Disc golf

Disc Golf
Highest governing body Professional Disc Golf Association
Registered players 84492, 25127 current[1]
Clubs Yes
Characteristics
Contact No
Team members Single competitors, doubles
Mixed gender Yes, but usually in separate leagues/divisions
Type Outdoor
Equipment Flying disc

Disc Golf (also known as frisbee golf or frolf[2]) is a flying disc game, as well as a precision and accuracy sport, in which individual players throw a flying disc at a target.[2] According to Paul Ince of the Professional Disc Golf Association, "the object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc."[3] In just 8 years (2000–08), the number of disc golf courses doubled.[4] The game is played in about 40 countries around the world.[5]

History

The history of disc golf is closely tied to the history of the recreational flying disc (especially as popularized by the trademarked Frisbee). The first known instance of anyone playing golf with a flying disc occurred in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1926. Ronald Gibson and a group of his Bladworth Elementary School buddies played a game throwing tin plates at targets such as trees and fence posts. They called the game Tin Lid Golf and played on a fairly regular basis on a disc golf course they laid out on their school grounds. But, after they grew older and went their separate ways, the game came to an end.[6] It wasn't until the 1970s that disc golf would be reintroduced to Canadians at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto.[7]

Modern disc golf started in the early 1960s, when it seems to have been invented in many places and by many people independently. 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 in 50-gallon barrel trash cans designated as targets.

A true pioneer of the sport of Frisbee Golf is Kevin Donnelly, who, until 2011, was unknown for his accomplishment. Kevin 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, city-wide Frisbee Golf tournament. This highly publicized tournament included hula hoops as holes, with published rules, hole lengths, pars, and penalties, prizes and, an event in which Fred Morrison, the Frisbee inventor, was in attendance.[8] In 1967, two years after conducting the first-ever organized Frisbee Golf Tournament, Kevin, then the Coordinator of the Parks and Recreation Section at Fresno State College, California, organized and then taught the first ever college level Frisbee Golf activity course, in which George Sappenfield was registered.

Two of the best-known figures in the sport are "Steady Ed" Headrick,[9] who introduced the first formal disc golf target with chains and a basket, and Dave Dunipace who invented the modern golf disc in 1983, with his revolutionary change to add a beveled edge rim, this gave the disc a greater distance and accuracy. Dave was one of the founders of Innova, a well-known disc manufacturer.[10] In 1976, Headrick formed the DGA, then later the PDGA and the RDGA. Ted Smethers took over the PDGA in 1982 to be run independently and to officiate the standard rules of play for the sport. The sport has grown at a rate of 12-15 percent annually for more than the past decade, with nearly 4000 courses in the US and about 5000 globally.[11] The game is now played in more than 40 countries worldwide, primarily in the United States, Canada, Central and Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

George Sappenfield and Early Object Courses

In 1965, George Sappenfield, from Fresno California, was a recreation counselor during summer break from college. While playing golf one afternoon he realized that it might be fun for the kids on his playground if they played "golf" with frisbees. He set up an object course for his kids to play on. Other early courses were also of this type, using anything from lamp poles to fire hydrants as targets. When he finished college in 1968, Sappenfield became the Parks and Recreation Supervisor for Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks, California. George introduced the game to many adults by planning a disc golf tournament as part of a recreation project. He contacted Wham-O Manufacturing and asked them for help with the event. Wham-O supplied frisbees for throwing, and hula hoops for use as targets. However, it would not be until the early 1970s that courses began to crop up in various places in the Midwest and the East Coast (some perhaps through Sappenfield's promotion efforts, others probably independently envisioned). Some of Sappenfield's acquaintances are known to have brought the game to UC Berkeley. It quickly became popular on campus, with a permanent course laid out in 1970.

