CROSBY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Disc golf has become more popular over the years, providing a cheaper and more casual alternative to golf. We spent some time at Miami Whitewater Forest with Jack Fogle from Great Parks to learn more.
For regular golf, you choose your club based on distance and position on the course. In disc golf, you also have options, but with the disc you are throwing. While there are countless options, you can get started with a driver, mid-range disc and a putter.
Instead of numbered irons, most discs are labeled with 4 numbers, representing how the disc moves in the air and how far it travels. Miami Whitewater Forest has a full selection of discs you can purchase, along with advice on which ones are best for you to try.
WATCH: Learn the basics of disc golf with us
Fogle said the benefit of a mid-range disc is not having to throw it so fast.
"You have a lot more control over a shorter distance because you don't need to put as much power behind it," he said.
Scoring is just like golf. You count the number of throws until you land your disc in the basket. Most holes also have a shorter and longer option for different experience levels.
From 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, June 17, your kids can join a $9 class at the Miami Whitewater Visitor Center to learn the game. Discs will be provided for anyone trying out the sport for the first time.
Mimai Whitewater's disc golf course was recently renovated, going from 9 to 18 holes. It now joins Woodland Mound and Winton Woods with 18-hole courses. There is also a 9-hole course at Embshoff Woods Nature Preserve, which is next up for an upgrade. If you're pressed for time, you can just play the front 9 or back 9, like regular golf.
Great Parks will also host the Hops and Hyzers disc golf tournament, which is open to players of any level. The summer tournament will be July 11 at Winton Woods, followed by the fall tournament on September 26 at Woodland Mound.
