Disc golf, also 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.
A frisbee, also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly 20 to 25 centimetres in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitively for throwing and catching, as in flying disc games. The shape of the disc is an airfoil in cross-section which allows it to fly by reducing the drag and increasing lift as it moves through the air, compared to a flat plate. Spinning the disc imparts a stabilizing gyroscopic force, allowing it to be both aimed with accuracy and thrown for distance.
Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in south Austin, Texas at the juncture of Barton Creek and the Colorado River that comprises over 350 acres (142 ha) of publicly owned land. It is named after its benefactor, Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated the land to the city in 1917. The land was developed into a park during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Today the park serves as a hub for many recreational activities and the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, both of which run next to the park. The large size of the park makes it a capable venue for large-scale events such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Zilker Park Kite Festival. The park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes the sport through tournament development, course development, rules and competitive standards, media and sponsor relations, and public education and outreach.
Zilker is a neighborhood in south central Austin, Texas. It extends south of Lady Bird Lake, approximately bounded by the Union Pacific Railway to the southeast/south, Barton Skyway to the south, Rabb Road and Azie Morton Road to the west and Lady Bird Lake to the north.
Sedgley Woods is a section of east Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a historical disc golf course site. The site was established in 1977 and has one of the oldest permanent pole-hole disc golf courses. The Friends of Sedgley Woods, a volunteer organization, maintains the grounds and runs monthly tournaments, community outreach programs, and occasional events with the Mid-Atlantic Disc Club and the Professional Disc Golf Association.
Flying disc sports are sports or games played with discs, often called by the trademarked name Frisbees. Ultimate and disc golf are sports with substantial international followings.
Tom Monroe was a champion of virtually all flying disc sports, including ultimate, freestyle, field events and especially disc golf.
The Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin, Texas is managed by the City of Austin's Park and Recreation Department. The Greenbelt is a 7.25-mile (11.67 km) stretch of public land spanning from Zilker Park west to the Lost Creek neighborhood. The Barton Creek Greenbelt runs parallel to the first 6.5 miles of Barton Creek before ending on a steep .75 mile hill commonly referred to as the hill of life. The Barton Creek Greenbelt consists of three areas: the Barton Creek Wilderness Park, the Upper Greenbelt, and the Lower Greenbelt. It is characterized by large limestone cliffs, dense foliage, and shallow bodies of water.
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 an American 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.
Queen Elizabeth Park Disc Golf Course, also known as Little Mountain Disc Golf Course, is an 18-hole disc golf course located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was designed by the British Columbia Flying Disc Association in 1984. The course hosted the 1987 Western Canadian Frisbee Championships.
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.
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.
Disc golf is a popular sport in the United States played at the recreational, club, and international competition levels.
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.
Scott Stokely is an American professional disc golfer, disc sports (frisbee) teacher, and author.
This article lists the flying disc sports events for 2024.
