Just like golf only it's ok to throw things!

With the incredible rise in popularity of ball golf, it's no surprise that disc golf is also enjoying a similar -- if proportional -- rise in popularity. Disc golf offers many of the same pleasures: fresh air in a beautiful landscape, the camaraderie of friends, and the challenge and excitement of combining personal skill and speed to project an object toward a target.  And perhaps best of all, disc golf is inexpensive.

Course description

The Powderhorn course has 18 holes that average between 250 and 450 feet.  The holes are par 3 holes.  This challenging course is set in semi-wooded and hilly areas of the glorious Grand Mesa.  The course is free and open to the public during daylight hours, 7 days a week all summer long. Season usually runs June through the end of September, conditions permitting.

The Basics-No clubs needed!

The target in disc golf is a metal basket that is mounted vertically about three feet in the air, and attached to a pole that is around 5 feet tall. To better allow discs to come to rest in this basket, chains are suspended from another circular section near the top of the pole and allowed to hang limply to a point where they are connected to the pole in or near the receiving basket. The standard disc golf target has 12-24 chains suspended inside it.

The two most common throwing techniques are the forehand throw (aka side-arm), and the backhand throw.   It is important to consider the wind, obstacles, and pin placements when choosing a disc. Also, when learning to play disc golf, focus on learning with two or three discs only. Get comfortable with all types of throws and situations using only those two or three discs. That way it will be easier to identify differences in disc types.

The Gear

There are a wide variety of discs, divided into three basic categories: putters, mid-range discs, and drivers.  You can find a great selection at the Alpine Trader in the Powderhorn main lodge. 

 Within each of these categories, each disc has its own distinct flight characteristics. There are golf discs designed to fly straight, turn left, or turn right, depending on how they are thrown by the player.

• The putters are designed to fly straight and predictably, and very slowly compared to the other two.
• Mid-range discs have slightly sharper edges, which enable them to cut through the air better. These discs are harder to learn to throw, but can fly much farther.
• Drivers have the sharpest edge and have most of their mass concentrated on the outer rim of the disc rather than distributed equally throughout. Drivers are the hardest types of discs to learn how to throw; their flight path will be very unpredictable without practice.

How to Play

Disc golf is similar to traditional golf and uses much of the same rules and terminology.

1. The initial "drive" is taken from a designated tee area. Each subsequent throw is taken from just behind the spot where the disc came to rest. Each throw is added to the player's score. As with ball golf, each hole is given a par. The goal is to complete every hole in as few throws as possible.

2. The hole is completed when the disc has come to rest in the basket. 

3. The golfer with the fewest throws wins. 

Rule differences with golf and disc golf

• In golf, the player can only carry 14 clubs. Disc golf has no rule concerning how many discs a disc golfer can use. Whereas golfers must "play it where it lies" on the ground, it doesn't work the same with disc golf since the disc is thrown and not struck. Disc golfers must have a supporting point (usually foot but can sometimes be a hand) on the playing surface within 30cm behind the front edge of where their previous shot landed (if inbounds) at the point their next throw is released. A special mini-disc is usually used to mark the previous lie on the ground in case the player wants to use that same disc on the next throw.

• Disc golf doesn't have "hazards" as defined in ball golf. Bodies of water, park roads and areas of cement are typically defined as out-of-bounds in disc golf. However, like ball golf, an out-of-bounds shot requires returning to the previous lie with a penalty, and disc golfers may have the additional option to proceed to a drop zone if one is provided.

• Another quirky difference is the optional penalty for a disc that lands more than 2 meters above the playing surface. On some trees, holes or the whole course, a disc landing above 2 meters will receive a one throw penalty. If not specified, there's no penalty for a disc landing any height above the ground. In ball golf, it's likely a player will need to take an unplayable penalty if their ball lands above the ground. On the other hand, balls are much less likely to remain stuck above ground than discs are as they fly through trees.

For a full list of official rules, go here

http://www.pdga.com/rules/index.php?rule=all