You’ve heard about disc golf and want to give it a try but aren’t sure what you need to get started? This article was written for you! We’ll guide you through everything you need to either start playing on your own at home or how to find the nearest disc golf course to you!
If you’re in a rush, here’s the short answer to what you need to play disc golf with:
To play disc golf you will need 3 discs, a putter, mid-range and driver which all have their own flight properties. You will also either need to buy your own basket to aim at, or visit a local course. That’s it!
There isn’t much to disc golf, unlike traditional ball golf disc golf is very easy, cheap and beginner friendly to get started with.
But be warned, it might be easy to start with, but it’s certainly not easy to master!
What are the quick rules of Disc golf?
You’ll need a basic understanding of how to play disc golf before setting out on your disc golf adventure, fortunately disc golf is much like conventional ball golf in terms of the rules.
The objective is to get your disc into the basket in the fewest strokes (throws) possible. The lowest score to complete the course wins!
Scoring is measured in the same was a ball golf.
Each hole on a course has a ‘par’ score. This is the target score that the hole has been designed to take a good player that number of throws to complete, don’t worry too much about keeping up with the par scores when you first start out, it will take a bit of practice to find your feet on a full course!
You then try to complete the hole and your number of strokes is compared to the par for that hole. The scoring is generally as follows:
Hole in one | You get the disc into the basket with one stroke! Depending on the par score this can also equal one of the other scores. For example if the hole is a par 3 and you get a hole in one, this is equivalent to an eagle. |
Albatross | An albatross is taking three strokes less than par to get your disc into the basket – I’ve never seen anyone get an albatross! |
Eagle | You took two strokes fewer than the par for a hole. |
Birdie | You took one stroke fewer than the par for a hole |
Par | You completed the hole in the same number of strokes as par |
Bogey | You took one more stroke than par on the hole |
Double Bogey | You took two more strokes than the par for the hole |
Triple Bogey | You took three more strokes than the par for a hole. |
The only other rules to really watch out for as a beginner is mandatories, or mandos.
A mando is something you must do on a hole or face a penalty stroke being added to your score. These often include throwing around obstacles a certain direction. They should be clearly visible at the start of any hole on the hole information.
How many discs should a beginner have?
Discs are the most important thing you’ll need to get hold of as a beginner. Without a disc, you can’t play disc golf!
Typically for a beginner I would recommend getting 3 discs. Different discs all have different flight properties and are designed to help you out with different parts of a hole.
For example a putter disc is much more rounded at the edges than the mid range and driver discs. This means they don’t slice through the air as well as the later, but their shape means that they tend to fly straighter making them easier to putt with when you need that accuracy.
Since there are so many different types of disc out there on the market I recommend buying a beginner starter set, these sets will have 3 discs in which will be enough to get you playing! If you find that you don’t get on with the weight or another aspect of a specific disc then over time when you work out what you want you can start swapping out your starter discs for one more suited to you.
Innova are one of the big brands in disc golf and this set to help you get started playing disc golf is the one I first brought and I can’t recommend it enough:
Innova Disc Golf Set – Perfect for beginners!
This set of three discs is perfect for beginners and will set you up with a great quality putter, mid-range and driver disc. Perfect if you want to get out there and try disc golf!
What Basket do I need to play disc golf?
To start playing disc golf you’ll need to get hold of a basket. A basket plays the same role as the hole in golf. You’re trying to get your disc into the basket in as few strokes as possible.
If you’ve never seen one before they can look a little funny, they consist of a pile in the ground with a basket about half way up and then a series of chains hanging in the top half.
It’s the basket about half way up where you want your disc to finish up and the chains are there to help you. If you strike the chains your disc will hopefully just drop into the basket below as the chains absorb all the power from your disc.
Here’s what as basket looks like:

If you’re new to the sport you have a few options, you can either buy your own basket, or go to a course and play.
I would recommend buying your own basket if you aren’t going to be going to a course much over using a bin or something in its place because the chains on the basket will give you a bigger target to aim at and be much more forgiving than trying to aim into something smaller.
This is one of my favourite baskets on the market, it’s at the cheaper end of the price spectrum, matches the sizes you’ll find on a real course and seems very sturdy – the only thing I would recommend is getting a plastic bag to put over the top of it when you aren’t using it. As it’s made of metal it will start to rust over time if you don’t bring it inside or cover it over when not using it.
MVP Black Hole Pro
The MVP black hole pro is a fantastic basket which will set you up perfectly for play in your own back garden or at your local park. The basket is regulation size and at the budget end of the scale.
How long is a disc golf hole?
Typically disc golf holes will be around 200-400ft from the tee area to the basket, don’t be too alarmed if that sounds like a long way to you.
If you’ve never thrown a driver disc before you might be taken a back about how far it can travel, beginners can easily throw a driver disc 200ft with pros regularly hitting 400ft for a single throw!
Just remember to keep an eye on your disc after you’ve thrown it if you’re near trees or water as you don’t want to lose your disc
How can I find a disc golf course near me?
New disc golf courses are popping up all the time around the country. The easiest way to find your local course is to visit the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) website where they have an interactive map you can use to find registered courses.
You’re now ready to head out and play disc golf, happy throwing!