The first time someone tried to explain disc golf to me I think they made it sound way more complicated than it needed to be. This was my physical therapist, guy named Rob, who I was seeing three times a week for a shoulder thing after I blew it out playing ultimate. He kept talking about disc golf as this thing I should try because it was “lower impact” and “good for rehab” and then he started going on about flight numbers and stability ratings and hyzer angles and my eyes glazed over completely. I nodded politely and figured I’d never actually try it.
Then like a month later I was at a park \u2014 Pier Park in Portland, just walking my dog at the time, this was before Noodle, different dog, long story \u2014 and I saw people throwing frisbees at these metal basket things. And I watched for a minute and thought oh. It’s just frisbee golf. You throw a disc into a basket. That’s it. That’s the whole sport. Why did Rob make it sound like I needed an engineering degree?
So here’s the explanation I wish someone had given me, without all the jargon that doesn’t matter until you’re already hooked.
The Basic Idea
Disc golf is golf but with frisbees instead of balls and clubs. You throw a disc from a starting point (called a tee) toward a target (a metal basket with chains). However many throws it takes you to get the disc in the basket is your score for that hole. Lower is better, same as regular golf.
A typical course has 18 holes, sometimes 9. Each hole has a “par” \u2014 the number of throws a decent player should need. Par 3 is most common, meaning three throws to complete the hole is considered normal. If you do it in two, that’s a birdie. Four throws is a bogey. And so on, same terminology as ball golf.
You add up your throws across all the holes. Lowest total wins. That’s genuinely the whole game.
The Discs
Okay so they’re not exactly frisbees. They’re smaller, heavier, and designed to fly in specific ways. But when you’re starting out, the differences don’t matter that much. You can literally play your first round with a single disc you found in someone’s garage. I’ve seen people play with actual frisbees from Target. It’s not ideal but it works.
There are three main types of discs and this is where people start overcomplicating things so I’m gonna keep it simple:
Putters are for short throws and, well, putting. They fly the straightest and slowest. You use them when you’re close to the basket or need maximum control.
Midranges are for medium distances. A little faster, a little more glide. Your workhorse disc for a lot of situations.
Drivers are for long throws off the tee. They’re faster and go farther but they’re also harder to control. Beginners usually struggle with drivers because they need more arm speed to fly correctly.
For your first round, honestly just bring a midrange. Maybe a putter. That’s it. You don’t need twelve discs. You don’t need a driver. You can add stuff later once you know what you’re doing.
The Courses
Most disc golf courses are in public parks and most of them are free. Like, actually free. No greens fees, no membership, no tee times. You just show up and play. This is maybe my favorite thing about the sport \u2014 the barrier to entry is almost nothing. Twenty bucks in discs and you can play for years.
Courses are usually marked with signs at each tee showing you where to throw and what par is. Some are in open fields, some are in dense woods, some are a mix. The variety is part of what makes it interesting \u2014 every course plays different.
To find courses near you, download the UDisc app. It’s got basically every course in existence mapped out with reviews and directions. That’s how I found my first course and how I still find new ones when I’m traveling.
How a Round Actually Works
I remember being weirdly anxious about my first round because I didn’t know the etiquette or procedure or whatever. It’s really not complicated though.
You start at hole 1. There’s usually a tee pad \u2014 a concrete or rubber rectangle you throw from. Everyone in your group throws from the tee, then you all walk to your discs. Whoever is farthest from the basket throws next. You keep doing that until everyone’s in the basket. Then you move to hole 2 and repeat.
If there’s a group ahead of you playing slow, you wait. If there’s a group behind you playing faster, you let them through \u2014 just wave them up and step aside. Don’t throw if anyone is in your line of fire. These are basically the only rules that matter for etiquette and they’re all common sense.
Most people keep score on their phone. UDisc has a scorecard feature. Or you can just not keep score for your first few rounds \u2014 nobody’s checking. I didn’t keep score for probably my first month because I was too busy being confused about everything else.
Why People Get Into This
I was skeptical at first. Like, throwing frisbees at baskets? How is that a sport? But then I actually started playing and it clicked pretty fast.
The satisfaction of a good throw is hard to explain until you feel it. When the disc does exactly what you wanted \u2014 turns right at the perfect moment, glides through a gap in the trees, chains out on a long putt \u2014 there’s this little hit of dopamine that keeps you coming back. And unlike ball golf, you can play a full round in an hour and a half. The pace is quicker, the vibe is more casual, and you’re not spending $50 every time you want to play.
The community aspect surprised me too. I’m not a super social person but disc golf has a way of connecting people. You get paired up with randoms at leagues, you chat with people on the course, you end up with this weird extended friend group of people you only see at disc golf things. My husband Brendan didn’t even play when we met \u2014 he learned because I wouldn’t shut up about it \u2014 and now we have a whole social life around this sport we didn’t expect.
The Part Where I Tell You to Just Go Try It
I could keep explaining stuff but honestly, the best way to understand disc golf is to go throw some plastic. Find a course on UDisc, grab a disc if you have one or borrow one from someone, and play a few holes. You’ll figure out real fast whether you’re into it.
Don’t worry about being good. Everyone sucks at first. I sucked for months. Some would argue I still suck, 932 rating and all. The point is to throw stuff at baskets and walk around outside and see if it’s fun for you.
If it is, welcome to the obsession. If it’s not, at least you got some exercise.