Disc Golf

Well, summer is here, and you know what that means: the anxiously awaited Disc Golf season has finally begun. Disc Golf, also known as Frisbee Golf or 'Frolf' to the layperson, is exactly what it sounds like: Golf with frisbees. The great thing about Disc Golf is that it can be taken as seriously or as casually as you like it.

Last summer, living in the student ghetto in Kingston, ON, we made a sweet disc golf course out of the blue lights that were scattered throughout the Queen's campus. The blue lights were installed as a safety measure in case a student felt threatened on campus; each lightpost had an intercom that connected to campus security. The ubiquity and distinctiveness of the lights on campus made them ideal holes for an afternoon game of Frolf.

Here in Ottawa, where people take frisbee-related sports very seriously, there are actual Disc Golf courses, where the 'holes' are in fact contraptions called 'Disc-catchers' or 'Pole-Holes' A Disc-catcher is comprised of a metal pole with a circular frame around the top and a circular bin at the bottom. The top frame has a number of chains hanging down from it, so that when a frisbee flies through, it is stopped mid-flight, and falls down into the bottom bin. They work quite well, especially if you are using frisbees that are specifically designed for disc golf. Much like a golfer has different clubs for different shots, a disc golfer has a variety of discs for different distances. You can purchase different discs for driving, mid-range, and putting. Of course, you have to be pretty serious about disc golf to spend the money on a full set. Using a regular frisbee is entirely acceptable for the casual disc golfer.

So next time you find yourself bored and broke on a sunday afternoon, gather up some friends and some frisbees and play a leisurely game of disc golf in your neighboorhood. You won't regret it. Just remember never to call it Frisbee Golf or Frolf in front of a serious Disc Golfer. This upsets them to no end.