Growth of the Modern Game

"Steady Ed" Headrick began thinking about the sport during his time at Wham-O toys where he designed and patented the modern day Frisbee.[12][13] Headrick, who is now regarded as the "Father of Disc Golf,"[14][15] 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). The park is immediately south of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which supplied at least a few of the earliest players. Ed worked for the San Gabriel, California-based Wham-O Corporation and is credited for pioneering the modern era of disc sports. While at Wham-O, Headrick redesigned the Pluto Platter reworking the rim height, disc shape, diameter, weight and plastics, creating a controllable disc that could be thrown accurately. Headrick marketed and pushed the professional model Frisbee and "Frisbee" as a sport. Ed Founded "The International Frisbee Association (IFA)" and began establishing standards for various sports using the Frisbee such as Distance, Flying disc freestyle and Guts.

Headrick coined and trademarked the term "Disc Golf" when formalizing the sport and patented the Disc Pole Hole,[16] the first disc golf target to incorporate chains and a basket on a pole. He started designing the target because he was tired of arguing over what counted as a scoring disc with his friends.

Headrick founded the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) and Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA) for competitive and family-oriented play, respectively, and worked on standardizing the rules and the equipment for the growing sport. Headrick abandoned his trademark on the term "Disc Golf," and turned over control and administration of the PDGA to the growing body of disc golf players in order to focus on his passion for building and inventing equipment for the sport.[17]

Basic Rules

A disc resting in the basket

For the complete rules of disc golf, one can read the PDGA Official Rules and Regulations.

Safety

All players should always keep in mind that disc golf discs can potentially be very dangerous if not thrown with safety and common sense always in mind. Never throw a disc in the area someone occupies unless they are completely aware you are throwing it in their direction. Players should always wait until the player or group in front of them have completed a hole and moved out of the way until they throw. If you come upon a hole where the target is blind and you can potentially not see a group ahead it is common procedure to call out "clear on (number of hole you are on)". If there is no answer you should again call out and before throwing say "coming down on (number of hole you are on)".

Disc Types

The golf discs used today are much smaller and heavier than traditional flying discs, typically 8-9 inches (20–23 cm) in diameter and weighing between 120 and 180 grams. The PDGA prohibits discs heavier than 200 grams. Discs used for disc golf are designed and shaped for control, speed, and accuracy, while general-purpose flying discs, such as those used for playing guts or ultimate, have a more traditional shape, similar to a catch disc. There is a wide variety of discs used in disc golf and they are generally divided into three categories: putters, all-purpose mid-range discs, and drivers.

Putter

Putters are similar to the discs used in simple games of catch, such as the Wham-o brand Frisbee. They are designed to fly straight, predictably, and very slowly compared to mid-range discs and drivers. They are typically used for tight, controlled shots that are close to the basket, although some players use them for short drives where trees or other obstacles come into play. Usually a pro carries 1-7 putters depending on their flight characteristics.

Mid-range

Mid-range discs have slightly sharper edges that enable them to cut through the air better. These discs are usually faster, more stable, and have a longer range than a putter. Some players will use mid-ranges as drivers, and there are tournaments that require players to use only mid-range discs. They are good all-around discs and are suitable for a first time player.

Driver

Drivers are usually recognized by their sharp, bevelled edge and have most of their mass concentrated on the outer rim of the disc rather than distributed equally throughout. Drivers are often divided into different categories. For example, Innova Discs divides their discs into Distance Drivers and Fairway Drivers, with a fairway driver being somewhere between a distance driver and a mid-range disc. Discraft divides their drivers into 3 categories: Long Drivers, Extra Long Drivers, and Maximum Distance Drivers. 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. Another type of driver, used less frequently, is a roller. As the name indicates, it has an edge designed to roll rather than fly.

