How to Play Disc Golf
Many people are unsure of how to play Disc Golf. Aside from a few
exceptions, Disc Golf is played almost exactly like regular Golf. The goal is to complete the course with as few
throws of the disc as possible. Although some may know the game as Frisbee Golf, this is incorrect due to the fact
that Frisbee is the most popular brand name among discuses.
The exact origin of the discus is
unknown, but is believed to have been invented in the late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds. Disc Golf,
as we know it today, was invented officially in the late 1960s by several people simultaneously. Today, the rules
of the sport are governed by the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association), which was established in 1975 by two of
the sport’s pioneers: George Sappenfield and Edward Headrick.
Since the game was invented, it has continued to pick up speed and
gain popularity. Disc Golf is currently played in more than twenty-five countries and grows at an average rate of
fourteen percent annually. In fact, the game has grown so popular that it is now played not only in the U.S., but
in Japan, Britain, New Zealand and Australia as well. Today, more than three thousand courses exist, the vast
majority of which are free.
The rules of Disc Golf are very close to the rules of conventional
Golf. Players begin from the holes tee and drive toward the pin, which in Disc Golf is a basket that is usually
made of chain. Unlike regular Golf, players are allowed to overstep the tee’s boundary after the discus is
released. This advantage does not apply to putting. When putting, balance and control must be regained before
moving forward.
While the general idea of disc golf possesses irrefutable
similarities to the regular golf, there are a few rules that differ greatly. For example, some obstacles on a Disc
Golf Course have mandatory requirements, often called “mandos.” An example of this would be a tree or post that the
disc must pass a specific side of. These rules exist for the sake of safety, and failure to abide by them could
cost the player a one-stroke penalty per infraction.
Another difference between Golf and Disc Golf is the absence of
hazards. Water, cement paths and park roads are usually considered out of bounds. Although this is the most likely
ruling, it may vary as this is decided solely by the course or event. Nicer courses generally have signs that will
indicate any course specific rules as well as the holes number and the distance to the pin.
In Disc Golf, a player may be penalized when a disc lands more
than two meters above the fairway. This is generally a one-shot penalty, but can also vary from course to course or
by event. This is known in Disc Golf as the two-meter rule. These rule variances must be considered when deciding
how to throw a disc golf.
Around the hole lies a ten meter radius known as “the circle.”
When players are within the circle, they are then putting and are not permitted to move forward until they have
regained control and balance, which is usually indicated by the player’s retrieval of the disc marker. Failure to
abide by this rule will usually cost the player a stroke.
Overall, Disc Golf is structured around the basics of conventional
golf with only a few exceptions. Among these exceptions are the absence of hazards and permission to step off the
tee directly following the disc’s release. The game was developed mainly by Edward Headrick and George Sappenfield
and the rules are governed today by the PDGA. Although it varies slightly, anyone curious about how to play Disc
Golf can find solace in its simplicity and resemblance to ordinary Golf.
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