by Mathias Scriptor

Created on: February 02, 2010

How many of you have golfed before? It’s hard to get the hang of, right? Have you ever wanted to obtain the pleasurable feeling of golfing, without actually swinging a club? If that applies to you, disc golf is the right game for you. Disc golf, or frolf, as I call it, requires a certain level of skill, and is a great, relaxing way to spend time with your friends. Being an avid disc golfer, I believe if more people are aware of the sport, more people will play it. Today, I will inform you regarding the history of disc golf, the proliferation of the game, and the differences between disc golf discs.

The beginning of disc golf was humble at best. George Sappenfield is often credited with being the catalyst behind the disc golf. In 1965 he set up the first recorded disc golf course for children. He used fire hydrants and lamp poles as targets. Sappenfield was simply trying to distract the children while the adults played ‘real’ golf. There is however, only one man with the title “Father of Disc Golf” - “Steady Ed” Headrick. Headrick created the first standardized target course in Pasadena, California. At the time, Headrick was employed by Wham-O Corporation, creator of timeless toys such as the super bouncy ball and slip n’ slide. Headrick is credited with the design for the pluto platter - the modern frisbee as we know it today. His invention sparked the mass production of the modern disc golf frisbee; the rim height, disc shape, weight, and plastic were all reworked. Because of this, Headrick created the Disc Golf Association, the leader in disc golf supplies. When Headrick died, his last wish was to have his ashes made into a limited number of discs that were sold; that’s dedication.

The proliferation of disc golf was rapid, and the game has since grown to enormous heights. In 1970, a group of men in Rochester, New York began playing disc golf competitively. These same men created the American Flying Disc Open, in order to gauge the national interest in their newfound pastime. Dan Roddick, winner of the 1974 AFDO, was hired by Headrick to head the Wham-O Sports Promotion Department. In the position, Roddick incorporated disc golf into the already popular World Frisbee Championships, leading to more exposure and many new players. Soon after, a group of players formed the PDGA and assumed control of the disc golf world. Today, there are over 1700 hundred courses worldwide. In addition, disc golf is becoming

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>