Most Ohio State students are accustomed working out for free at Larkins Hall, but for students who would like to exercise outside this summer while still saving money, disc golf may be the solution.
Disc golf is a sport where the Frisbee meets the game of golf. Unlike golf, which after greens fees and the cost of clubs can make most see red, disc golfers have one thing to buy: the disc.
Although the use of a Frisbee is okay, Dave Rochus, disc golf manager for Metro Parks, suggests using a golf disc. The disc is smaller and harder than the traditional Frisbee one may find tossed around on The Oval.
According to Rochus, discs can cost anywhere from $8.75-$15 at Blendon Woods.
Of the 982 disc golf courses in the United States, three 18-hole courses can be found in Columbus. Big Run Park and Hoover Dam, renamed the Brent Hambrick Memorial Disc Golf Course after the course designer died of cancer, are both free of cost to play. Whereas Blendon Woods Metro Parks charges $1.25 per round or $3.25 all day.
For amateurs, Blendon Woods may be a good place to start because they offer disc rentals for $1 per hour and the course is the shortest of the three.
“This course is designed more for basically bringing people into the sport,” Rochus said. “It’s a shorter course, get their feet wet in it so they can enjoy it instead of going to a real long course and they get frustrated real quick.”
Many beginners eventually move on to longer courses such as Hoover Dam and Big Run once they learn the game, he said.
Rochus said new players could become quickly addicted to the sport.
“Somebody will come up and rent discs and then they’ll start getting into it and start buying discs and then they start playing a lot more,” Rochus said.
Some of the seasoned players and professionals will carry bags of discs that function differently for each toss, but only one disc is necessary for playing.
Paul Jay, a professional disc golf player, prefers playing at Hoover Dam because it is free and more challenging. According to Jay, Hoover offers longer holes as well as pro tees that can extend the course to 7122 feet in length. Big Run is 5301 feet long and Blendon Woods is 3718 in length.
Jay, who has been competing since 1994, enjoys the sport for several reasons.
“It’s so close to the game of ball golf as far as rules and etiquette,” Jay said. “It’s outdoors, it’s great exercise, it’s free and it’s nice out here.”
The scenery around Hoover Dam offers and aesthetic lure for Jay, who along with other players helps maintain the property.
According to Jay, disc golf is becoming extremely popular and the courses are filling up with new faces. Because of the increase in popularity Jay said the Columbus Flyers, a disc golf club of which he is a member, is trying to get another course built in Columbus.
Jay said other cities like Cincinnati have about 15 courses.
There are also a handful of tournaments held on Columbus courses. According to Jay, one of the largest tournaments, known as the Brent Hambrick Memorial Tournament, is held at Hoover Dam and attracts a large crowd and sponsors.
Tournaments like the BHMT draw in competition from around the country. There are players who tour eight months out of the year to compete and can win up to $20,000.
Not all disc golfers are quite as competitive or serious as Jay. Some people enjoy the sport for more relaxing reasons.
“I enjoy Frisbee golf not so much as a sport, but as an opportunity for me to get away from the city,” Jesse Bulger, a senior in graphic design, said. “Both Hoover and Blendon Woods are set off from the city so it gives me a time to step away from the city and spend some time with nature.”
Bulger, who was introduced to the game a couple of years ago through word of mouth, said disc golf is more accessible than traditional golf and is something he can play on short notice and for a fraction of the price.
For these reasons Bulger said he thought disc golf was a great sport for students to try out. Bulger said he usually goes out with three or four friends and enjoys the fun while being outside in nature.
Rochus also found the sport to be very approachable and enjoyable.
“It’s not a high impact game or anything like that, you can go out with your buddies and have a good time,” Rochus said.
