While in college, we amused ourselves by throwing Frisbees at trees, road signs, mailboxes, and other objects.
While in college, we amused ourselves without spending much money that we didn’t have by throwing Frisbees at trees, road signs, mailboxes, and other objects.
We even had friendly little competitions to see who could hit the object in the fewest throws. That was more than 40 years ago. Since then, disc golf exploded exponentially across the world.
“I started playing disc golf about six years ago,” recalls Damon Parker of Petal, former president of the 1,900-member Hattiesburg Disc Golf Association. “I just planned to play casually with some friends, and it developed into competing in tournaments.”
Disc golf generally follows the rules of golf with a ball. The major difference, disc golfers try to put their discs into baskets 24 inches in diameter instead of hitting a ball into a hole.
To start the game, players come to a T-pad and throw discs at a basket. The disc must go into the basket. Anything else counts as a stroke. Like in golf with a ball, the object is to go from the T-pad into the basket with the fewest strokes.
“To start the game, players come to a T-pad and throw discs at a basket,” Parker said. “The disc must go into the basket. Anything else counts as a stroke. Like in golf with a ball, the object is to go from the T-pad into the basket with the fewest strokes.”
Players throw different types of discs. Use fairway drivers from the T-pad to get the most distance to the basket. Use mid-range discs for throws of about 200 feet or less and putters for shorter throws on the greens.
“People used to go to parks and move garbage cans around to serve as baskets if they didn’t have a real course,” Parker said. “Now, we have courses all over the state. Most Mississippi state parks have courses. Disc golf is a sport that people of all ages can play alone or with a group. In our club in Hattiesburg, we have players from 12 years old to folks in their 70s.”
Many community parks established disc golf courses that people can play for free. To find courses, download the Udisc app, which gives the location of every disc golf course in the country.
Equipment doesn’t need to break the bank. Most sporting goods stores sell discs. People can buy anything they want at some specialized disc golf stores or order anything imaginable off the internet.
“People can get started playing disc golf for less than $30,” Parker said. “Many stores have bins where people can buy used discs for about $5 to $7. A golf disc is different from a Frisbee that people throw on the beach. Golf discs are specialized pieces of equipment. Golf discs are a little bigger in diameter with a deeper well. Putters have a blunt nose and are not as big in diameter.”
Professionals compete in the Disc Golf Pro Tour (dgpt.com). The best ones can compete in the Champions Cup and the United States Disc Golf Championship. For information on the Professional Disc Golf Association, visit PDGA.com.
The best players in Mississippi can get enshrined in the Mississippi Disc Golf Hall of Fame. Look up the Hattiesburg Disc Golf Association and Hall Of Fame on Facebook. For more information, call 601-543-3120.
