Is disc golf a real sport?
Yes, it most certainly is a sport. Disc golf is a professional, highly-competitive sport with one of the fastest-growing, most dedicated fan and player communities in the world. But let’s dig a little deeper… What is a sport?
What was the first disc golf course?
Scoring terms for a single hole:
- Condor – Where a player is four throws under par, or "-4".
- Albatross (or double-eagle) – Where a player is three throws under par, or "-3".
- Eagle (or double-birdie) – Where a player is two throws under par, or "-2".
- Birdie – Where a player is one throw under par, or "-1".
- Par – Where a player has thrown par, "E" or "0".
What are some good basic starting discs for disc golf?
Let’s check out the three different types of discs:
- Driver: this is the disc you will almost always use first for your tee shot. These discs are meant mostly for speed and distance.
- Mid-range: this disc is used mainly for approach shots close to the basket and for tee shots when the basket isn’t too far away. ...
- Putter: putters are meant to travel short distances as accurately as possible. ...
How long has disc golf been around?
The second was the basis of all disc golf targets today, the Disc Golf Pole Hole (U.S. Patent #4039189) in 1975. How long has disc golf been around? The early history of disc golf is closely tied to the history of the recreational flying disc (especially as popularized by the trademarked Frisbee) and may have been invented in the early 1900s.
Who started disc golf?
Ed HeadrickDisc golf / CreatorEd 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. Wikipedia
When was the first official disc golf event?
1969 The first official disc golf tournament was held at Brookside Park in Pasadena, California. The goals were natural objects marked with a ribbon. Later, George Sappenfield organized several Frisbee golf events in Southern California. Disc enthusiasts introduce the concept of disc golf to other parts of the country.
What country has the most disc golf courses?
IcelandMaps & the Full ListRankCountryPeople Per Course1Iceland6,6712Finland7,7723Estonia9,3024Åland13,35672 more rows•Jun 17, 2020
Where is disc golf most popular?
Where Is Disc Golf Most Popular in the U.S.?RankStateTotal Disc Golf Rounds in UDisc (2021)1Maine169,8622Minnesota458,9883Vermont51,5754New Hampshire110,92046 more rows•Jan 26, 2022
When was disc golf invented?
In the years leading up to DGA’s founding in 1976, the sport was already moving quickly. In 1975, “Steady” Ed installed the first official disc golf course at Oak Grove Park in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, with the targets being nothing more than permanent poles placed into the ground for targets. Disc Golf Pole Holes would later replace the poles in the ground in 1976, causing a massive increase in disc golf traffic on the property.
When did disc golf become an organized sport?
The combination of Donnelly’s — and especially Sappenfield's — early promotion of Frisbee golf was an important factor that led to the emergence of disc golf as an organized sport in 1974. Unfortunately, that was the last significant mention of Frisbee golf by Wham-O for over seven years.
What is PDGA in disc golf?
The PDGA was a players organization in which local clubs provided a feeder program of new players and money to build new courses for this new sport of disc golf. It was all brand new, and nobody—probably not even Ed—knew exactly where it was going but the PDGA generated a steady source of income and gave Ed a way to pay for mailing newsletters and other costs of running a growing organization.
What year did the Datsun B210 win the American Flying Disc Open?
They called the event the American Flying Disc Open (AFDO), and to attract the attention of the Frisbee community, they put up a brand new 1974 Datsun B210 to be awarded to the winner. Jim Palmeri #23 (left) handing Dan "Stork" Roddick #003 (right) the keys to his prize for winning the 1974 American Flying Disc Open.
How many disc golf events were sanctioned in 2015?
2015 ended with a total of 2,590 events, including seven that were on the PDGA National Tour, 12 PDGA Majors, and 100+ A-Tiers. As with every year, we are on pace to easily surpass that number, with 3,000+ events already sanctioned for 2016.
What year was the Eagle disc made?
Coincidentally, 1983 was also the year a new disc company called Champion Discs (now known as Innova) debuted with its new proto Aero, then called the Eagle. The Eagle, designed by another future DGHOF member Dave Dunipace #987, represented a quantum leap in technology and instantly became the hot new driver that everyone was throwing.
When did Wham-O sell Frisbee?
