A hot pink disc sailed through the air and then cut right as it landed in the brush, disappearing from sight. The group of men let out a groan, then a couple went running into the trees, carefully avoiding barbed wire and thorns, in an effort to recover the only piece of equipment needed to continue their game.

After all, that disc cost $9, and this isn't the type of sport you're used to wasting your money on. Unlike other recreational sports, once you've got the gear, this game is free. Don Norris, a business major from Birmingham, Ala., said for poor college students, the low cost gives disc golf, often known as Frisbee golf, a major advantage over other activities.

"Bowling is extremely expensive," Norris said. "It costs you at least five bucks every time you go. Disk golf is free. You can use a disk - you can use a normal Frisbee if you want."

Low cost, along with a competitive environment and the peace of the outdoors, is what drew Norris, and several of his friends to the greens of the disc golf course. These men, most of them friends since their freshman year DT days, are not alone in their love for the sport. According to Scott Sharp, vice president of the Team Utah Disc Golf Association, the sport is on the rise in Utah Valley.

"Absolutely, the sport is becoming more popular," said Sharp, of Salt Lake. "A lot more people are finding out about it and learning that it's a fun sport to try, and that it isn't very expensive. You know, buy a few Frisbees, and no green fees."

While Utah is home to only 10 of the 1,263 disc golf courses in the United States, the sport is developing quite a following. Local courses include Bicentennial Park, south of campus, which has fifteen holes, concrete tees and manicured greens. Nearby Rock Canyon Park has a rougher course, with nine holes, dirt tees and many wooded areas.

Jon Wiles, a chemistry major from Long Beach, Calif., said during nice weather, he, Norris and others usually go at least once a day. While the sport's popularity is growing most rapidly among college-aged men, Wiles said the die-hard disc golfers are generally middle-aged men, who appear a little bit shabby.

"Essentially, they're the people that didn't get the memo that the seventies had ended and pot was illegal," Wiles said. "The whole drug, sex revolution - they're still part of that."

Michael Kramer, an international marketing major from Naknek, Alaska, said these pseudo-hippies, who generally have longer hair and more facial hair, are less likely to have full-time jobs, so they spend a lot of their time on the courses. The colorful clothing these people wear led Wiles and Norris to nickname them "The Colorful Culture." Norris said members of The Colorful Culture are present on the green nearly every time he goes golfing.

"I don't know where they come from, but they're good people, and they're really good at disc golf," Norris said.

While Norris generally only carries four discs when golfing, he said members of The Colorful Culture often use as many as fifteen discs. Just as with golf clubs, there are types of golf discs that accomplish different purposes on the course. The three broad categories of discs are drive discs, approach disks and putters.

Drive discs are used first, to travel as far as possible towards the hole, generally an elevated metal basket with chains connecting the top and bottom, often a Pole Hole. As the lightest disc, a drive disc can generally reach halfway or a quarter of the way to the hole, before diving to one side or the other.

After driving, an approach disc is used to get as close to the pin as possible. The approach disc is medium-range and flies straighter than a drive disc, so it is more easily directed.

Finally, a putter disc is used to drop into the basket. This disc flies extremely straight, but only for a short distance.

Golf discs can be purchased at most sporting goods stores, though selection varies. Traci Jensen of Play It Again Sports in Orem said the store carries a good selection of entry-level discs.

"We've seen over the past three years just substantial growth, especially in beginners, into our store," Jensen said.

For used discs, the cost starts at $3, for new discs $8, reaching up to $15.

At Parks Sportsman in Orem, about forty discs a week are sold during nice weather. Employee Corey Gebhardt of Provo said disc golf is big in other states, but Utah is just starting to latch onto it.

"No question, the popularity of the sport has grown drastically the past year and a half, two years, in Utah," Gebhardt said. "All the parks are starting to put it in. It's a good alternative, it's cheap to play and a lot of people like it."

While Gebhardt said 70 to 80 percent of his customers are college-aged males, Sharp said the sport has a universal attraction.

"Everyone can do it," he said. "It appeals to everybody - kids, older people, men and women. Anyone can throw a Frisbee for the most part."

Norris and his pals disagree. While the discs are similar, golf discs break a lot more, cutting through the air instead of floating. Norris said it took him about twenty outings before he was really in control of the disc.

"There's a lot of skill to it," he said. "It's easy to become discouraged, but you just have to get used to it."

Though the disc does differ from a Frisbee, many of the rules of golf remain the same. The disc is thrown from a tee area to the hole, each throw is made from the spot of the previous landing and the player with the fewest number of throws wins. The course has rough around the green area, thought this may be even more ragged than the usual shrubs and sand traps. Also, the unspoken rules still apply.

"Course etiquette is huge," Wiles said. "Be respectful of other players, especially if you suck. Let people play through."

Wiles said other rules include not littering, avoiding driving on people who are at the pin, and always giving people ample notice if you're going to throw the disc. He cautioned that the discs can really hurt people, remembering a time his brother accidentally hit a man in the head.

Unlike a normal golf course, disc golf courses are more condensed. Most holes are 300-500 feet long. All holes are par 5 for beginners, par 4 for intermediate golfers, and par 3 standard. The Professional Disc Golf Association, a worldwide non-profit organization with more than 20,000 members, makes the rules for disc golf and sanctions competitions for both professional and amateur players.

While Norris, Wiles and Kramer are not members of the PDGA, they may form a club of their own. Though the idea is still in the works, the group plans to organize a BYU Disc Golf Club in the fall. If they have their way, the popularity of disc golf will continue to increase, and they will have a little more competition.



Copyright Brigham Young University 29 Apr 2004