Frisbee Golf so Fun it's More Than Mere Fad

You can always tell how serious someone is about their Frisbee Golf if they refuse to refer to it using the “F” word (that would be Frisbee in this case). For Frisbee Golf professionals, it is called Disc Golf, thank you very much, and they rather frown upon those who call it anything different. Okay, not really, but it's easy to poke fun at the 'official' stance Frisbee Golf has taken in regards to the more proper sounding 'Disc Golf', but no matter what you call it, this new sport is here to state.A unique blend of golf, frisbee, and in some senses, basketball (since the 'hole' is actually a large, above-ground metal basket) this pastime has brought folks out in droves to local parks where many cities and towns have created their own individual courses. While some of the newer courses strive to create difficultty instead of playability, you're sure to find that frisbee golf is challenging and engaging fun for everyone.The PDGA, or Professional Disc Golf Association, is based in Georgia and offers a web site that details in excruciating length, the official rules and regulations of the game. For those not yet acquainted enough with the sport to call it anything but the frivolous, collegiate-sounding ‘Frisbee Golf’ let me tell you, there are more rules for this game than any other sport I can think of. For instance, according to rule 803.09 of the official rulebook of Frisbee…oh, excuse me, Disc golf, “A player who has thrown from another player's lie shall receive two penalty throws, without a warning. The offending player shall complete the hole as if the other player's lie were his or her own. No throws shall be replayed. The player whose lie was played by the offending player shall be given an approximate lie as close to the original lie as possible, as determined by the offending player, a majority of his or her group, or an official. See section 803.10 C if the disc has been declared lost.” Sounds like a lot of lying to me. Or something. All wordy rules and regulations aside, what is Frisbee Golf? Well, basically, it’s just like regular golf, except you use a Frisbee (or other more specialized discs specifically designed for Frisbee golf). You use the same scoring system and have courses that are based on nine or eighteen holes. Aside from the Frisbee itself, he only real difference between disc golf and real golf is that you don’t have to wear starched pants and a visor. It’s a casual sport for the most part, and great for men, women, and children. Frisbee golf does take a certain amount of arm strength though, so with younger people, you might not want to be a stickler for trying to play under par. For those seeking to get involved, you’ll be glad to know that all over the United States, new Frisbee golf courses are being added all the time. The PDGA (pdga.com) website has a nationwide listing of all courses and it is updated frequently. Many of these courses in are in public parks and any weekend afternoon you should be able to find fellow Frisbee Gold enthusiasts tossing their discs and having a grand time. In my experience in Columbus, Ohio, all the Frisbee Golf courses are free and open to everyone, but this may be different in other areas, so be sure to check first. Aside from being an all-around excellent pastime, you’ll find it to be quite a workout as well. Consider, if you will, that you might be able to throw that Frisbee 300 feet. Wow. Great arm, champ! Now, go fetch… I’m sorry to report this, but most Frisbee golf courses don’t have caddies and sure as heck don’t have golf carts, so when playing Frisbee gold for the first time, make sure you wear your walkin’ shoes. Between eighteen holes at a good course, you can expect to plod at least a mile or two once you add up all the trips to and fro. Another surprise new players of the game often get comes well after the game is over. Your throwing arm will feel like it’s been twisted, broke, bruised, and beat—even if you thought you had some power there in the first place. The reason for the pain is this: when you throw a Frisbee, you’re working muscles that usually don’t get a lot of use—even if you lift weights regularly. Many first-timers are gung-ho their first day on the course and throw an entire 18 holes and feel just great—until the next day. The point is, take it easy your first time. Eventually you’ll build the brawn to chuck that disc to heaven above, but for now, take it easy. Many people ask the question, “do I need a special disc or can I just use a regular ol’ Frisbee?” The answer, quite simply, is based on how serious you want to get into the sport. While your run-of-the-mill Frisbee is cheap and easy to handle, it doesn’t have the control many of the high-tech discs designed for disc golfing have. Also, quite honestly, you just kind of look cooler than everyone else if you have a PDGA-approved piece. You’d be surprised at the wonder invoked by the novelty of such an item as the “Steady Ed”. You see, folks, “The Steady Ed” is the grail of all golfing discs. It’s legendary. You’re going to think I’m making this up, but the Steady Ed disc is named after a guy named, well, Ed, who wished that once he died and was cremated, his ashes could be pressed into golfing discs so that his spirit could fly as people played with them. Really. You can look for yourself if you want to. These limited edition discs sell for a cool $50.00. Weird, huh? A much more reasonably priced (and far less creepy) disc, called the 05 Worlds Super Roc, is what I and most people I know use. It’s only $15 and works very well. To get a full sense of how much better these specially designed discs are, I suggest you play with a real Frisbee for a while and see how it feels. After that, pick up one of these babies and you’ll notice that the control is far better and the slightly heavier weight (.5 lb) actually helps you throw, mostly because you can feel it as it leaves your hand. This, like the one with the dead guy baked into it can be found at the PDGA site as well as makes a great starter disc. In conclusion, whether you view this as a fun hobby or as the more professional sounding “disc golf” it is a pastime that won’t be going anywhere soon. More courses are being formed and more people are playing and soon, it will take the world by storm. Or not. If this interests you, I highly suggest a visit to the PDGA site, if for nothing else than to view the amazing “Steady Ed”.