Sappenfield went on to work full time for Wham-O until the company was sold in 1985. The combination of Donnelly’s — and especially Sappenfield's — early promotion of Frisbee golf was an important factor that led to the emergence of disc golf as an organized sport in 1974.
When was disc golf invented?
Disc golf was first invented in the early 1900s. The first game was held in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1927. Ronald Franklin Gibson and a group of his Bladworth Elementary School buddies played a game of throwing tin lids into 4-foot wide circles drawn into sandy patches on their school grounds. They called the game Tin Lid Golf and played on a fairly regular basis. However, after they grew older and went their separate ways, the game came to an end. It was not until the 1970s that modern disc golf would be introduced to Canadians at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto and Vancouver, BC.
What was the first disc golf target?
Ed Headrick's Flying Disc Entrapment Device Patent 4039189. The first disc golf target made with chains that became the standard for disc golf. In 1977, Headrick and his son Ken developed the modern basket catch for disc golf, US Patent 4,039,189, [4] titled Flying Disc Entrapment Device, which they trademarked "Disc Pole Hole". The Disc Pole Hole created a standardized catching device that had a chain-hanger that held vertical hanging rows of chain out and away from a center pole. The vertical rows of chain came together forming a parabolic shape above and angling down towards a metal basket that attached to and surrounded the center pole, and could catch a disc from all directions.
What is a disc golf tee box?
A disc golf tee (commonly referred to as a tee box or the box) is the starting position of a hole. The PDGA recommends that the tee box be no smaller than 1.2 meters wide by 3 meters long. The tee box is usually a pad of concrete, asphalt, rubber, gravel, or artificial turf. Some courses have natural turf with only the front of the tee position marked or no tee boxes at all and players begin from a general location based on the course layout.
How many holes are there in disc golf?
Disc golf courses. Most disc golf courses have 9 or 18 holes, and exceptions most often have holes in multiples of three. Courses with 6, 12, 21, 24 or 27 holes are not uncommon. The PDGA recommends that courses average 200–400 ft (61–122 m) per hole, with holes no shorter than 100 ft (30 m).
How many disc golf courses are there in the world?
There are disc golf courses on every continent, including 24 in Latin America, 8 in Africa, and one in Antarctica. The Åland Islands have been defined as the world's largest single disc golf park, with one course in each of the 16 municipalities of Åland. Country. DGC.
Why is it better to throw a disc or a driver?
Because the physics of a disc require "snap" or "flick", which means putting spin on the disc, new players generally find that throwing a distance driver accurately can be somewhat difficult and will require experience with golf disc response. This is why it is better for players to begin with fairway drivers, long drivers, or even mid-ranges, and incorporate maximum distance drivers as their strength and disc control increases. Most players that are starting off will be most likely throwing lighter discs.
What is disc golf?
Disc 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 ...
When Did Disc Golf Start?
Disc Golf began as a game formerly called Frisbie Golf at Yale University in Connecticut. Not to be confused with the name Frisbee™, but more on that later.
Disc Golf History
The history of “Disc Golf” as it is known today began with “Steady” Ed Headrick, the father of disc golf and modern day disc sports and the driving force responsible for the modern era of Frisbee sports.
Early Frisbee Targets
Since that time disc golf evolved from man’s natural competitive nature. Early games used targets of trees, trash cans, light poles, chicken wire baskets, pipes, and coeds.
The First Disc Golf Course
The first formal disc golf course was designed and installed that same year in Oak Grove Park, (Pasadena, California), by Headrick and was an instant success. He also founded the Professional Disc Golf Association in 1975, which he turned over to the players in 1983.By the time of his death, Ed has designed over 200 courses.
The First Disc Golf Basket
The Disc Pole Hole has evolved continuously since the first Mach I. For the past two decades our products have been established and accepted worldwide as the industry standard for the sport of Disc Golf. All of our hardware is hot-dipped galvanized from head to toe and guaranteed for 20 years against rust and corrosion.
When did disc golf start?
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, ...
Who invented disc golf?
"Steady Ed" Headrick and Dave Dunipace are two inventors and players who greatly impacted how disc golf is played. In 1976 Headrick formalized the rules of the sport, founded the Disc Golf Association (DGA), the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), the Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA) and invented the first formal disc golf target with chains and a basket. Dave Dunipace invented the modern golf disc in 1983, with the revolutionary change of adding a beveled rim, giving the disc a greater distance and accuracy. Dave was one of the founders of Innova, a well-known disc manufacturer. In 1982 Ed Headrick turned over control of the PDGA to the players and Ted Smethers to be run independently and to officiate the standard rules of play for the sport.
