My town put in a new disc golf course. Tried it out today. For about the $ of one box of good ammo I bought 3 discs (driver, midrange, putter) and played my first round. What a kick!

No green fees.
Easy for beginners to pick up.
Discs are dirt cheap ($7-10)
Close to home.
Much easier to learn than real golf.
Can play alone or in groups.

Not the pizazz of shooting, but worth giving it a go.

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Jon

I stumbled onto a disc course here. Stood in front of one of the "holes" for a minute scratching my head. Does look like a fun way to get some fresh air.

You have no idea what a big deal this is with the youngsters. The disks are like 5-6" frisbees. There are tournaments. The gear includes special carrying bags similar to range bags. A guy I worked with (about 30 yrs. old) took me to a course by McDONALD Hqrs. in Oakbrook IL.. Almost unbelievable this is like almost an "underground sport" with such following. Courses specific to Disk golf are in a lot of public parks. The "hole" is a suspended basket. Tosses of the frisbe disk are counted as strokes. The disks are relatively expensive and correspond to clubs. The "course" I was on was beautiful (Oakbrook is a $$$$ suburb) and free. 9 holes. Crazy as hell, but it does get you out walking.

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SOS USA

I played for the first time this summer,pretty fun I plan to play more next summer.

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Chad

one of the parks I run in has a course. I grew up playing real golf but this seems like fun. it does have a strange following. they sure don't look like real golfers. not sure how to describe what I see. I don't want to offend anyone. they look like the artsy type that could also fit in at the range. not your typical real golfer. I observe the way they approach the game. they will wait for me to pass on the running path before "taking a stroke", i guess for fear I may get hit with that mini looking frisbee. some of these guys take more practice swings than I have ever seen on the teebox. the concentration of some you would think they were lining up a 15 footer with a double break. once they complete a "shot" they walk down the fairway barely saying a word. i wonder how they react after "sinking a long birdie"?

how long will this trend last? I keep thinking this is some sinister urban plan. no idea what they are trying to achieve with it. i don't think the real golfers will ever show much interest. they're not going to lure shooters, fisherman, or the artsy types to give up anything they enjoy for this. this is starting to smell like the bike trails.

There is/was a course set up at the back side of Taylor Park in Largo. Free.

I thought California was first for everything? Disc golf has been around for a while.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I would guess 8-10 years. The kid that I worked with that dragged me around the "course" had been involved with it for about 3 years. My trip around the course was about 3 years ago, so we're talking at least 6 years in the making at that point. This kid showed me magazines dedicated to "disk golf". They are serious about it and have star players and sell pro stuff. I kid you not. I used to tease the guy unmercifully about his little frisbee's (all in fun, he knew it) The courses can fit in with a typical park and be almost invisible if the one I was on is typical. The one I was on was on the pirifery of a large park surrounding 2 soccer fields. A "fairway" is about 120 ft.. Putting involved getting the disk in a short wire trashcan looking thing suspended by chains a foot off the ground. It ain't easy. Since it's in public parks, no drinking. Fun stuff, what the heck.

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SOS USA

There are two public parks in my city that have courses. They have been there quite a few years but I never paid much attention to them. I never had the slightest interest in following a little white ball around the countryside either. A good friend works as an engineer at a local government shipyard and was sent on a temporary assignment at a naval installation near Seattle. He is my age, close to 60, and had never had any interest in the disc game. Several of the younger engineers were pretty active with this thing and invited him to come along and try it. He did and grew to like it.

He came back and gave me a set of discs so we could play it together. So far, I really stink at this game. I find it rather tedious but it does get you out walking. It seems to be a poor man's type of useless activity. The other people I see playing it appear more like plain old blue collar type guys...My friend tries to get me to play it but I am usually able to avoid it and I think he has given up on me...I really don't see it as much different than golf other than the cost and funny golf clothes...

That's the one thing about being here in the sticks, nothing like that. We have to contend with popping the red squirrels and chipmunks with a .22 (lots of those things) or if you live near the lake feeding seagulls alka-seltzers.

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Vaya con Dios

I know, I put the ??? in the wrong spot. I corrected my original post I am from the Frisbee, generation

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Still Running Against the Wind

i did a search for the game and wikipedia has a pretty good write up. i know it's wikipedia, the site that can make the origins of the so called "420 club" seem like one of the watershed events in our country's history. good starting point anyway. there is also a professional organization. the "pga" of disc golf. it even has houston roots. also beginning in the 60's I think we have a link to my earlier guess that somehow this is related to that urban bike trails push. if this isn't an olympic sport yet it will probably need to be included next time. how could they leave this out?

Frisbee/Disc golf has been around a long time. San Diego had(and probably still has), a course on the east side of Balboa park (Morley Field area), back in the early seventies. It is a lot harder than it looks and way too much fun. Frankly I'm surprised it never really took off as it is relatively cheap to build a course. Just lay out a park area and hang the baskets/holes and does not conflict with others using the park. Sadly, I am now seriously addicted to regular golf and am off to feed my addiction as soon as the one hour frost delay expires...winter's a bitch here in Tucson. (o;

I think around here the kids call it Can Jam...they played it at just about every graduation party I went to last summer.

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'Merica!

Yep, kinda blue collar. I mostly fit that description. (actually, my white collar covers my red neck. ) I think real golf guys look down on disc golfers like some snow skiers look down on boarders. But hey, it's cheap, clean fun. Can't wait to get the kids out there.

No, I won't be giving up the shooting or backpacking that I enjoy, but for $20 invested and no range/green fees, this is a good addition to my local park.

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Jon

Better at real golf though it is fun.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

My daughter played for a few years here,
she won all of here discs at the weekly club runs.

Have tryed it my self but i realy stank at it

Computers are scary! I see there is now a disc golf advertisement attached to this thread. Big brother is watching I guess...

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Jon