Ever seen disc golf?

Disc golf, aka frisbee golf, is played very much like traditional golf (which disc golf players refer to as stick and ball golf ). You stand in the tee box, throw a disc, and keep track of how many throws it takes to put it in the hole. The hole in this case is called a polehole, which is a pole set vertically with a round metal basket a couple of feet off the ground. The pole projects above the basket and eight metal arms draped with chains stick out of the top. You can putt to drop the disc in the basket, or if you are further away, throw to bury your disc in the chains and then drop into the basket.

Otherwise very much like golf - holes have a par, out of bounds, water hazards, rules regarding when you get relief, etc.

A short hole would be maybe 250 to 300 feet, par three. A long one might go 700. That does not sound so long until you think about throwing a frisbee. Picture yourself standing on the goal line at a local school. How many throws to reach the other goal line? Rather like golf, the harder you try to hit/throw, the harder it is to make it go straight or the direction you prefer. Wind can be a huge factor, as can trees and tree branches.

The disc itself is not your usual beach frisbee. It is smaller, flatter, with a sharply beveled edge and the top dome is thin. Max weight is 175 grams.

The current distance record for throwing one of those discs is 1,109 feet (338 meters), which is ridiculous. That's a pure distance throw, accuracy be damned.

I'll just post the video I just ran up on of a guy posting an insane round, you'll pick it up easily. Note that if you throw right handed in the traditional way, across your body, the disc will always tend to tail off to the left. The first drive you'll see is difficult because he brings it around to the right. These are pros, and do things that normal people can't manage. The round you'll see (or see a little of, most likely, lol) is not what regular people do any more than PGA is comparable to weekend hackers.

I had my disc bag with with me at a family gather a few years ago, and my son got one out and was throwing it. My niece asked me what it was, and I told her it was a disc for frisbee golf. She looked at me for a long few seconds, and then in her very best oh so world weary and cynical nineteen year old voice she said, "Do you seriously expect me to believe that you put that thing on a tee and hit it with a golf club?" >grin<

It's cheap and fun. No green fees. Buy a few discs (driver, mid range, putter) and a couple of beers and you're good to go.

 

Saw one "course" at a park in Scottsdale, Ariz. Looked like fun.

 

That's an absolutely mindbendingly good round. 18 under? Front nine an eagle and eight birdies, back nine one par and eight birdies? Who does that?

This guy's putting... if you don't play you can't fully grasp what you're seeing. I mean you've watched sports, so yeah... but it's like watching someone smack a 300 yard drive. It looks easy until you try to do it yourself, you know?

That's a far more open course than I'm used to seeing. I play a lot of tight lanes cut through the piney woods, with maybe three or four holes that wide open.

18 under. Jesus.

 

Holy shit, it's 1979 all over again.
Even better if you crank up the eight-track player!

 

Epic pull there.

 

I played once a few years ago as part of an all-day bachelor party. I thought it was fun, certainly better than traditional golf.

 

Did you know: there’s an impressive selection of Innova discs at the world famous Joe’s Kansas City original gas station location?

cc: @Jake_Taylor @exmediahack

 

A friend of mine tore up his knee playing disc golf, so I guess it's a real sport.

 

Judging by the number of memes......
disc golf memes - Google Search

 

I worked with a woman oncecwho was ranked nationally. She won a few bucks here and there playing.

The sport has a small, but very passionate, following.