What is Disc golf?

What is disc golf?

Disc golf is a sport with a tradition of over 60 years, most popular in the USA, Canada, and Northern and Western Europe. This sport is best described as an urban and modern version of golf that, instead of using a club and ball, is played with a plastic frisbee, and instead of a hole in the ground, the target is special baskets. In Croatia, it has been played continuously since 2009.

The basic equipment needed for the game are plastic or rubber discs, which come in different weights and flight characteristics (some fly more to the left, others to the right, etc.). A beginner player only needs two basic discs for recreational play, which can be bought for as low as €15 per disc.

The central global body that oversees the development of the sport and competitions is the Professional Disc Golf Association, or PDGA for short. In Croatia, the sport is developed by the Croatian Flying Disc Federation, which is a member of the Croatian Olympic Committee.

According to PDGA statistics, around 8-12 million people have tried this sport at least once, there are about 3 million regular players worldwide, and in 2023, PDGA had 136,347 paid members.
For comparison, it's interesting to note that in 2015 there were 30,454 paid memberships, and in 2011 only 16,109, so over eleven years, the number of PDGA members has increased significantly.
In 2022, 8,931 tournaments were held worldwide with a total prize fund of $10,500,000, while in 2015, only 2,581 tournaments were held with 175,183 participants and a total prize fund of $3,500,000.
The sport is very popular among all age groups, as shown by the PDGA membership data for 2022, which included 7% members under 20 years old, 26% aged 20 to 29, 35% aged 30 to 39, and 27% over 40 years old.

How to get involved?

Starting to play disc golf does not require much effort, and the basics of disc throwing are easy to learn. However, to raise the quality of the game to a higher level, a lot of training and patience is needed.
The disc golf community in Croatia has about a hundred people aged from 7 to over 60 years, and it is very inclusive, welcoming anyone who wants to try this sport.

The uniqueness of disc golf is that players of various ages, from 13-14 years old to middle-aged or even those up to 50 years old, can play at the same level. Therefore, at tournaments, it is not uncommon to see competitions among players from different age groups.
The female part of the sport is adequately represented in Croatia, with around 20% of participants in tournaments being women, while the global average is only about 10%. Organizers of competitions are trying to encourage girls and women to engage in disc golf, and more attention is being paid to this part of the sport each year.

For all instructions and explanations, as well as to purchase disc golf equipment, contact us at Disc Golf Club Lagoda - Facebook - Instagram (for people from Varaždin and surroundings) or at the Croatian Flying Disc Federation - Facebook - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for other parts of Croatia.

How to play?

Disc golf is typically played as an individual sport but in groups of 3 to 5 players. If more than 5 players participate, they are divided into groups. One group starts from hole 1, another group from, for example, hole 3, and they play the course in order until they complete all holes.

On each hole, all players start from the same teeing area, making their first throw. After everyone has thrown, each player continues from the spot where their disc landed. Before each subsequent throw, the player can change discs to use the one best suited for the next throw.

The goal of the game is to hit the final target, the disc golf basket, with as few throws as possible. After completing each hole, the group of players moves to the next hole and records the previous hole's score. In the past, scores were typically recorded on paper scorecards, but in recent years, players often use mobile apps like UDisc.

The best player is the one who has the lowest total number of throws after playing the entire course (e.g., all 18 holes).

The usual duration of play on a recreational 9-hole course (e.g., Disc Golf Vodovodna - Varaždin) is about 40 minutes, while playing on competitive 18-hole courses (e.g., Platak Disc Golf) takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Where are the courses located?

As of June 1, 2024, there are 8 public disc golf courses in Croatia, located in Toplice Sveti Martin, Platak, Varaždin, Varaždinske Toplice, Cernik, Stubičke Toplice, Labin, and Zagreb.

What is disc golf and how is it played?