Disc golf fever: will your park catch it?

Unidentified Flying Objects have been sighted throughout many parks across the United States. You may think this Orwellian scenario would strike fear into the hearts of parks and recreation departments. On the contrary, these UFO's are not aliens from another dimension, but golfing discs being thrown by a growing number of people who play this new sport. Today, there are more than 400 disc golf courses throughout the Unites States. Another 100 courses are located in Canada, Europe, and Japan. Many parks and recreation departments have discovered that installing a disc golf course utilizes idle park space, and in times of severe budget constraints, is an economically feasible option for self-supporting family recreational activities.

In 1976, only three disc golf courses existed in the United States. Currently, 442 disc golf courses have been installed in 47 states. Over 100 courses have been installed since 1992. This disc golf fever has hit Texas and California the hardest. Texas has 39 operational disc golf courses and California has 33, including the world famous DeLaveaga Disc Golf course in Santa Cruz considered by many to be the best disc golf course in the world. Of all the U.S. cities, Orlando has the most disc golf courses--eight--while Tulsa, Cincinnati, Austin, and Mobile each have five.

As disc golf grows in popularity, so does its recognition as a legitimate tournament sport. Today, the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) has a membership of 10,780. Last year, the PDGA sponsored over 175 tournaments with over $300,000 in prize money. The Japan Open, for instance, is the richest tournament with a purse of $25,000. The leading money winner in 1995 was Florida's Ken Climo, the "Michael Jordan" of disc golf, who won over $20,000 in cash. Not too bad for throwing a plastic saucer into a metal basket!

The History of Disc Golf: A New Sport for the 21st century

In 1949, the original flying disc, called the "Pluto Platter," was invented by Californian Fred Morrison. Morrison then sold the rights to toy manufacturer Wham-O, Inc. in 1957. Wham-O renamed it the "Frisbee" after observing Yale University students playing catch with aluminum pie pans from the Frisbie Pie Company. Cries of "Frisbie!" would be heard when one of the pie pans was thrown too close to other students. Wham-O CEO Ed Headrick then patented the Frisbee; over 200 million Frisbees have been sold to date. He went on to invent the disc golf basket in 1975, as well as the popular "super ball." Headrick is known as the "father of disc golf" and is the sport's most visible spokesperson. He has personally designed over 200 disc golf courses across the world and anticipates that more parks will discover the benefits of installing courses in the future.

"Park directors frequently tell me how the course improves their park's environment," says Headrick. "Vandalism and unwelcome use decreases since the park is better used. And disc golf players have proven to be courteous and noted for picking up trash that is not of their own origin. Disc golf is one of the most popular senior citizen games in Japan and is the perfect sport for someone who is looking for physical conditioning in pleasant surroundings, including the physically and mentally disabled."

No Clubs, Balls or Tee Times

Playing disc golf is much like ball golf in that each player attempts to complete a round in the fewest number of "strokes" (throws) as possible. Instead of expensive clubs and balls, players use their arm and a golfing "disc" (retail price $8-$9). A golfing disc is smaller and heaver than a traditional "Frisbee" disc. It has beveled-edges and comes in a variety of weights and styles.

A typical disc golf "hole" has a tee-off area for the "drive," an "up shot" to the basket and a "putt" into the basket. This five-foot tall "basket" consists of a metal pole, an attached circular basket and a top plate with an array of hanging chains which serve to "catch" the disc and drop it into the basket floor. The catching feature created by the chains is referred to as "chain-suck."

Installing a Disc Golf Course: Maximum Park Usage for Minimum Cost

Installing of a disc golf course can provide recreational activities for people of all ages and skill levels at a relatively low cost. The typical cost of an 18-hole disc golf course ($10,000) is less than the cost of one lighted tennis court ($20,000) or a skate board track ($50,000). A study conducted by the La Mirada (CA) Parks and Recreation Department monitored the people using its 12 lighted tennis courts and its 18-hole disc golf course located in the same Los Angeles County park. The results of the study showed that the usage rates for the two facilities were vastly different. An average of 47 people per hour used the disc golf course, while only 19 people per hour used the tennis courts.

This case--and more and more cases throughout the country--shows the "bang for the buck" that investment in a disc golf course provides. A disc golf course can accommodate up to 80 people simultaneously, and can be installed in phases. This phase installation approach eliminates the total cost being put into a single fiscal year. Additionally, maintenance costs are minimal; the equipment maintenance is very low due to the durable galvanized steel construction of the baskets and the courses do not require any specialized grounds maintenance.

Can Disc Golf Fever Cure the Park Budget Blues?

Many parks across the country operate under very tight budget constraints. Testimony from parks personnel indicate that disc golf courses can become economically "self-supporting" facilities. Thousands of dollars in revenue can be made from sales of golfing discs, course entry fees and sponsored tournaments. Berrien County (MI) Park and Recreation Department Director Randall Round explains, "Much to our delight, our disc golf course has proven to be a good income producing activity, especially critical given the fierce competition for tax dollars to support public recreational services." Roud disclosed that over 13,000 users per year play their course, which provides over $18,000 in revenues.

Adding to the profitability argument, Debbie Spica, recreational specialist with the Baton Rouge (LA) Recreational Commission says, "Our disc golf operation is a profit maker. The adjacent tennis pro shop has given us part of their area where we sell golfing discs, bags and T-shirts. We easily make more money from these sales than we require to run two 18-hole disc golf courses. No sports shops sell the specialized golfing discs so we have to order 300-350 discs every two to three weeks to keep up with demand."

Continuing Park Benefits: A Decrease in Vandalism

Spica explained that a surprise benefit of her course was that with the sheer numbers of people frequenting the park, the level of vandalism actually decreased. Bob Berry, supervisor for the City of Clearwater (FL) Parks and Recreation Department says, "The impact of installing our disc golf course has been very noticeable. The incidence of vandalism to our adjacent fitness course has dropped significantly. The local players have shown great pride in the course and assist us in maintaining it. I am very happy with the usage of the course (50-75 people per day) and believe that we have improved the quality of the park's leisure experiences."

"Our experience in installing a disc golf course has been very positive," says Gene Hackett, director of the City of Crystal (MN) Parks and Recreation Department. "Our maintenance department finds that upkeep on the course is minimal. The local disc golfers have maintained the course area and have offered free community programs to generate more interest in the sport. The course has not been vandalized and general park vandalism has been reduced. I attribute those facts to the number of people in the park playing disc golf."

In evaluating recreational investment alternatives, park directors should consider some of the proven benefits of a disc golf course:

* Low installation cost and low landscape maintenance

* Profit center for parks facing budget cuts

* High usage decreases park vandalism

From the standpoint of the disc golf player using the park, the benefits are:

* Low cost of equipment: about $8 for a golf disc, instead of hundreds of dollars for golf clubs, shoes and balls.

* Low cost of play: most disc golf courses are FREE, where greens fees at golf courses can run as high as $200.

* Minimum playing time: typical 18-hole disc golf round takes about one hour to play compared to four to five hours for ball golf.

* Excellent low-impact cardiovascular exercise: walking through beautiful parks, which is easily done by people of all ages.

For additional information on the sport of disc golf:

PDGA Disc Course Directory ($10)

P.O. Box 1738

Weatherford, TX 76086

[phone]

Disc Golf Journal

1801 Richardson Dr. #6

Urbana, IL 61801

1-800-651-DISC

Disc Golf Association, Inc.

2536 Freedom Blvd.

Watsonville, CA 95076

(408)-722-6037

Innova-Champion Discs, Inc.

11090 Tacoma Drive

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

[phone]