How To Play Disc Golf

The spring is a great time to go outside and get some fresh air. It’s also a good time to try something new. A new hobby or sport is always something good to try out. Enter disc golf. Many parks are installing disc golf courses, so it’s not too hard to find one near you. Similar to golf, disc golf has a tee and hole (which is really a basket) as well as hazards along the way. Unlike in golf, you throw a disc instead of hitting a ball. What’s especially unique about disc golf is the vast diversity of discs. There are many specially-made discs that you throw at certain points in the game, similar to clubs in golf.

The first type is a distance driver. It will cover a lot of ground and is designed to get you into the fairway. The next is a fairway (or control) driver. This is what you use to get across the fairway and close to the basket. The mid-range disc also gets you closer to the basket, but doesn’t go as far as a fairway driver. Finally, a putter is what you use to get the disc into the basket.

Remember earlier how I said there are many specially-made discs? There are. Hundreds, to be more exact. Each disc is put in one of the four categories mentioned previously (distance, fairway, mid-range, and putter), but it has four unique qualities. These are speed, glide, turn, and fade.

Speed tells you the rate of travel a disc can maintain in the air. High speed discs are the fastest, but require more power and aren’t recommended for beginners because they require more power to fly as intended. High speed discs (speeds 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, and 9) are categorized as distance drivers. Speed 8, 7, and 6 discs are classified as fairway drivers and are usually best used as a higher speed disc for beginners. Speed 5 and 4 discs are mid-range discs, and speed 3, 2, and 1 discs are putters. Slower discs take more power to throw but they fly more accurately and can go farther than you might expect.

Glide tells you the disc’s ability to maintain course in the air. A high glide disc (the glide scale starts at 1 and ends at 7) such as a 5, 6, or 7 is best for beginners and will stay in the air for a long time.

Turn tells you how prone a disc is to turn over or move to the right in the initial stage of flight. Turn is a scale from +1 to -5, with higher negative numbers turning the most and small negative or positive numbers being the most resistant to the effect. A beginner will find that discs with the most turn will be easier to throw.

Fade tells you how prone a disc is to move to the left at the end of the discs’ flight. It is ranked from 0 to 5, with a higher number hooking left the most, and a zero or one finishing the straightest.

Many sports shops or online shops sell disc golf discs, so there’s no worry about not finding one. And with a huge variety of discs, you’re bound to find some you like. So buy some discs and get outside to try out a fun sport you can play with your friends and family!

LUKE FANN

Editor at The City Voice

Luke Fann, a freshman, began his journalism journey in seventh grade and became an editor by eighth grade. He frequently writes about Current Events, Games & Hobbies, and Fiction. He also received the 2023 Sparty Award for his work in MIPA's Journalistic Storytelling Workshop.