Disc golf, formerly known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which is a thermoplastic polymer resin used in a wide variety of applications. Discs are also made using a variety of other plastic types that are heated and molded into individual discs. The sport is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes (baskets). Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or area toward a target, known as a basket, throwing again from where the previous throw landed, until the basket is reached. The baskets are formed by wire with hanging chains above the basket, designed to catch the incoming discs, which then fall into the basket. Usually, the number of throws a player uses to reach each basket is tallied, and players seek to complete each hole in the lowest number of total throws. Par is the number of strokes an expert player is expected to make for a given hole or a group of holes.
Santa Cruz is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination, owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historic landmarks.
The World Disc Games (WDG) is a semi-regular event that brings the entire world flying disc community together for a week of overall disc events that allow people to compete in and enjoy disc sports. Beginning in 1978, and originally called the Santa Cruz Flying Disc Classic, the WDG has its home in Santa Cruz, California, with promoter and hall of fame disc sport player Tom Schot.
The Masters Cup is an annual disc golf tournament held at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California. The event features both amateur and professional divisions. The 23rd annual Masters Cup was held April 18–20 (amateur) and May 2–4 (professional), 2008.
Disc Golf Association (DGA) is a company founded in 1976 by Ed Headrick and located in Watsonville, California. The Disc Golf Association | DGA, is the founding company of the sport of disc golf and was the acting overseeing body for the sport until the establishment of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). The PDGA was run by Ed Headrick and the DGA until 1982. They are a manufacturer of disc golf baskets for the sports of Disc Golf. The company does not have any retail stores, but rather sells disc golf courses to park departments, disc golf clubs, and private parties. The company also sells large quantities of discs and other related disc golf equipment to resalers and wholesalers around the world.
Kenneth Ray Westerfield is a pioneering Frisbee disc player, who achieved numerous disc sports accomplishments in the 1970s. A disc sports Hall of Fame inductee in freestyle, ultimate, and disc golf. In addition, he was voted "Top Men's Player" in the 1970-75 Decade Awards. Westerfield produced tournaments, set world records, and won awards in every disc sport. He was a tournament co-director for the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships (1972-1985) in Toronto, the Vancouver Open Frisbee Championships (1974-1977) in Vancouver, BC, the 1978 Santa Cruz Flying Disc Classic in Santa Cruz, California, the 1985 Labatt's World Guts Championships in Toronto, and the 1987 World PDGA Disc Golf Championships in Toronto. Westerfield founded the first ultimate league in Canada - the Toronto Ultimate Club (1979). As one of the original freestylers from the 1960s, used his expertise in several company-sponsored touring Frisbee shows in the U.S. and Canada. Irwin Toy,, Molson Frisbee Team (1974–77), Adidas Canada (1974-1979), Goodtimes Professional Frisbee Show (1978–82), Orange Crush Frisbee Team (1977–78), Air Canada Frisbee Team (1978–79), Lee Jeans Frisbee Team (1979–80) and the Labatts Schooner Frisbee Team (1983–85).
Nate Doss is a former professional disc golfer who won three world championships. With his win in 2011, Doss became only the second person with three MPO world championships, after Ken Climo's 12. In addition to his three world championships, Doss became the first Discraft sponsored player to win Disc Golf's other prestigious event, the United States Disc Golf Championship, in 2008. After retiring from the game in 2018 he, along with his wife Valarie Jenkins, began a new career as a brewer, launching Bevel Craft Brewing. Doss also provides live color commentary on the Disc Golf Network.
Ed Headrick, also known as "Steady" Ed Headrick, was an American toy inventor. Headrick served in combat in the army in WWII and was a deep-sea welder. He is most well known as the father of both the modern-day Frisbee and of the sport and game of disc golf.
Domaine de Rouville DGC is a private 18-hole disc golf course located at the Domaine de Rouville golf course, in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec. Designed in 2013 by Mark Doucette, Gabriel Rondeau, and Paul Belyea on the grounds of an unused 9-hole golf club, it is widely regarded as one of the top disc golf courses in Quebec.
InterGolf Disc Golf Course is a 9-hole disc golf course located at the Centre InterGolf in Granby, Quebec, Canada. The course is set on a low traffic 9-hole ball golf course. It was designed by Peter Lizotte in 2011.
Toronto Island Park Disc Golf Course is a world-class 18-hole disc golf course located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Set on the western side of Ward's Island, the course offers a picturesque view of the Toronto skyline and was one of 12-time PDGA World Champion Ken Climo's favorite courses. It was established in 1980 by Toronto Island Disc Golf Experience (TIDE) in partnership with the City of Toronto Parks Department and expanded in 2017 by Christopher Lowcock. Toronto Island Park Disc Golf Course hosted the Disc Golf World Championships in 1987.
Krokhol Disc Golf Course is a world-class 18-hole disc golf course located in Siggerud, Norway, 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Oslo. Set on an abandoned ball golf course, it features long holes on hilly grass fairways lined with thick woods, and is widely considered the best disc golf course in Norway. The course is available to the public at no charge with an optional donation to help fund maintenance and future development.
Modern disc golf started in the early 1960s, but there is debate over who came up with the idea first. The consensus is that multiple groups of people played independently throughout the 1960s. Students at Rice University in Houston, Texas, for example, held tournaments with trees as targets as early as 1964, and in the early 1960s, players in Pendleton King Park in Augusta, Georgia would toss Frisbees into 50-gallon barrel trash cans designated as targets. In 1968 Frisbee Golf was also played in Alameda Park in Santa Barbara, California by teenagers in the Anacapa and Sola street areas. Gazebos, water fountains, lamp posts, and trees were all part of the course. This took place for several years and an Alameda Park collectors edition disc still exists, though rare, as few were made. Clifford Towne from this group went on to hold a National Time Aloft record.
UDisc is a disc golf app for scorekeeping, statistics, and discovery for smartphones and tablet computers running the Android or iOS operating system. The app is also compatible with Android's Wear OS and Apple Watch.
Schmitten Discgolf Parcours is a seasonal 18-hole disc golf course located in Zell am See, Austria. The course is set on a ski slope and progresses downhill. The first hole is 1,830 metres (6,000 ft) above sea level and the last hole is 430 metres (1,410 ft) lower. Established on 15 June 2009, it was the first disc golf course in Austria and the 3,000th course to be added to the PDGA Course Directory. It is open for free to players who purchased a valid cable car ticket.
This is a basic glossary of disc golf terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon developed over the years in the sport of disc golf. Where noted, some terms are used only in American English (US), only in British English (UK), or are regional to a particular part of the world, such as Australia (AU).
Disc golf is a popular sport in the United States played at the recreational, club, and international competition levels.
A basket is by far the most common type of target used in disc golf. It features a disc-catching basket under a deflection assembly generally made out of chain. Permanent baskets on courses are built on an anchored metal pole, but portable disc golf baskets with foldable mechanisms to facilitate transportation also exist.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to disc golf across the world, mirroring its impact across all sports. Throughout the world and to varying degrees, leagues and competitions have been cancelled or postponed.
