What Is Disc Golf

Disc Golf is a sport born in the 70s that consists of completing a course using a flying disc or frisbee with the fewest number of throws possible.

Said course consists of a number of ” holes ” – usually 9 or 18 – in which it is launched from the starting area or Tee, successively returning to do it from where the disc rests until it reaches the basket – a metal basket fixed to a post center with vertical chains that help to stop the disc.

It is a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 2015, with more than 8,400 fields and about 3 million players in the world, being especially popular in the US and in Northern and Central Europe.

Disc golf popularity has increased throughout the years and players enjoy choosing the best disc golf shoes and disc golf baskets at their disposal, along with the necessary equipment and sticks.

How is it similar to and how is it different from golf?

It has many similarities with traditional golf – in fact, at Zona Disc Golf we practice both modalities – but the difference in the pitches means that it offers many additional advantages.

A golf shot has four defining characteristics:

• The swing is a very complex movement that requires several months of practice to be able to hit the ball reasonably and obtain the “handicap” that allows us to play on a course.
• It usually reaches more than 200 meters in distance, so the courses are very large – about 6 km in length and 4-5 hours in length for 18 holes.
• You need the ground – the “fairway” – to be perfectly maintained and cut the grass so that the ball can roll correctly. This implies that the maintenance cost is necessarily high and that the courses charge for playing.
• The pitches are fundamentally in a straight line, which means that the holes need to be mainly cleared areas with few trees, usually requiring a major landscaping transformation.

A disc golf pitch is very different:

• Although the swing is also a complex movement that takes several months to perfect, it’s easy to hit shots with reasonably correct distance and direction so we can complete a course from day one.
• An amateur player can reach 70-100 meters away. For this reason, the courses are smaller – about 2 km long and 2 hours long for 18 holes.
• Since the disc flies and, after landing, stops quickly, it is not influenced too much by the type of terrain in which the field is installed: meadows, parks, forests, dunes, snow, or earth… This, together with the non-existence of pieces mobile or personal, makes the maintenance cost of the installation very low.
• The pitches are usually curved which, in addition to enriching the game, allows you to play both in wooded and open areas, without the need to transform the terrain but rather by integrating into it.

What advantages does Disc Golf offer?

From the player’s point of view, it offers exceptional accessibility at all levels:

• You can play perfectly with just two or three discs at a cost of between $10 and $20 each, fitting all the equipment in a backpack and being able to wear almost any outfit.
• It is especially friendly with very young or very veteran players and has 35% more federated women than other sports, and it is also very easy to balance the level of the different players to enjoy even and entertaining games.
• The fact that the courses are always available and free makes it possible to play without fees or reservations, at almost any time, alone or in a group, and under almost any weather condition.
• The physical requirements are very moderate, the intensity being easily adjustable, very suitable for school sports and especially resistant to Covid-19.

From the point of view of the owner/manager of the field, it offers multiple attractions:

• It is very useful to improve the habits of using underused spaces and even to regenerate degraded green areas.
• It allows you to take advantage of many types of terrain, requiring just 4 hectares for a 9-hole course.
• The magnificent integration and the minimal action required means that the field does not transform the environment but rather integrates into it, and can even be used in protected areas with the corresponding authorization.
• The absence of moving parts or uniformity in the soil means that maintenance costs are minimal, improving the perceived quality of the space in public fields and increasing profitability in private fields.
• The logistics for the organization of activities, tournaments or schools are very reduced, which makes it possible to easily increase the degree of use of the facility.
• The novelty and striking of the modality in our country make it relatively easier to attract the attention of the media to the field or the event.