Disc Golf brings fun and life-changing movement!

#StayFitHaveFun

So many people could benefit health-wise from adding just a couple of miles of movement a few times a week to their routines. If you are one of those folks and you have found yourself NOT getting out because exercise is boring to you, think about giving Disc Golf a try. Disc Golf is never boring!

Whether you are a natural athlete or not, Disc Golf is an amazing way to get out with family/friends to get moving and get healthy. All you need are good supportive shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and a disc (even an old Frisbee to start)! There are disc golf courses all over, easily located with the free "UDisc" app on your phone, and you can play and walk as much or as little as you would like — 95% of courses have free ‘admission’ (others are worth paying for), and most often no person there to ‘check you in’ – you just walk up, review the signage and start throwing! Please also review the guidelines for a course on UDisc before visiting/playing, as some have limited hours and rules related to students/campers and other recreational activities.

There was a time when only dedicated Disc Golf players were playing, but the pandemic brought thousands of new players outside and out onto courses. The exponential increase in players has caused overcrowding on many courses, but thankfully new courses are in the works and opening every day all over Connecticut, the country and, indeed, the world.

A 9-hole Disc Golf course would traditionally be 1 to 1.5 miles of walking, and an 18-hole course 2 to 3.5 miles. As municipalities look to add Disc Golf to the recreational infrastructure of their towns and choose under-utilized forests and fields for development, more varied distances of courses have and continue to be evolved. Choose those courses whose terrain you would normally seek out for a walk or hike.

#StravaScramble
If you are in western Connecticut and tiring of your usual 3-mile walk loop, grab your walking group and some discs, and head to the course in Bethel. This 9-hole (plus 5) course winds its way around an education complex, along "The Enchanted Trail," and if you play the whole course, you will have seen some beautiful woods, thrown a disc at least 30 times each, and met your 3-mile (10,000 steps?) goal!

If you are in central Connecticut, bring your family or recruit a few friends and head out to the Meriden YMCA's beautiful Mountain Mist Outdoor Center! This 9-hole course, was built around a day camp, designed with beginners in mind and brings about a mile of walking. The course is mostly flat, but includes lots of fun shapes, shots, and interesting props for those looking to learn, improve, or just be out for a fun hour (+) round.

If you live a bit farther south, just north of the Fairfield County line into New Haven County, in Orange is a #HiddenTreasure course. High Plains is a 9-hole all-wooded course offering a variety of shapes and distances, along with some vertical training. Navigating can be a little tricky with snow on the ground. The volunteer team recently added alternate tee pads on 5 of the holes, and has a beautifully crafted map of 18 to follow on UDisc.

#ThrowAndGo
No pressure ever, as none of you need to play well! In the Scramble version, you and your friends/family play with each other, not against each other. You each have a disc (or more). Throwing from behind the tee sign in any order to start, you each keep track of where your disc lands (called the lie). Then all but one of you pick up, and you all go to the position you believe to be in best proximity (best lie) to throw again at the basket. If you have a ‘mini’ marker, place that on the basket side of the chosen disc, pick up the disc, and all throw from behind the marker. Play ‘ready golf’ – whoever is ready first, throws as soon as all others are safely out of the way. This throwing continues until the first disc lands in the basket, which officially ends the hole. However, when we scramble, we usually all putt – just for practice! When your skills have improved or you have more time, then try playing from your own lies! This ‘singles’ round may take 3 times longer, so be sure to start early enough to allow for sufficient daylight (for more detailed rules, visit the Professional Disc Golf Association at PDGA.com).

Disc Golf is very fluid. If you have only 30 minutes, pick one section of the course and play smaller loops for as long as you have time or daylight! Unless you are playing in a league or a tournament, you make the rules, and as long as you stay within the guidelines for Disc Golf etiquette, all will be well. Apply the same rules for safety as you would for any other fitness activity and only choose areas for Disc Golf where you would feel safe hiking.

#AllWeatherSport
Living in the North can be challenging once the sun starts to set early and the temperatures drop. Modify your behavior and give yourself something to look forward to a few times a week. Sun and movement will help your mood immensely through the winter if you are proactive about developing new habits, starting now! Disc Golf is available and playable year-round. Only a very small percentage of courses close for the winter, so make plans, grab a contrasting-colored disc and head out during your lunch break or on the weekends!