Stability

Stability is the measurement of a disc's tendency to bank laterally during its flight. A disc that is over-stable will tend to track left (for a right handed, backhand throw), whereas a disc that is under-stable will tend to track right (also for a right handed, backhand throw). The stability rating of the discs differs depending on the manufacturer of the disc. Innova Discs rate stability as "turn" and "fade". "Turn" references how the disc will fly at high speed during the beginning and middle of its flight, and is rated on a scale of +1[27] to −5, where +1[27] is the most overstable and −5 is the most understable. "Fade" references how the disc will fly at lower speeds towards the end of its flight, and is rated on a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 has the least fade, and 5 has the most fade. For example, a disc with a turn of -5 and fade of +1 will fly to the right for (right handed, backhand throw) the majority of its flight then curl back minimally left at the end. A disc with a turn of -1 and a fade of +3 will turn slightly right during the middle of its flight and turn hard left as it slows down. These ratings can be found on the discs themselves or from the manufacturer's web site. Discraft prints the stability rating on all discs and also provides this information on their web site. The stability ranges from 3 to −2 for Discraft discs; however Discraft's ratings are more of a combination of turn and fade with the predominance being fade.

Spin (rotation) has little influence on lift and drag forces but it does impact a disc's stability during flight. Imagine a spinning top. A gentle nudge will knock it off its axis of rotation for a second but it will not topple over because spin adds gyroscopic stability. In much the same way, a flying disc resists rolling (flipping over) because spin adds gyroscopic stability. A flying disc will tend to maintain its spin rate even as it loses velocity. Toward the end of a disc's flight, when the spin and velocity lines cross, a flying disc will predictably begin to fade. The degree to which a disc will fade is dependent on its pitch angle and design.[28]

Plastics

There are a variety of different discs, each with a specific plastic made with them. Plastics such as DX, J-Pro, Pro-D, X-Line and R-Pro from Innova discs and Discraft are some of the less durable plastics, but good for beginners due to their lower prices, compared to the higher end plastics. Plastics such as Champion, Titanium, FLX, GStar, and Star plastics are the best offered from the same companies, offering the best quality, durability and flight compared to the other types available.

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 two techniques are different and effective in different circumstances. Their understanding and mastery can greatly improve a players' game, and offer diverse options in maneuvering 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 forward disc momentum and distance. Throwing styles vary from player to player, and there is no standard throwing style.

All discs when thrown will naturally fall to a certain direction, this direction is termed Hyzer, the natural fall of the disc, or Anhyzer, making the disc fall against its natural flight pattern. For a right-handed, back-hand thrower (RHBH), the disc will naturally fall to the left. For a right-handed fore-hand thrower (RHFH), the disc will naturally fall to the right. For a left-handed, back-hand thrower (LHBH), the disc will naturally fall to the right. For a left-handed, fore-hand thrower (LHFH), the disc will naturally fall to the left.

Backhand

To perform this throw, the disc is rapidly drawn from across the front of the body, and released towards a forward aimpoint. Due to the potential snap available with this technique, one can expect greater distance and accuracy than with its counterpart. It is important to initiate momentum from the feet and allow it to travel up the body, hips and shoulders, culminating in the transfer of energy to the disc.

Forehand

The forehand (sidearm) throw is performed by drawing the disc from behind and partially across the front of the body: similar to a sidearm throw in baseball. The term sidearm actually predates the descriptor forehand, which is seemingly in use today as a simpler means to communicate the technique: equating to a tennis forehand.[29]

Alternative throws

The following examples of throws may be used to better deliver a disc where the former common two throws would be impeded by obstacles (bushes, trees, boulders, structures, etc.

Common alternative styles

Other alternative styles

Course Components

A disc golf course in Yyteri beach, Finland
A red disc sailing towards a "Tonal Pole" style target at the disc golf course on Pender Island

While the roots of the game are very casual and laid back, the newer generations of players are taking course design as well as the other elements of the game to a new level. Though early on targets were trees or fence posts in the woods, now courses are being cut out and under-utilized parts of parks, schools, and private land are being used to make some of the most challenging and strategic courses around. All courses share the same basic elements; targets, tee pads, signage, topography, and most important, safety.

