Get A Grip

Make informed decisions when designing a disc-golf course

By Bob Carver
Photos: David McCormack

According to the Disc Golf Association, there are more than 2,500 courses in the United States and another 1,500 around the world. The association reports it has more than 87,000 members, and in 2019 there were more than 3,000 sanctioned disc-golf events in this country. As a casual sport, disc golf draws millions of people of all ages.

As a result of this growth, many parks are considering the viability of having a course in their communities. Here are some of the top questions to ask:

How much property is needed to construct a course?
As a rule of thumb, a minimum of 20 acres is a starting point for development. It is not unusual for a disc-golf course to share property with other common park elements, including trails, ball fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas. While these areas can be shared, safety is a key factor. For example, never throw a disc across a trail unless there is reasonable visibility in both directions; however, a disc-golf hole can be parallel to a trail. A disc-golf tee can be near a playground, but placing a basket nearby is out of the question. Obviously, one cannot send discs across recreational fields, but the perimeter of non-used areas works well.

Are elevation changes necessary?
Elevation changes on a course are helpful and often desired. It breaks up monotony and adds an element of challenge since many shots may be blind—both in the fairway and at the site of the basket. Some courses are placed in areas that are almost impossible to play without climbing gear. They may be fine for goats—or for a small number of players who love the danger—but for the average person, care should be used concerning extreme elevation changes.

What ratio of woods to open areas is required?
In an ideal circumstance, a course with an equal amount of woods and open areas is desirable. In regular golf, besides wooded areas, the desire is for wide fairways, with a few dog legs and sand traps. In disc golf, the natural flow of wooded and open areas is preferable. If an area is too open, the course is boring and undesirable. In the case of heavily wooded areas, the obstacles become difficult to navigate.

In course design, it’s nice to have a combination of shots that flow in and out of the woods. As previously mentioned, mixing in elevation changes adds more depth, challenge, and excitement to the course.

For a heavily wooded area, consider marking the natural fairway and then remove all smaller trees and brush to open the fairway. Also, remove any large trees that may be considered dangerous.

To mitigate the problem of too much open space, create some extra obstacles, such as unmowed out-of-bounds areas along the edges of the fairways.

Overall, the goal is to create many “risk/reward” areas to challenge both novice and pro players.

Is it helpful to have water on a course?
Five types of water appear on a disc golf course;

• Rivers
• Creeks
• Water-filled ditches
• Ponds
• Lakes.

Most courses built along rivers and creeks are both desirable and challenging because the risk/reward factor is often high. Many courses are built with a substantial number of ditches throughout. One park in Crawfordsville, Ind., utilizes a ditch that weaves in and out of the course and comes into play on most holes. My home course in Franklin, Ind., has a small pond, two lakes, and a large creek—all of which come into play on several holes. There is a course in northern Oregon called Trojan that uses the cooling ponds of a de-commissioned nuclear power plant. Eleven of the holes play “over” water. I watched the world’s pro championship at this course a few years ago, and it is not for the faint of heart. My son would never take me there to play because he said, “Dad, you would lose all your plastic!”

Use water when it’s available, but don’t try to force it into a design. Challenge the good players without discouraging everyone else. Occasional shots over water and along the edges are desirable.

How expensive is a disc-golf course?
Compared to other park elements, a disc-golf course is relatively inexpensive. Most courses can be constructed with a total cost of $12,000 to $18,000, which is less than a small unit of playground equipment. Expenses include baskets, tees, tee signs, score cards, main course signs, consultant fees, and any landscape or other grounds work. The largest cost is the commercial baskets; don’t skimp on this expense.

How much work is involved in building a course?
Course construction usually follows several phases:

• Researching the viability—this will include answering many of the questions previously dealt with in this article
• Selecting a course designer—this might be a professional designer or perhaps a well-experienced local player
• Estimating costs and ordering equipment —this is easily calculated by contacting vendors and ordering supplies
• Installing the course—this is supervised by the designer and is usually done by existing park personnel. In many cases, local disc-golf clubs and volunteers will help do a majority of the work.

From beginning to end, the timeline will usually run between three to eight months.

What type of maintenance is necessary after a course has been constructed?
Disc-golf equipment is relatively easy to maintain. An annual check of bolts, chains, etc., is all that is needed. Inspecting tee signs, posts, and tee pads should be done on a regular basis to check for damage and erosion. Fairways should be examined for potholes, downed limbs, dead trees, and proper mowing.

What are the benefits of adding a disc-golf course to a community?

• It creates a park element that promotes exercise and physical exertion.
• It utilizes the outdoors.
• It helps drive out unsavory activity in areas that cannot be utilized for other activities.
• It draws people of all ages into a community, which brings other associated commerce.

Think It Over
In evaluating the potential for a course, it is likely that more questions will arise. Hopefully, this article will serve as a jumping-off point for a community to consider this popular park addition.

Bob Carver is a disc-golf course designer living in Franklin, Ind. He is a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association (member #25511), is a certified official, and has played on over 130 different disc-golf courses in 18 states. Bob also has served as tournament director for 25 disc-golf tournaments over the past 13 years. Reach him at discgolferbob@gmail.com.