Who was the first person to play Frisbee golf?
Two early coordinators of the sport are George Sappenfield and Kevin Donnelly, who, through similar backgrounds and the help of Ed Headrick at Wham-O, were able to individually spread the sport in their California cities. Donnelly began playing a form of Frisbee golf in 1959 called Street Frisbee Golf. In 1961, while a recreation leader and then recreation supervisor for the City of Newport Beach, California, he formulated and then began organizing Frisbee golf tournaments at nine of the city's playgrounds he supervised. This culminated in 1965 with a fully documented, Wham-O sponsored, citywide Frisbee golf tournament spearheaded by "Steady" Ed Headrick at Wham-O. This highly publicized tournament included hula hoops as holes, with published rules, hole lengths, pars, and prizes; an event in which Walter Frederick Morrison, inventor of the Pluto Platter and Frisbee inventor "Steady"' Ed Headrick, was in attendance. In 1965, Sappenfield was a recreation counselor during a summer break from college during which, he set up an object course for his children to play on. When he finished college in 1968, Sappenfield became the Parks and Recreation supervisor for Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks, California. Sappenfield planned a disc golf tournament as part of a recreation project and contacted Wham-O Manufacturing to ask them for help with the event. Wham-O supplied Frisbees for throwing, and hula hoops for use as targets.
Where was Frisbee Golf played in 1968?
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.
How many qualifying events were there for the disc golf tournament?
The tournament was groundbreaking, first and foremost because of the cash involved, its massive payout right in the title, but also because the competitors had to qualify for an invitation. 72 qualifying events were established around the country, bringing in the best disc golfers from across the United States.
When was disc golf invented?
Disc Golf is First Played in 1926. According to The Complete Book of Frisbee, disc golf’s earliest recorded history was in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1926. Ronald Gibson and a group of his Bladworth Elementary School buddies played a game of throwing tin lids into 4 foot wide circles drawn into sandy patches on their school grounds.
What was the first city in the world to hold a disc golf championship?
1972–Rochester, New York becomes the first municipality in the world to hold an Annual City Disc Golf Championship. 1974–Dan Roddick wins a brand new 1974 Datsun B-210 at the disc golf portion of the American Flying Disc Open in Rochester.
How many qualifying events were there for the disc golf tournament?
The tournament was groundbreaking because of the cash involved, its massive payout right in the title, but also because the competitors had to qualify for an invitation. 72 qualifying events were established around the country, bringing in the best disc golfers from across the United States.
When did Wham-O start playing frisbee golf?
In 1961, while a recreation leader and then recreation supervisor for the City of Newport Beach, California, he formulated and then began organizing Frisbee golf tournaments for children at nine of the city’s playgrounds he supervised. This culminated in 1965 with a fully documented, Wham-O sponsored, citywide Frisbee golf tournament.
Where was the first disc golf course built?
Headrick designed and installed the first standardized target course in what was then known as Oak Grove Park in La Cañada Flintridge, California. (Today the park is known as Hahamongna Watershed Park). Ed founded “The International Frisbee Association (IFA)”. Headrick coined and trademarked the term “Disc Golf” when formalizing ...
When did disc golf start in Canada?
In Canada, national disc golf competitions began with object courses in the mid-1970s at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto and Vancouver. In 1980, the first 18 Disc Pole Hole course in Canada is installed on Toronto Islands. (See: History of Disc Golf in Canada ).
When was the first Frisbee tournament?
The first official Frisbee disc golf tournament was held in Brookside park, Pasadena, CA, USA in 1969. They used hula hoops as targets.
Where was disc golf played?
The year after, disc golf was introduced into the World Frisbee Championship and the tournament was played on the first permanent course in Pasadena, California. Prior to 1982, there had been no separate world championships held for disc golf and the winners of disc golf at the World Overall Championships were considered ...
When was disc golf invented?
History of Disc Golf. The first official disc golf tournament was held in Brookside park, Pasadena, CA, USA in 1969 . It was one of the events during the “All Comers Meet”. Jay Shelton won golf. The goals were natural objects marked with a ribbon. In 1974 Disc golf was played in organised tournaments in USA.