Targets

The first incarnation of targets were known as tonal poles because of the sound they made when hit. These consisted of a metal pipe placed on a smaller pipe that when struck with the disc made a gong type sound. While these were much more accurate than a tree, arguments and disagreements led to the invention of the Disc Pole Hole by Ed Headrick in 1975. The basket (as it is now known in most circles) is the standard for disc golf courses.

Tee Pads

The tee pad is where a player begins the hole. A solid base is a must for any successful course, and where early courses had plain dirt pads, modern courses use concrete, or more cost effective materials such as mulch, decomposed granite, or other natural materials. In recent years recycled rubber mats have been developed and are starting to catch on. While many alternatives have been created, concrete is the standard.

Signage

Signage is critical to any good course. Knowing distances, par count, out-of-bounds, and layout for each hole will give a player the information they need to make a great shot. Many courses have a main layout sign at the beginning of the course to show details of the course as a whole, as well as any needed information about the course. Hole signs give specific details about the hole the player is on, such as mandatory paths, out-of-bounds, and length. Not only are hole information signs critical, but way-finding signs and informational signs can make a good course great, and the absence of these can make a good course bad.

Topography

What makes disc golf unique is the utilization of natural elements, using trees and shrubs as obstacles and elevation changes to make the course challenging. Keeping the raw and environmentally conscious elements gives each course its own personality and strategy. You can find courses in many parks, with trees, creeks, gorges, tall grass, ponds, and many other obstacles found in state and local parks to make the course more challenging to play.

Safety

Safety is one of the most important elements of course design and actual play because most courses are in public parks: non-players are routinely found in the course environment. Paramount to the planning of a quality course is the detailing and minimizing possible points of interaction with non-players.

Because of all of these elements and the importance of each one to the success of the course, seeking out a qualified, experienced course designer will help to insure that all of these factors are kept at the forefront. Discs can be thrown fast and when hit, mainly the head, can cause serious injury. This is when it is the most crucial to call "fore!" to let others who cannot see know that you are ready to throw or that the disc is heading their way. This helps to prevent injuries by communicating to others on the park to be aware of discs flying toward them.[31]

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 scorekeeping technique.

Scoreboard:

Doubles play is a unique style of play that many local courses offer on a weekly basis. In this format, teams of two golfers are determined. Sometimes this is done by random draw, and other times it is a pro-am format. On the course, it is a "best-disc" scramble, meaning both players throw their tee shot; and then decide which lie they would like to play. Both players then play from the same lie, again choosing which lie is preferable. The World Amateur Doubles Format includes best shot, alternate shot, best score (players play singles and take the best result from the hole) and worst shot (both players must sink the putt).

Tournaments

Ken Climo teeing off at hole 5 of the 2008 USDGC

Tournaments are held nationwide and year long in the USA. 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. In 1982 the PDGA hosted the first World Championship Tournament. Since then the World Championships have been held in 17 different American states, as well as Toronto, ON [32]

Disc golf tournaments are popular around the world. As with traditional golf, there are many championship tournaments. One of the largest is the United States Disc Golf Championship.

Every year, the largest teams tournament in the world is held in Austin, Texas, by John Houck.[33]

To prove the year-round sustainability of the sport, annual winter tournaments known as Ice Bowls are held at courses around the world. Using the motto "No Wimps, No Whiners", Ice Bowls collectively are designed to create sport awareness, and are considered charity events that typically benefit a food bank local to a given tournament location. The official Web site reports that the 2010 Ice Bowls raised over $250,000 and donated over 67,000 pounds of food in the 222 tournaments for the year.

Women

While there are more male than female players, the Women's Disc Golf Association exists to encourage female players and arrange women's tournaments. A PDGA survey states that out of its 11,302 members in 2006, 8% are female, or about 900.[34] In PDGA competition, women have the option to play in gender-protected divisions.[35] The women's field has grown rapidly in the past five years, as many women-only tournaments have grown in popularity around the world.

