Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast,
Where I help you drift off one fact at a time.
I'm your host,
Benjamin Boster,
And today's episode is about disc golf.
Thank you to David Lachance for sponsoring today's episode,
And congrats on a great game at St.
Leo College.
Disc golf,
Also known as frisbee golf,
Is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target using rules similar to golf.
The sport is usually played in a course with 9 or 18 holes,
Each consisting of a teeing area and a target.
Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or tee area toward the target,
Often a basket equipped with chains to catch the disc,
And throwing again from where the previous throw came to rest until the disc comes to rest in the target.
The discs used are made with varying characteristics that allow for different flight patterns and are chosen by the player before each shot depending on the intended flight path.
Different throwing styles can also affect the flight of the discs.
The game is played in about 40 countries,
And as of 2025,
There are 317,
870 total members,
And 112,
509 subscribed members of the Professional Disc Golf Association worldwide.
According to UDisc course directory,
There are over 16,
000 disc golf courses,
With roughly 90% being accessible for free.
Modern disc golf started in the early 1960s,
But there's debate over who came up with the idea first.
The consensus is that multiple groups of people played independently throughout the 1960s.
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 into 50-gallon barrel trash cans designated as targets.
In 1968,
Frisbee golf was also played in Alameda Park in Santa Barbara,
California by teenagers in the Anacapa and Sola Street areas.
Gazebos,
Water fountains,
Lampposts,
And trees were all part of the course.
This took place for several years,
And in Alameda Park collector's edition discs still exist,
Though rare,
As few were made.
Clifford Town,
From this group,
Went on to hold a national time aloft record.
Ed Hedrick,
Also known as Steady Ed Hedrick,
Was an American toy inventor.
He is most well known as the father of both the modern-day frisbee and of the sport and game of disc golf.
In 1975,
Hedrick's tenure at Wham-O,
Where he helped redesign the flying disc known as the frisbee,
Ended.
And ties between Hedrick and Wham-O eventually split.
Hedrick left the company to start out on his own,
To focus all his efforts on his new interest,
Which he coined and trademarked Disc Golf.
In 1976,
Steady Ed Hedrick and his son,
Ken Hedrick,
Started the first disc golf company,
The Disc Golf Association,
DGA.
The purpose of DGA was to manufacture discs and baskets,
And to formalize the sport.
The first disc golf target was Ed's pole-hole design,
Which consisted of a pole sticking out of the ground.
Most disc golf courses have 9 or 18 holes,
And exceptions most often have holes in multiples of 3.
Courses with 6,
10,
12,
21,
24,
Or 27 holes are not uncommon.
The PDGA recommends that courses average 200 to 400 feet per pole,
With holes no shorter than 100 feet.
The longest holes in the world measure more than 1,
500 feet long.
Course designers use trees,
Bushes,
Elevation changes,
Water hazards,
And distance variation,
Along with out-of-bounds zones,
And mandatory flight paths,
Often referred to as mandos,
To make each hole challenging and unique.
Many courses include multiple tee positions,
Or multiple target positions.
To cater to players of different ability levels.
Most disc golf courses are built in more natural and less manicured environments than traditional golf courses,
And require minimal maintenance,
Although some courses aim for pristine conditions.
Professional course designers consider safety a critical factor in course design.
And are careful to minimize the danger of being hit by a flying disc,
While providing designs that create strategy in play,
And variety in shots for enjoyment.
Holes are designed to require a range of different throws to challenge players with different strengths or particular skills.
Many courses are central organizing points for local disc golf clubs,
And some include shops selling disc golf equipment.
More than 80% of the courses listed on Disc Golf Course Review are listed as public and free-to-play.
Three countries account for 85% of all disc golf courses worldwide.
The United States,
75% Finland,
7% and Canada,
3%.
Other notable countries include Sweden and Estonia,
Which has the highest density of disc golf courses per square kilometer of dry land of any country,
And the second highest number of courses per capita.
Iceland and Finland have 150 and 111 courses per million inhabitants,
Respectively.
Outside the North American and European continents,
Japan,
Australia,
New Zealand,
And South Korea have the most courses.
There are disc golf courses on every continent,
Including 24 in Latin America,
8 in Africa,
And 1 in Antarctica.
Poland is the region with the densest concentration of disc golf courses in the world,
With one course in each of the 16 municipalities of Poland,
Which could theoretically be completed over 20 hours.
A disc golf tee,
Commonly referred to as a tee pad,
Tee box,
Or the box,
Is the starting position of a hole.
The PDGA recommends that the tee area be no smaller than 1.
2 meters wide by 3 meters long,
Allowing ample space to run up and release the disc.
The tee box is usually a pad of concrete,
Asphalt,
Rubber,
Gravel,
Or artificial turf.
Some courses have natural turf with only the front of the tee position marked.
In rare instances,
There are no tee boxes and players begin from a general location,
Based on the course layout.
Established courses have tee signs near each tee position.
Signs may depict a simple map of the hole,
Including the tee,
Target,
Expected disc flight,
Out-of-bound areas,
Water hazards,
Trees,
And mandatory paths.
Signs typically include the distance to the hole and par.
