” in the world, the two major ones are Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf. Ultimate Frisbee (Ultimate for short), is kind of like soccer or football but played with a larger, glidey frisbee. It’s a team sport and involves a lot of running, passing, and catching.

There are recreational, college, and even professional Ultimate Frisbee teams and leagues. Oddly enough, there isn’t a ton of crossover between people who play Ultimate and people who play disc golf.

That might be because disc golf is an individual sport, and doesn’t involve any running, diving, or catching! While there are certainly a number of players who play both, the two sports cater to distinctly different types of competition and athletes. Ultimate is a team sport and disc golf is for individuals (usually).

When was Disc Golf Invented?

It’s hard to say when disc golf was invented because people have been throwing discs and disc-like objects (like pie tins) at trees and other targets since the early part of the 20th century. What we do know is a few things about the history of the equipment and the men who patented it.

“Steady” Ed Headrick, considered the father of disc golf and PDGA member number 001, is credited with popularizing the sport. In 1966, as an employee of Wham-O, he developed the modern day Frisbee. In 1975, he patented the original disc golf target, called a “pole hole”. Those pole holes were used to install what is recognized as the very first disc golf course, Oak Grove Disc Golf Course, located in Pasadena, CA, also in 1975.

While a lot has happened between then and now, many agree the most significant advance, and the reason the sport has exploded, was the invention of the beveled edge disc by Dave Dunipace in 1983. This advancement allowed discs to fly further, faster, and on different lines than any of the Frisbees used previously. For more on the history of Innova, check out this story. 

Who Can Play Disc Golf?

Disc golf, on most courses, is free to play, so anyone with a flying disc and the ability to throw it can play. This is one of the greatest appeals of the sport. Golf discs are inexpensive and a lot of the courses out there can be played with just a single disc!

If you have the physical ability to walk outside (there are quite a few wheelchair-accessible courses as well!) and throw a disc, you can play disc golf! This makes it a great sport for solo rounds, couples, and even entire families. The barriers to entry are so low that disc golf continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, year after year.

Where to Play Disc Golf?

There are over 15,000 different disc golf courses worldwide. Disc golf is played in almost every country and in almost every climate. Regardless of where you live, odds are there is a disc golf course you can play!

The best way to find them is on your smart phone. While there are several quality apps, including one by the PDGA, the “standard” in the sport is UDisc. There, you’ll see all of the nearby courses and a rating for each one, and player reviews. It lists course difficulty as well, which is great for beginners. 

While most disc golf courses are free to play, you will also be able to see which courses are “pay to play”. Sometimes there is a park entrance fee, parking fee, or course fee. Load up the UDisc and PDGA apps today and find a place to play no matter where you travel! Oh, and you can keep score on those apps too.

What Do I Need to Play Disc Golf?

So, you’ve found a course near you and a store to buy discs. Now what? What do you actually need to play the sport of disc golf?

Casual players can have an amazing time with just a single disc. The only thing you really “need” is a course and a disc! But once you are hooked, you’ll most likely find yourself “needing” a bit more than that. Just keep in mind that you’ll have a much better time with an actual golf disc and not a traditional Frisbee.

The next step after playing with a single disc is usually picking up a “starter pack“. My first discs were an Innova starter pack that included an Eagle driver, a Shark midrange, and an Aviar putter. A starter pack is a great way to introduce yourself to the idea of carrying more than one disc.

Once you get more discs, you’ll probably want a bag to carry them in. And once you have a disc golf bag, you’ll want a “mini marker disc” to mark your lie, a towel to clean off your discs, a grip aid if you play in humid conditions, and possibly a disc retriever if your local course has a lot of water hazards.

A few other disc golf accessory  “must haves” are some bandages, bug spray, water bottle, and a sharpie to mark your discs (required in tournaments and a good idea in case you lose one).

How to Play Disc Golf

While there is a complete disc golf rule book published by the PDGA that must be followed for sanctioned competitive play, casual rounds are a bit looser. Casual disc golf is played much like casual ball golf. There should be enough rules to make the game fun and fair, but not so many that you can’t just relax and have a good time.

Basic Disc Golf Rules

Here’s a quick list of the rules everyone should follow when playing disc golf. Following them will result in fun, fair, and safe rounds that keep you coming back to the course for more.

• Players must tee off from the designated tee box.
• Once off the tee, the “away” (player furthest from the basket) player always shoots next.
• All players should be behind the throwing player for safety.
• Once off the tee, you can throw your next shot from either behind your disc, or you can mark your disc with a mini and throw from behind that.
• Your supporting foot should be placed in roughly the space of a piece of typing paper directly behind your disc or mini marker.
• Neither foot can touch the ground past your disc/mini until after the disc is released for your throw.
• Any shot thrown out of bounds counts as a penalty stroke and your next throw is taken from wherever your disc was last in bounds.
• Once inside the “circle” (a ten meter radius circle around the basket), no part of your body can touch the ground past your marker until the disc is resting in the basket and you have shown balance and control.
• Only one player should throw at a time.
• If a disc is lost, all players are required to help look.
• The hole is not complete until your disc is resting in the basket or the chains.

