What is Disc Golf? Disc golf (also called Frisbee Golf) is a disc sport game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. The goal of the game is to play through an entire 18-hole (basket) course with the fewest number of throws. The less throws you make, the better the score. The concept of the game is the same as “regular” golf with the club and ball.

There are many different types of discs to use for disc golf. The majority of the holes are par 3s, which means you will need to get the disc in the basket in 3 throws or less. First, you begin using your Driver Disc on your opening throw. The proper grip of holding on to a driver before throwing is called Power Grip. A power grip is done by gripping the disc with 3 to 4 fingers on the inside part of the rim and the thumb on the top of the disc on the outside edge of the rim. To begin your approach to throw, do a 3-4 step run up on the tee pad to the front edge of tee box or tee board and use your entire body as a whip to provide torque and speed to make the disc fly far forward. The key part is visualizing how and where you want the Driver Disc to go. Then you walk up to your disc where it has landed and mark it with a Mini Disc (or flip the disc over). Next, use a Mid-Range Disc, which is a heavier disc with a thicker shape to it, to deal with shorter distance throws approaching to the basket. You have to keep one foot exactly behind your marker disc while throwing. Sometimes you will land in the bushes or behind a tree, and you will have to throw from the spot where the disc is. The key to throwing a good controlled throw is being accurate and smooth so you won’t throw it into the bushes! It’s part of what makes disc golf fun! Finally, after you approach close to the basket, you use your Putter Disc to make the final shot. Ka Ching! (The sound of the disc hitting the chain and dropping into the basket holder) The disc goes in and you’re happy to make par (3 strokes).

(Putting grip)

Disc golf courses are usually located in city and state parks. It doesn’t cost anything to play, but be aware of having to pay day-use parking fee especially at state parks. There are a few disc golf courses on private properties. Some are free and open to the public. Some are open to the public at limited hours and might require a day-use fee. You just have to buy your own discs. Once you have your “set” of discs, you’re ready to go! Disc golf courses have beautiful scenery, and each one presents a different set of challenges. Some courses are very open and have baskets, which are a bit farther like 300 to 600 feet long. Other courses are short and can be very technical which means lots of trees and vegetation in the way! You have to figure out the best path to throw to get to the basket. It’s quite challenging. There are OB (out of bounds) rules in disc golf, such as if your disc goes into the water, over a fence into private property, or landing on a paved path or parking lot. There are MANDO (mandatory throw path) requirements that forces you to throw left or right of a certain tree, light pole, or stationary object.

Yes, Deaf people play disc golf! Here in the State of Washington, there is a disc golf organization called the Washington Deaf Disc Golf Association (WDDGA). The WDDGA promotes disc golf competition for the Deaf community by hosting 9 tournaments a year. You don’t have to be an athlete to play, as anyone can play the sport. In fact, there is a Masters group for people who are over 40 years old. Also there are group categories for ladies and kids to compete among themselves. The best disc golfers usually play in the Pro Category, and they usually have scores that are close to or better than the course par score of 54 strokes. The rest of disc golfers either play in the amateur or Masters category. There are many other Deaf disc golf organizations in other different states. Please go to www.ddga.com and see what’s available in your area.

What is a tournament? It’s a Deaf Disc Golf Association (DDGA) sanctioned event where players in different groups (Masters, Pro, Amateur and Ladies) compete for the top places to win prizes. A Local open event is a one-day two-rounds tournament in which we play the 18-hole course twice during the whole day. A Classic/Championship open event is a 2-day, 3-rounds tournament. (2 rounds in the first day and the last round and a round final 9-hole round for the top four finalists on the second day.) Prizes such as cash, discs, bags, mini-discs aka markers, and apparel are given out to the top finishers of each category. The number of prizes given out is relative to the number of participants for each category. The tournament entry fee are $15 for the local tournaments, As for the Classic tournaments, the entry fee depends on what category you will play under. It ranges from $10 for kids to $20 for Pros.

In 2009, WDDGA adopted the handicap system to level out the playing field. What is a “handicap system?” Instead of having the best player play and win in tournaments over and over, the handicap system allows all of us, including the worst and best disc golfers, to compete among each other. Everyone, including the worst player, have an equal chance to compete and finish among the top places. For example, if my Disc Golf average was 70 strokes, which means I usually take about 70 strokes to complete a course, and a Pro’s average would take about 54 strokes (which is par). My handicap (give or take) would be a minus 16. Which means, when the tournament starts, my score is negative 16 while the Pro would start at zero. Then when we finish the hole we count the number of strokes and take out 16 strokes for my final score. The Pro wouldn’t have any strokes taken out because his handicap is zero. Whoever has the least amount of strokes would win!

Please feel welcome to visit our webpage at www.wddga.com, and we welcome all deaf/HH people of all ages, and all walks of life including CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) even people who are interested in ASL (American Sign Language). You all are welcome to play with us! It’s a terrific way to exercise and enjoy nature’s scenery. We also play in all types of weather, rain, sleet and snow. The only time we don’t play is when the course is flooded under water.

If you have never played disc golf before, live in Washington State and would like to learn, please contact wddga.1@gmail.com and we’ll set you up with an experienced player who will bring extra discs for you and show you around the course on a non-tournament day. It is best to practice playing disc golf to earn some experience before participating in a tournament.

After the tournament we have an awards party where the prizes are given out to the top finishers. Sometimes the WDDGA will host a BBQ and a poker game party at one of the players’ homes. All are welcome to join us.

Keep on Discin’!