Who won the 1974 disc golf tournament?
In 1974 Disc golf was played in organised tournaments in USA. OCTAD was won by Keith White, The Northwestern Frisbee Tournament was won by Bruce Koger. Finally at the American Flying Disc Open (AFDO), Dan Roddick finished first and won a car.
Who invented disc golf?
Like ultimate Frisbee, nobody invented disc golf. It evolved from ball-minded athletes who slightly altered the rules and play of similar sports where a flying disc replaced a ball. The Berkeley Group and Victor Malafronte established an 18-hole course on the California UC Berkeley campus in 1970. Learn more here!
When did disc golf start in Canada?
Wham-O’s $50,000 Disc Golf Tournament, in 1979 , was a turning point for disc golf. The tournament was in Huntington Beach, California.
When was disc golf invented?
Ed had invented a disc golf basket, started a company, and now was founding the Professional Disc Golf Association in the summer of 1976. The PDGA, Professional Disc Golf Association is still the governing body of the sport today.
What are some examples of disc golf?
From accounts of people throwing objects at particular targets of trash cans, fire hydrants, street lamps, to the modern-day flying disc targets.
What year was the American Flying Disc Open?
In 1973, the group from Rochester discovered a newsletter that “Steady” Ed has created that was all about Frisbee, and the group decided to promote the 1974 City of Rochester Disc Golf Championship as a National Tournament and called it the American Flying Disc Open (AFDO).
Who invented the flying disc?
One of the most direct traces to the sport can be linked to “Steady” Ed Headrick and the invention of the flying disc. “Steady” Ed invented many things but his two that are most important to the sport today are the Frisbee (1966) and the Disc Golf Pole Hole about 11 years later.
Overview
Disc golf courses
Most disc golf courses have 9 or 18 holes, and exceptions most often have holes in multiples of three. Courses with 6, 12, 21, 24 or 27 holes are not uncommon. The PDGA recommends that courses average 200–400 ft (61–122 m) per hole, with holes no shorter than 100 ft (30 m). The longest holes in the world measure more than 1,500 ft (460 m) long. Course designers use trees, b…
Origin and early history
Disc golf was first invented in the early 1900s. The first game was held in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1927. Ronald Franklin Gibson and a group of his Bladworth Elementary School buddies played a game of throwing tin lids into 4-foot wide circles drawn into sandy patches on their school grounds. They called the game Tin Lid Golf and played on a fairly regular basis. However, after they grew older and went their separate ways, the game came to an end. I…
Gameplay
The sport of disc golf is set up similar to a game of golf. A "round" is played on a disc golf course consisting of a number of "holes", usually 9 or 18. Each hole includes a tee position for starting play and a disc golf target some distance away, often with obstacles such as trees, hills or bodies of water in between. Players begin by throwing a disc from the tee, without crossing over the front …
Disc types
Disc golf discs are smaller than Ultimate flying discs or general-purpose recreational frisbees. They typically measure 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) in diameter and weigh 130–180 g (4.6–6.3 oz). All PDGA-approved discs measure 21–30 cm (8.3–11.8 in) in diameter and weigh no more than 200 g (7.1 oz). Discs used for disc golf are designed and shaped for control, speed, and accuracy, while g…
Throwing styles
While there are many different grips and styles to throwing the disc, there are two basic throwing techniques: backhand and forehand (or sidearm). These techniques vary in effectiveness under different circumstances. Their understanding and mastery can greatly improve a player's game, and offer diverse options in maneuvering the disc to the basket with greater efficacy. Many players use what is referred to as a run-up during their drive. This is practiced to build more forw…
Scoring
Stroke play is the most common scoring method used in the sport but there are many other forms. These include match play, skins, speed golf and captain's choice, which in disc golf is referred to as "doubles" (not to be confused with partner or team play).
Regardless of which form of play the participants choose, the main objectives of disc golf are conceptually the same as traditional golf in the sense that players follow the same scorekeepin…
Tournaments
Tournaments are held nationwide and year long in the United States. Sanctioned Tournament play is communicated through the Professional Disc Golf Association Membership. The PDGA provides international, professional, and amateur disc golf tournaments as well as communicates event results, opinions and other information beneficial to the sport via electronic and printed media. I…