What is Disc Golf?

Disc golf combines one of the world’s great games – golf – with a modern recreational phenomenon – the flying disc. The now well-organized and hugely popular sport began with the simple fun of throwing a piece of plastic. As far back as the 1950s, players throwing at trees, lamp posts, and even garbage cans realized that they were playing a modern version of golf. In the 1960s and 1970s, other major disc sports developed, including Ultimate (which combines discs with of the best elements of soccer and football), Freestyle, and Double Disc Court (a Space Age disc version of tennis). In 1976, Ed Headrick, an executive at Wham-O, patented the first dedicated target for the game: the Disc Pole Hole. He founded the Disc Golf Association and the Professional Disc Golf Association, which he later turned over to the players themselves. For his contributions "Steady" Ed is widely known as the Father of Disc Golf.

The flying disc designer responsible for the technological leap that shaped modern disc golf was David Dunipace. Dunipace invented and patented the modern beveled-edge golf disc and in 1983, founded Innova-Champion Discs. The golf disc he designed went on to make most of the day's courses obsolete. Innova continues to lead the industry in disc design and manufacturing. Today, while retaining his role at Innova, Dave Dunipace is the genius behind the disc designs of Millennium Golf Discs.

The Growth of Disc Golf

Today the Professional Disc Golf Association is considered the governing body for disc golf, and most clubs and tournaments are associated with or abide by its guidelines. The PDGA has registered close to 40,000 players, and membership has doubled the last three years. That number only hints at the growing cadre of casual disc golfers who now number in the millions around the world.