A Short Exhortation on How-to-Play Disc Golf

Disc Golf is played much the same way as ball golf: there are tee-offs, fairways, a final target and similar rules of play.

Like ball golf disc golf’s objective is to finish each ‘hole’ in the fewest number of ‘strokes‘, i.e.. throws. The Golf Island Disc Park has 27 ‘holes’. For the first 9, or the Classic 9, the targets are tone-poles: metal tubes mounted on wood posts. The object is to hit the metal, which produces a recognizable tone. The other, newer 18, have chain baskets mounted on metal poles. The object is to land in the basket. Players start each hole from the tee-off, a cleared, somewhat flat area, marked by a painted rock, which has an arrow indicating the direction the target is in and the distance to it. Players stand behind the rock (not on it please!) and throw their first drive. Like ball-golf the player furthest from the target throws next. Each player throws in turn until everyone has putted out. Like ball-golf the player(s) with the best score tee-off first on the next hole. On Pender Island’s course the fairways are in amongst the trees, with lots of rocks and other obstacles, all of which make for an interesting, sometimes frustrating game.

A few of the basic rules:

1. Players must keep one foot behind and within 30cm of the leading edge of their disc, where it lies on the fairway, when they throw their next shot. The disc may be either flipped over, on its leading edge, or a marker (mini) disc may be placed in front of the leading edge before the thrown disc is picked up. The other foot must stay behind the imaginary line of the leading edge; thus players have the option of a comfortable stance, or standing with one foot out to the side (to shoot around a tree for instance) or of running up and releasing their disc when their leading foot is within the 30cm. of the leading edge (once the disc is released they may step past the line, as long as they are not in the putting zone – 10m. from the target). If your disc lands in an unsafe area play it from the nearest safe lie without being closer to the target.

2. If you think your disc is going to hit another player yell “fore” or “duck!”.

3. There are no ‘out-of-bounds’ , unless you go beyond the park boundaries (there are signs posted where the course borders with houses). Out-of-bounds is a one stroke penalty. If your disc lands in a tree, and is within reach, knock it down and play it from where it lies. If out-of-reach knock it down with a stick or rock (careful!) and play it from where it lies with a one stroke penalty.

4. Be courteous: allow faster players to play through; do not disturb other players discs that are in-play; if you think you’ve found somebody’s lost disc please hang it on the wall in the clubhouse-if the disc is marked with the owner’s name and/or number give them a call, they’ll really appreciate it!</>

5. Please do not remove or alter any of the natural features of the course (e.g.. tree limbs, rocks etc.) If you land amongst dead wood on the ground you may move pieces behind your disc’s leading edge for safer footing. Any other pieces are obstacles (that’s part of the joy and frustration of the Golf Island Disc Park!).

6. Please place all garbage in the buckets at tee-offs or the garbage/recycling containers at the clubhouse.

7. There are sand filled cans for disposal of cigarette butts; please use them, do not leave butts on the course. In dry months notices will be up restricting smoking to the clubhouse area; if extremely dry smoking will be banned entirely. There are water barrels placed around the course in case of fire, but any fire on Pender has the potential for dire consequences. Be a responsible player!

For complete rules go to: https://www.pdga.com/rules
For general info and links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf
Visit our Disc Golf Techniques Page to view some videos of different techniques.