The Carolina Disc Golf Club of UNC-Chapel Hill
The Carolina Disc Golf Club of UNC-Chapel Hill is an officially recognized
sport club at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The
club's mission is to promote the sport of disc golf in the university community
and throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina.
Club members are encouraged to participate in weekly doubles tournaments and singles tournaments held throughout the year. Club members also participate in course design, maintenance, and improvement. More
information about the club, including instructions on how to become
a member,
can be found at the Club page.
The club sponsors the annual Tar Heel Tournament, a popular C-tier event that has attracted many of the world's top players.
An Introduction to Disc Golf*
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What is Disc Golf?
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc, or Frisbee® The sport was formalized in the 1970's, and shares with "ball golf" the object of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest number of throws). A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the "hole". The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is called a Pole Hole® an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the "putt" lands in the basket and the hole is completed. Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations of traditional golf, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway.
Who Plays Disc Golf?
Disc golf can be played from school age to old age, making it the one of the greatest lifetime fitness sports available. Specially-abled and disabled participate, giving them the opportunity to take part in a mainstream activity. Because disc golf is so easy to learn, no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there. The Professional Disc Golf Association, with over 16,000 members, is the governing body for the sport, and sanctions competitive events for men and women of every skill level from novice to professional.
Where to play?
Permanent disc golf courses are found in countries worldwide, as well as throughout the United States, and UNC is fortunate enough to have its own course. Many city parks have golf courses already set up. Nearby courses include
Cornwallis Road Park and
Valley Springs Park in Durham,
Kentwood,
Cedar Hills Rotary Park, and
Buckhorn at Harris Lake County Park in Raleigh, and
Cedarock Park in Burlington. Most are free to play as often as you like. Disc golfers who do not have the benefit of a permanent disc golf facility in their area often "make up" courses in nearby parks and green spaces.
* Based on text found at http://www.pdga.com/information.php |
