Disc golf is a type of golf game using flying discs. The object of the game is to throw your disc into a standing metal basket in as few tosses as possible. The course, much like a traditional golf course, has either 9 or 18 holes (baskets) and has pars of 3, 4, or 5. There are discs designed specifically for driving long distance (drivers), fairway throws medium to long distance (fairway drivers), medium throws (mid-range), and short throws (putters). The sport is currently played in over 40 countries.
I started throwing frisbee for fun as a child and have always enjoyed the challenge of trying to throw it more accurately and further than my friends and family. I played some recreational Ultimate Frisbee, now known just as Ultimate, back in high school and college. Of course, that’s a completely different sport, but that experience is what helped draw me into trying disc golf for the first time.
My maiden voyage happened in 1987 at a DNR park called Patoka Lake in southern Indiana. None of my friends had ever been to a disc golf course either, so we had no idea what to expect. We had been told that each hole ended by throwing it into a basket, but I think each of us had our own idea in our minds of what that might end up looking like.
When we arrived at the first hole, we found that it was a par 3 so we could see the metal basket from the tee box. The tee box was made of small gravel. Tee boxes are normally about 4 feet wide and 10 feet long and can be made with gravel, concrete, asphalt, dirt, grass, rubber, and other materials. Most disc golfers will get a little run going before releasing the disc. Note that a player’s feet must still be on the tee box when releasing the disc. It was definitely not what I was picturing, but as I got closer, it was obvious that the design made sense and I will talk more about the baskets a little later.
If memory serves me (it has been a long time since I played that course), the first hole we played is a par 3 around 300 feet long with the first 200 feet of the fairway being about 40 feet wide and tightening up as you get closer to the hole. There are thick woods on each side of the fairway and an errant throw left or right is a recipe for poison ivy. A large tree is positioned in the middle of the fairway at about the 200-foot mark. All four of us had our own 165-gram frisbees and we were ready to rock. My drive went straight and landed just shy of 200 feet and slightly left of the tree. Another frisbee landed about the same distance but further right where the tree became an obstacle. The other two frisbees ended up in the woods. One to the left and one to the right. And so began my many years of disc golf adventures. Much like regular golf, I barely missed my birdie putt, tapped in for par and foolishly got overconfident. The next hole which is a more difficult dogleg right par 3 brought me down to earth as I scored a double bogey. This course was just 9 holes back then, but is now 18 holes with two thirds of the holes having narrow fairways and located in the middle of the woods. Very challenging and great fun!
Although I have been actively playing now for over 36 years, I didn’t buy my first set of discs until around 2005. I had found old discs at miscellaneous courses over the years and messed around with those a little bit, but I was too chicken to take the plunge and officially make the switch. Now there is a valid reason why I held fast to my frisbee. Frisbees are much easier to throw and control and I could toss one a fairly good distance. However, discs will travel a much greater distance and disc golf was designed to be played with disc golf discs. In hindsight, I really wish I would have started using discs much sooner.
Let’s talk about the difference between frisbees and discs. Frisbees are normally 9 to 12 inches in diameter. As the size increases, so does the weight which will generally range from 95 to 175 grams. They are made with stiffer plastic and rounded edges and are designed to be tossed to another person to catch. Although they are allowed for recreational play on disc golf courses, they are not allowed to be used competitively. Frisbees are designed to be thrown an average of around 100 feet, though more advanced throwers can throw them further than that.
Discs are normally 8 to 9 inches in diameter and weigh 150 to 180 grams. In competitions, the PDGA prohibits players from using any disc weighing in excess of 200 grams. Discs are made with more flexible plastic and easier to hold onto than frisbees. The average disc golf throw is around 300 to 400 feet and the world record is over 1100 feet.
Disc golf courses are similar to regular golf courses in several ways. The first throw or drive is normally executed from a designated concrete or gravel pad much like a tee box. There is normally a fairway on most holes where the grass is shorter. The rough is normally either taller grass and weeds or woods. There are no sand traps, but there may be trees or bushes strategically placed in the fairway to increase the difficulty of the hole. There are fairly straight holes, doglegs to the left or right, and some holes are flat while others are hilly. Some holes may have water that runs parallel to the fairway or in some cases you will have to throw over water to get to the fairway or putting area. Lastly there’s the putting area. There is no green, but there is a strategically placed metal basket that you toss your putting disc into in lieu of an actual hole.
PDGA regulation baskets are 52 inches tall from the ground to the top of the overall basket system. The catching portion of the basket is 25.7 inches from the ground. The width of the basket rim is 21.3 inches in diameter with the lower section being 25.7 inches in diameter. Twelve chains hang vertically in a tapered manner from the top of the basket system with six more set around the twelve. The chains normally help catch the disc and allow it to drop into the basket. However, an errant throw that causes just a glancing blow will land on the ground or perhaps roll further away from the basket. It’s times like these that the sport reminds you why it’s called disc “golf”.
