NATIONAL DISC GOLF DAY
Grab your discs and call up your friends! The first Saturday in August is National Disc Golf Day!
Requiring less equipment than traditional golf, disc golf shares the common goal of reaching each target with the fewest number of strokes, or to put it more accurately, throws.
Disc golf parallels the traditional game in many ways. Instead of clubs and a ball, the only gear necessary is a disc or Frisbee™. Starting from a tee pad, which is generally a rectangular area made of anything from rubber to cement or even brick, the player progresses down the fairway after each throw.
From where the disc lands, the player throws again and repeats until the disc lands in the target. As in traditional golf, the total number of throws a player takes to get the disc into the target is equal to the score for that hole.
Disc golf has been played since the late 1960s and became a formalized sport in the 1970s. In the beginning, targets were nothing more than tree trunks or wooden posts cemented into the ground. As the game progressed, trees and posts were replaced with metal baskets with chains, with the chains helping to catch the discs. Those metal baskets, originally called a “Disc Golf Pole Hole”, are now the modern day targets with dozens of design variations being used with the same general idea and technical specifications in mind.
Disc golf is convenient and inexpensive as well. Adding a couple of discs in the mix when packing for vacation adds very little weight to camping gear or luggage. Unlike traditional golf, a majority of disc golf courses across the country are open to the public, requiring no fees, membership, or tee times.
As a growing international sport, the number of courses is increasing all the time. In August of 2015, the International Olympic Committee granted full recognition to Flying Disc sports providing a global platform for Flying Disc sports, including disc golf.
People of all ages and abilities play disc golf. A great low-impact, cardiovascular workout that can test both physical skill and mental determination, this activity brings the whole family together for an afternoon of laughs and enjoyment together.
HOW TO OBSERVE
The Professional Disc Golf Association encourages you to get out on the course to celebrate National Disc Golf Day. With courses in all 50 states, it should be easy to find a disc golf course near you and play a round with some friends. The PDGA Disc Golf Course Directory is a great resource to locate courses in your area. Use the #NationalDiscGolfDay to share where you plan to play and what your favorite courses are on social media.
HISTORY
The Professional Disc Golf Association founded National Disc Golf Day to celebrate one of the fastest growing sports in the world. August is a significant month for the sport of disc golf. The first patent (#4,039,189) was issued on a chain catching device to “Steady” Ed Headrick on August 12th, 1977 which changed the future of the sport. It is now a standard for course design.
Additionally, on August 2, 1974, disc golfers in the Rochester, NY area decided to make their annual City of Rochester Disc Golf Championship a big national tournament to find out just how many other people around the country were playing disc golf. They called the event the American Flying Disc Open, and to attract the attention of the Frisbee™ community; they put up a brand new 1974 automobile to be awarded to the winner!
The Registrar at National Day Calendar approved the day in July of 2016.
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