That will get you going and on your way. A good way to get used to the pace of play, rules, and etiquette is to watch a professional disc golf event or two on YouTube.

Types of Disc Golf Discs

There are 4 basic types of golf discs. While you don’t need all four to play, most players end up bagging at least one of each, and many times a lot more than that!

How to Choose the Right Discs

A large part, and one of the most fun parts, of disc golf is trying new discs to find which work the best for you. But that can get expensive fast, so having a bit of an understanding as to what different discs do will help you find your favorite plastic much faster! Want a better idea of the various disc golf shots? Check out our blog on disc golf shots here. 

Disc Golf Flight Numbers

Innova disc golf developed a system of “flight numbers” that will help you understand what each disc does. There is a lot of confusion as to what these numbers mean, but there shouldn’t be. Here’s a quick rundown that will have you shopping for discs like a pro in no time.

Speed.
Speed is the most misunderstood of all of the flight numbers. Common sense tells a lot of new players that faster discs should fly further. That is not the case at all and can lead to a lot of wasted money. Speed means two things.

First, the higher the speed number, the lower profile and wider rim the disc has. While those two things give the disc more potential for distance, it doesn’t mean the disc will go further for everyone. And that’s where the second thing comes in.

The speed rating of a disc tells you how fast you need to be able to throw the disc for it to fly in alignment with its other 3 flight numbers as well as reach its distance potential. It’s kind of like a difficulty rating for the disc. The higher the number, the more difficult it is to get it to fly as the disc designer intended it to.

Glide.
Glide means exactly what it sounds like. The higher the number, the longer the disc will want to stay in the air. Be careful though, high glide discs can get away from you fast in the wind!

Turn.
In simple terms, turn lets you know how easily the disc will “turn” in flight after it’s thrown. The direction of this turn is to the right for right handed players and to the left for lefties. The higher the speed number, the harder it is to get the disc to show it’s listed turn.

Fade.
Fade is how much and how hard the disc will crash to the left (for righties) or right (for lefties) at the end of its flight. Sometimes you want a disc to do this, and other times you’ll want a disc to go mostly straight. This number helps you figure out which discs will do what. 

Your best bet, if you are new, is to start with a starter pack and learn to see the difference from disc to disc. Flight numbers can be confusing at first, but once you get the idea, they are a great guide. And that’s why they are usually printed right on the top of most disc golf discs that are sold.

How to Improve at Disc Golf

There are four basic ways to get better at disc golf. Doing all four is the surest way to improve the fastest.

1. Play a lot of disc golf! This is the most fun method and the one we will all do consistently. There really isn’t a way to improve more quickly than getting out on the course!
2. Field work. This is where you go to an open field and throw with the intention of improving your form. This is where bad habits are broken and good ones formed. It’s also the one that takes the most discipline.
3. Lessons. Most local clubs can point you towards someone who gives lessons. If you have taken the time to do this, then you will get a lot more out of your regular rounds and your field work. Also, keep an eye out for Pro Tour events in your area. Most of the top pros offer clinics and that’s a fantastic way to learn from the best players in the world!
4. Watch YouTube. It wasn’t always this way, but there is an almost endless number of disc golf instructional videos on YouTube. Many of them are by the top touring pros. This free resource combined with number one and two above is how most players these days improve.

The Disc Golf Community

One of the best things about disc golf is the community. People of all colors, political associations, backgrounds, and economic status come together on the disc golf course and focus on one thing: disc golf. Lifelong friendships, marriages, clubs, and friend groups have all been formed on the disc golf course.

For the most part, all disc golfers are welcoming to people of all skill levels and more than willing to be supportive, help each other, and cheer each other on. One of the best things you can do for your game and your life is to get involved with your local disc golf scene.

Regardless of how you want to do that, there will be something for you. It could be getting to know the regulars at your local course and setting up a weekly game. It could be joining your local club or playing in weekly leagues. You can join the PDGA and start playing in sanctioned events where you’ll start to see and get to know the regular competitive players in your area.

If you aren’t much of an in-person social butterfly, there are a myriad of online groups, message boards, and forums too. Reddit and Discord both have a large number of active disc golfers, all geeking-out about disc golf 24/7/365!

There are very few sports based communities in the world more welcoming, accepting, and likable than the worldwide disc golf community!

Why Should I Try Disc Golf?

So, now that you have a good idea of what disc golf is. Let’s run down why it’s worth playing and getting involved.

• Fun to play
• Easy to learn
• Affordable (often free)
• Lifelong sport
• Great Exercise
• Gets you outside in the sun
• Good for your mental health
• Social Activity
• Accessible to men, women, and kids of all ages
• Helps you focus on self-improvement
• It’s fun no matter your skill level

Regardless of the reason, everyone should try disc golf at least once. Go talk to ten disc golfers and nine of them will tell you they got hooked their first time on a course. There’s just something about watching a disc sail through the air that will keep you coming back over and over again! And the sound of those chains! Those will get you too!

If you didn’t get all the basics down on a read-through of this article, don’t worry, it will be here when you get back from the course! The best way to learn and to fall in love with the sport is to go play. So get out there and throw some plastic!