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Disc golf

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A player putting at De Laveaga Disc Golf Course.
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A player putting at De Laveaga Disc Golf Course.

Disc Golf (sometimes called folf, frolf, or frisbee golf) is a game based on the rules of golf (referred to by disc golfers as "ball golf" or "stick golf"). It uses flying discs which are similar to the Frisbee, but usually smaller and more dense. The discs are thrown towards a target, which serves as the "hole". The official targets are metal baskets with hanging chains to catch the discs.

Contents

Playing

Disc golf is played in a similar manner as ball golf. The initial "drive" is taken from a designated tee area. Each subsequent throw is taken from just behind the spot where the disc came to rest. Each throw is added to the player's score. As with ball golf, each hole is given a par rating. A common strategy for a par-three hole, as in golf, would be drive (long throw toward the basket), approach (mid-range throw to the "green"), putt (short throw into the basket). The hole is scored when the disc has come to rest in the target basket or when it hits the designated part of an object if there are no baskets and it is an object course.

Hyzer and anhyzer refer to the release angle of a disc. A shot thrown with hyzer is released with the near edge of the disc angled down towards the ground. A shot thrown with anhyzer is released with the near edge of the disc pointed up towards the sky.

History

The first official disc golf course was opened in 1976 in what was then known as Oak Grove Park in La Canada Flintridge, California[[Citing sources citation needed]]. (Today the park is known as Hahamonga Watershed Park). This park is immediately to the south of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which supplied at least a few of the earliest players. The course itself was designed by Ed Headrick.

"Steady" Ed Headrick is the Father of Disc Golf. Mr. Headrick worked for the San Gabriel, California based Wham-O Corporation and invented many popular children's toys. Headrick's invention of the "lines" on the frisbee increased its stability and led to a life-time devotion to frisbee sports, which he loved and shared with many people. At the time Headrick was experimenting with a new material called plastic, he also made prototypes out of wood, and metal materials. "Steady" also invented the disc golf basket which he sold through his family owned company the Disc Golf Association (DGA).

For he so loved the sport, he actually was cremated and put into individual frisbees so he could fly forever [link]. Discraft did indeed create and sell the frisbee with Headrick's ashes in it. Unfortunately, so many people regard this as such a piece of real disc golf history, very few of the discs actually "fly" - they mainly rest on a nail in a prime location in the living room.

Course description

A very open disc golf course in Bowling Green, Kentucky
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A very open disc golf course in Bowling Green, Kentucky

As of early 2006, there were more than 2000 [permanent disc golf courses] installed around the world, although the vast majority of them are in the United States.

A typical course will have 18 holes, with each hole averaging between 250 and 450 feet. Many smaller courses have only 9 holes, while an increasing number of courses offer an additional 9 holes to make 27 available holes to the disc golfer. Many disc golf courses are in open, grassy public parks, but more challenging courses are set in semi-wooded and hilly areas, some quite rough and natural. One good example of a classic long course with wooded hills is De Laveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California, USA.

The target in disc golf is usually a metal basket that is suspended parallel to the ground about two feet from the ground, and attached to a vertical pole that is a few feet tall. To better allow discs to come to rest in this basket, chains are suspended from another circular section near the top of the pole and allowed to hang limply to a point where they are connected to the pole in or near the receiving basket.

Disc golf is unique in that PDGA and WFDF [rules], based in player conservation efforts as well as fair play, make it a violation to cause damage to the course's flora. With most courses not requiring greens fees, the relative low cost of discs, and tournament fees still fairly low, the disc golf social structure may be among the most egalitarian and relaxed in organized sports.

Golf discs

There are a wide variety of discs, divided into three basic categories: putters, mid-range, and drivers. Within each of these categories, each disc has its own distinct flight characteristics. There are golf discs designed to fly straight, turn left, or turn right, depending on how they are thrown by the player. There are several classes of drivers intended for different distances. Mid-range drivers tend to be the most versatile discs, and are very good for beginners. For longer drives there are many variations of long-range and extra long-range drivers. Golf discs typically weigh between 150 - 180 grams, or about six ounces.

Throwing style

See Disc throws for more details
The two most common throwing techniques are the forehand throw (aka side-arm), and the backhand throw. Of the two the backhand style is most familiar to new players and is the most common.

A right-handed player performing a forehand throw will generally hold the disc in his right hand and throw the disc with the palm of his hand facing the direction of the throw.
A right-handed backhand thrower will throw the disc with the back side of his hand facing the direction of the throw.

The different types of throws spin the disc in opposite directions, causing the disc to turn and fade left or right, depending on type of disc thrown, windage, spin speed and various other variables. Many players try to master both techniques or learn to play both left- and right-handed to account for as many situations as possible.

Another throwing style is the roller, which can be done two different ways. One way a roller can be thrown is with a forehand grip and the disc is released vertically and allowed to roll. The other way a roller can be thrown is with a backhand grip. The person would throw the disc, releasing it vertically. Most people can get more distance with a backhand roller than with a forehand roller.

Additional throwing techniques include (but are not limited to):

Disc physics

Stability is one of the most important disc properties when choosing a disc. There are three stability classifications, based on the behavior of a disc when thrown using a level right-handed backhand (reverse the direction for left-handed backhands):

The stability of a disc depends on a number of factors, including the weight, size and shape of the disc and the speed with which it is thrown. Stability is increased when the player is able to hear a "snap" when the disc is released off the fingers. The "snap" creates centripetal force; the increased stability will allow the player to increase their accuracy. Thus, a disc that is over-stable for one player may be stable or even under-stable for another. The ratio of disc spin, angle upon release, and air speed (partially related to arm speed) are important control factors. The Bernoulli principle of flight allows the disc to achieve lift, when the air flows over the top of the disc faster than the bottom of it.

Disc Golf Hall of Fame

For more information, visit the website of the [Disc Golf Hall of Fame.]

Popular culture

External links

 

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