Now let’s get into more detail on the discs. As I mentioned earlier, there are drivers, fairway drivers, mid-range, and putters. There are also specially designed water discs made to float in water. If you are playing a course with water hazards, you definitely want to have a couple of these in your bag. A normal disc will sink like a boat anchor the moment it hits the water.
Drivers are designed to be thrown longer distances and there are many brands and models to choose from. I will share with you all of the discs that I use, but you owe it to yourself to do your own research and find what you like to throw. I carry an Innova Champion Boss, a Discraft Surge, and an Axiom Insanity as my driver options. The Boss is normally my go to driver, but if I don’t feel like I’m throwing it well, I will get out the Surge and give it a toss. The Insanity was a Christmas gift and I’ve only thrown it a few times. It seems like a good driver, but I need to practice with it more.
When it comes to a fairway driver, I’ve only ever carried one model and it’s the Original Frisbee Turnover Disc. When I’m on my game, I can throw it straight, make it curve to the right, or make it curve to the left. It’s also the perfect driver from a tee box for a longer par three with a narrow fairway when throwing it straight is mandatory. I was recently dramatized when I found out that I can’t find new ones anymore. I have one in my bag and my son has one in his and they are both fairly worn. I will be researching other brands to find a suitable replacement.
I carry two mid-range discs and they are an Innova Champion Panther and an Innova Stingray. They have completely different feels to them and I really like them both. I’m comfortable with either and if I am throwing one of them well, I will usually stick with it for the whole round.
I carry two Innova Dragons which are water discs. They are drivers, but I will use them anytime for any shot that is around water.
For putting I use an Innova Champion Aviar and have a standard Aviar as a backup. I have never used the backup as I love the feel of my primary putter.
There are five basic throws in disc golf which are the backhand, the forehand, the hyzer, the anhyzer, and the overhand. Most professionals have mastered each of these types of throws, but the average disc golfer will only utilize some of them effectively.
Most of us, whether right-handed or left-handed, will use the backhand throw for nearly every shot on the course. That’s the way we learned to throw a regular frisbee and it just feels the most natural. If you are right-handed and make a backhand throw, the disc will have a tendency to want to go to the left and will almost always end up veering to the left before landing.If you are left-handed it will do the opposite and go to the right. How far it ends up to the left or to the right depends upon your release and throwing motion and what type of a flight rating the particular disc has. I will talk about flight ratings shortly.
When using a forehand throw, a player curls their wrist outwardly instead of inwardly like a backhand throw. The throw is made side arm and is much harder to control. However, many disc golfers who use this method claim to be able to generate more power, speed, and distance.
A hyzer throw is used when you have obstacles to get around or perhaps a dogleg shaped hole. For a right-handed player you would utilize this if you needed to generate a harder angled throw to the left. You would hold the disc at an angle with the lower end being to the left. A left-handed player would use a hyzer throw when needing to generate a harder angled throw to the right.You would hold the disc at an angle with the lower end being to the right.
An anhyzer throw is also used when you have obstacles to get around or perhaps a dogleg shaped hole. For a right-handed player you would utilize this if you needed to generate a harder angled throw to the right. You would hold the disc at an angle with the lower end being to the right. A left-handed player would use an anhyzer throw when needing to generate a harder angled throw to the left.You would hold the disc at an angle with the lower end being to the left.
An overhead throw is used when you are in the woods or stuck behind an obstacle with no other method of throwing. By using a tomahawk-type action this throw would at least allow you to make forward progress.
Innova designed a flight rating system that helps players understand a particular disc’s intended flight. The rating is broken down into 4 flight characteristics which are speed, glide, turn, and fade. You will find these numbers on your discs. I am going to share Innova’s rating system, but keep in mind that it is designed to compare only Innova discs against other Innova discs. Other companies also use similar rating programs for comparing their respective discs against each other. I will add that these ratings are for comparison only and every disc is going to react differently depending upon throwing motion, release, and how worn the individual disc is. Keep in mind that flight ratings are based on right-handed backhand throws.
Speed is the rate at which a disc can fly through the air and this is rated 1 to 14. The higher the number, the higher potential speed that can be generated. The higher speed rated discs require more power to throw effectively.
Glide is the ability the disc has to maintain loft during a throw and this is rated 1 to 7. Higher glide numbers generally create a potential for a longer distance throw. If you are playing in windy conditions, a lower glide number provides better control.
Turn tells us the ability a disc has to turn to the right during the initial portion of the throw and this is rated +1 to -5. +1 is less turn and -5 should turn the most. If you are playing in windy conditions, less turn provides better control.
Fade tells us the ability a disc has to turn to the left at the end of a throw and this is rated 0 to 5. A 0 rating should allow a thrown disc to finish straighter and 5 will normally result in a more drastic turn to the left at the end of the throw.
Disc golf is almost always free to play and is a family friendly sport. Like any sport, practice makes perfect and you shouldn’t expect to master it immediately. I absolutely love playing and God willing, plan on playing for many years to come. I highly recommend you go out and give it a try!