Several companies have started programs and websites to help attract women to the sport. The PDGA Women's Committee is "Dedicated to Attract, Encourage, and Retain Female Participation in Organized Disc Golf Events". The PDGA Women's Committee set historical records on 12 May 2012 by running the Inaugural Women's Global Event that attracted 636 female players in 24 states and 4 countries. The Women's Global Event is expected to become a bi-annual event returning in 2014 with hopes of setting the bar even higher with the amount of participants.

There are also Disc golf companies such as Disc-Diva, that have started up with a primary, though not exclusive, focus on women in the sport, promoting accessories geared towards women and using catch phrases like "you wish you threw like a girl".[36] Sassy Pants is another group that focuses on getting more involvement from women in the sport, advocating for sponsorship of women to enter tournaments.[37]

Women's disc golf teams are involved in the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship, and the Mississippi State Women's Team were the inaugural champions.

Disc golf hall of fame

Inductees:[38]

References

  1. ↑ "PDGA Player Search". PDGA. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  2. 1 2 "Destination Missoula".
  3. ↑ Official Website "Professional Disc Golf Association" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Disc Golf Course Review". Dgcourserevieww.com. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  5. ↑ "PDGA Rules: Introduction". PDGA. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  6. ↑ "Disc Golf". Disc Golf History. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Canadian Open Frisbee Championships". Frisbee Pioneer Ken Westerfield. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Altmyer, Don (2011). "Kevin Donnelly: Disc Golf". Disc Golfer (Fall 2011).
  9. ↑ "Disc Golf Founder | The Father of Disc Golf". Discgolf.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  10. ↑ "Innova Disc Golf | The Choice of Champions". Innovadiscs.com. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  11. ↑ http://www.pdga.com/course-directory
  12. ↑ "Ed Headrick, Designer of the Modern Frisbee, Dies at 78". New York Times. Retrieved 2002-06-14.
  13. ↑ "The History of Disc Golf". Discgolf.com. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  14. ↑ "About Ed Headrick, The Father of Disc Golf". Discgolf.com. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  15. ↑ "Headrick Memorial Museum". Professional Disc Golf Association, PDGA. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  16. ↑ US 4039189
  17. ↑ "Archive: 1978 Disc Golf Association Disc Golf Promotional Development Guide. PDF 11 pages" (PDF). Discgolf.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  18. ↑ "802.01 Teeing Off | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  19. ↑ "802.02 Establishing Position | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  20. ↑ "802.03 Marking The Lie | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  21. ↑ "802.04 Throwing from a Stance | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  22. ↑ "802.05 Holing Out | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  23. ↑ "804.04 Out-of-Bounds | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  24. ↑ "801.02 Discs Used in Play | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  25. ↑ "801.05 Order Of Play | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  26. ↑ "801.04 Courtesy | Professional Disc Golf Association". Pdga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  27. 1 2 http://www.innovadiscs.com/home/disc-golf-faq/flight-ratings-system.html
  28. ↑ "The Definitive Guide to Disc Golf". www.triumphbooks.com. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  29. ↑ "Throwing sidearm". Disc golf review. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  30. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzA8y0rwGuo
  31. ↑ "Disc Golf Course Rules".
  32. ↑ http://www.bestdiscgolfdiscs.com/infographic-pdga-world-championship/
  33. ↑ "Texas Disc Golf Team Championships". Circular Productions. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  34. ↑ http://www.pdga.com/documents/2007/06demographics.pdf
  35. ↑ http://pdga.com/documents/2008/08PlayerDivisionsGrid.pdf
  36. ↑ "Disc Diva Socks". Discgolfdiva.startlogic.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  37. ↑ Archived July 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  38. ↑ "Disc Golf Hall of Fame". Professional Disc Golf Association. Retrieved 15 April 2016.

External links

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