Some courses include a unique name for the hole and may have sponsor logos.
Many courses include a larger sign near the course entrance,
Which has a map of the entire course.
Although early courses were played using trees,
Fence posts,
Or park equipment as a target,
Standard disc golf baskets are by far the most common type of target on modern courses.
Some courses feature tone targets that are designed to make a distinct sound when hit with a disc.
Disc golf baskets are constructed with a central pole,
Holding a basket under an assembly of hanging chains.
When a disc hits the chains,
It is often,
But not always,
Deflected into the basket.
Per PDGA rules,
In order to complete a hole with a basket target,
The disc must come to rest supported by the tray or the chains below the chain support.
There are many different brands of baskets made by numerous manufacturers.
The sport of disc golf is set up similar to a game of golf.
A round is played on a disc golf course consisting of a number of holes,
Usually 9 or 18.
Each hole includes a tee position for starting play,
And the disc golf target some distance away,
Often with obstacles such as trees,
Hills,
Or bodies of water in between.
Players begin by throwing a disc from a tee without crossing over the front of the tee prior to releasing the disc when throwing.
This could lead to a fault similar to a bowling foot fault in cricket.
Players then navigate the hole by picking up the disc where it comes to rest and throwing again until they reach the target.
The object of the game is to get through the course with the lowest number of total throws.
Play is usually in groups of 5 or fewer,
With each player taking turn at the tee box,
Then progressing with the player furthest from the hole throwing first while the other players stand aside.
Each course is unique and so requires a different combination of throws to complete,
With the best players aiming to shape the flight of the disc to account for distance,
Terrain,
Obstacles,
And weather.
In order to facilitate making different shots,
Players carry a variety of discs with different flight characteristics,
Choosing an appropriate disc for each throw.
Some players also carry a mini-marker disc used to accurately mark the throwing position before each throw.
Use of mini-marker discs is particularly prevalent in formal competitive play.
Many courses include out-of-bounds areas,
Commonly called OB zones or just OB.
If the disc lands in these areas,
The player is usually required to add a penalty throw onto their score and continue play from near where the disc entered the out-of-bounds zone.
Some courses include out-of-bounds areas with special rules requiring the player to resume play from a specified area,
Called a drop zone,
Or requiring the player to restart the hole from a tee.
Some courses also include mandatories,
Also called mandos,
Which require the pass of the disc to be above,
Below,
Or to one side of a specific line indicated by a sign.
By tradition,
Players throw from the tee box in the order of their score on the previous hole,
With the lowest score throwing first.
Most players also follow a loose code of courtesy while playing,
Which includes norms such as standing out of the sight of line of the throwing player and avoiding making distracting noises.
Because a thrown disc could injure someone,
The Professional Disc Golf Association recommends that players never throw into a blind area or when spectators,
Pedestrians,
Or facility users are within range.
Formal competitive play is governed by the PDGA,
Official Rules of Disc Golf,
And the PDGA Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events.
Disc golf discs are smaller than Ultimate Flying Discs or General Purpose Recreation Frisbees.
They typically measure 21 to 22 centimeters in diameter and weigh 130 to 180 grams.
All PDGA-approved discs measure 21 to 30 centimeters in diameter and weigh no more 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 – drivers,
Mid-range discs,
And putters.
Drivers are recognized by their sharp,
Beveled edge and have most of their mass concentrated on the outer rim of the disc rather than distributed equally throughout.
They are optimized for aerodynamics and designed to travel maximum distances at high speeds.
They are typically thrown by experienced players during tee-off and other long-distance fairway throws.
Some disc brands further subdivide their drivers into different categories.
For example,
Innova has distance drivers and fairway drivers,
With a fairway driver being somewhere between a distance driver and a mid-range disc.
Discraft has three categories of drivers – long drivers,
Extra-long drivers,
And putters.
Discraft has two types of drivers – mid-range drivers and maximum distance drivers.
Another type of driver used less frequently is a roller.
As the name indicates,
It has an edge designed to roll rather than fly.
Although any disc can be used for a roller,
Some behave quite differently than others.
The world record distance for a disc golf throw is held by David Wiggins Jr.
,
With a distance of 1,
108.
92 feet on March 28,
2016.
He broke the previous record of 863.
5 feet thrown by Simon Lizotte on October 25,
2014.
Mid-range discs feature a dull,
Beveled edge and a moderate rim width.
They offer more control than drivers,
But they have a smaller range.
Mid-range discs are typically used as approach discs.
Beginner players will often use mid-ranges instead of drivers at tee-off,
As they require less strength and technique to fly straight than higher-speed drivers.
Putters 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 tees or other obstacles come into play.
Additionally,
Higher-speed discs will not fly properly without a fast enough release snap,
So a putter or mid-range with lower snap requirements is more forgiving and will behave in a more regular way.
Professional players often carry multiple putters with varying flight characteristics.
Stability is the measurement of a disc's tendency to bank laterally during its flight.
A disc that is overstable will tend to track left for a right-handed,
Backhand throw,
Whereas a disc that is understable 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 plus 1 to minus 5,
Where plus 1 is the most overstable and minus 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 6,
Where 0 has the least fade and 6 has the most fade.
For example,
A disc with a turn of minus 5 and fade of 0 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 minus 1 and a fade of plus 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 website.
Discraft prints the stability rating on all discs and also provides this information on their website.
The stability ranges from 3 to minus 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 impacts a disc's stability during flight.
Imagine a spinning top.
A gentle nudge will knock it off its axis of rotation momentarily,
But it will not topple over because spin adds gyroscopic stability.
In the same way,
A flying disc resists rolling,
Flipping over,
Because spin adds gyroscopic stability.
A flying disc will 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 depends on its pitch angle and design.
There are dozens of different types of plastic used for making discs by the various disc manufacturers.
The type of plastic affects the feel of the disc's grip,
As well as its durability,
Which in turn can influence flight as the disc becomes worn.
Manufacturers market lower-cost base blends,
E.
G.
DX,
J-Pro,
Pro-D,
X-Line,
D-Line,
Retro,
R-Pro,
And premium blends,
E.
G.
Champion,
Titanium,
FLX,
G-Star,
Gold Line,
Tournament Plastic,
Fusion,
Star,
With premium lines described by manufacturers as more durable than base blends.
Some variants incorporate additional features,
Such as glow-in-the-dark additives or buoyant plastics.
Many companies also offer lighter-weight plastics,
Often aerated,
That may be used by players with lower release speed.
Bright-colored discs can be easier to locate in vegetation.
The commercial production process is typically injection molding for its low unit cost and reliability.
For prototyping and small-scale offerings,
3D printing is a growing option.
PDGA-approved 3D-printed designs are available from some companies and often employ polymers such as TPU or proprietary blends.
Stamps refer to the artwork or lettering that appears on a disc.
Stamps can appear on the top or the bottom of a disc.
They are applied by disc manufacturers by using a hot-stamp machine,
Usually with foil.
Stamps not only serve a creative design purpose,
But also use to identify different disc molds.
While there are many grips and styles for throwing a disc,
Two common techniques are backhand and forehand,
Also called sidearm.
Many players use a run-up during drives to build momentum.
Throwing styles vary by player,
And there is no single standard.
All discs,
When thrown,
Will naturally fall to a certain direction,
Determined by the rotation direction of the disc when released.
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 backhand throw,
RHBH,
The disc will naturally fall to the left.
For a right-handed forehand throw,
RHFH,
The disc will naturally fall to the right.
For a left-handed backhand throw,
LHBH,
The disc will naturally fall to the right.
For a left-handed forehand throw,
LHFH,
The disc will naturally fall to the left.
In a backhand throw,
The disc is drawn across the front of the body and released toward a forward aim point.
The technique can generate high spin and may result in greater distance than a forehand throw.
Power is created by initiating momentum from the feed and allowing it to travel up the body,
Hips,
And shoulders,
Culminating in the transfer of energy to the disc.
The forehand or 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 following examples of throws may be used to better deliver a disc where the former common two throws would be impeded by obstacles.
Such as bushes,
Trees,
Boulders,
Or artificial structures.
Common alternative styles The hatchet or tomahawk Gripped similarly to the sidearm toss,
But thrown with an overhand motion.
The disc orientation is nearly perpendicular to the ground over much of the flight.
The summer Thrown in an overhand manner,
But with some held on the disc's underside.
The roller Thrown either backhand or forehand.
The disc travels primarily along the ground on its edge at a slight angle and can cover long distances in suitable conditions.
The turbo putt The disc is held vertically with the thumb beneath the center and released with an upward pushing motion,
Somewhat like lifting a platter.
The wrist typically remains stable,
Follows through and parts spin.
The turbo putt is generally used at short range.
Other alternative styles The baseball or grenade Thrown as in backhand,
But with the disc upside down.
This shot is used often to get up and down on a short shot where there is danger of a shot rolling away or going out of bounds if thrown too far.
Primarily used on downhill shots,
But can be used to go up and over.
Also due to the quick turn and backspin of the shot It is sometimes used to get out of the woods.
The overhand wrist flip This is a very difficult and stylized throw with which accomplished freestylers and classic ultimate players are familiar.
It is less used in disc golf.
It is thrown in the same manner as the baseball,
But drawn on the sidearm side of the body and by inverting the arm and disc.
Using the thumb as the power finger,
The disc is drawn from the thigh area rearwards and up from behind the body to over the shoulder,
Releasing toward a forward aim point.
The disc flies in a conventional flight pattern.
Stroke play 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 score-keeping techniques.
Scoring terms for a single hole Condor where a player is four throws under par,
Or minus four.
Albatross or Double Eagle where a player is three throws under par,
Or minus three.
Eagle or Double Birdie where a player is two throws under par,
Or minus two.
Birdie where a player is one throw under par,
Or minus one.
Par where a player has thrown par,
E,
Or zero.
Bogey where a player is one throw over par,
Or plus one.
Double Bogey where a player is two throws over par,
Or plus two.
Triple Bogey where a player is three throws over par,
Or plus three.
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 make the best result from the hole,
And worst shot.
Both players must sink the putt.
