Black Wolf Bay Disc Golf Association
Complete Disc Golf Resource

The Game. Explained.

Rules, disc types, throwing technique, course guides, gear info — everything you need to understand disc golf. Free. No fluff.

How to Play Disc Types Rules & Scoring Throwing Technique Glossary Gear Guide
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Overview

What Is Disc Golf?

Have you found yourself thinking of throwing a disc around and maybe saw something about disc golf? Its a wonderful sport that many people play every year and find enjoyment not only from the outdoors but the game as well. And its a game you and your significant other or the whole family can enjoy. But like anything else there are rules you need to follow by to enjoy the game.

Disc golf is played exactly like traditional golf — but instead of a ball and clubs, you use a flying disc. Each hole on a course has a tee pad and a target: a metal basket mounted on a pole. Players throw from the tee and work the disc down the fairway into the basket in as few throws as possible. Lowest score wins.

Most courses are set in public parks and are completely free to play. The sport is governed worldwide by the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), which oversees official rules, course standards, and competitive ratings.

Rules & Scoring

How Scoring Works

Every throw counts as one stroke. Par is the expected strokes per hole — typically 3. One under is a birdie, two under is an eagle, one over is a bogey. Lowest total strokes at the end of 18 holes wins the round.

Full rules guide
Technique

Throwing Fundamentals

Three primary throws: the backhand, the forehand (sidearm), and the overhead. The backhand is where most players start — a reach-back motion with a wrist snap at release that generates spin, speed, and distance.

Throwing guides
Courses

Finding a Course

Over 14,000 disc golf courses are spread across the United States — the vast majority free to play. The PDGA course directory and UDisc app let you search by location, hole count, and difficulty rating.

PDGA course directory
Equipment

What You Actually Need

One disc. That's it. A mid-range is the right choice for beginners — slower and more predictable than a driver, more versatile than a putter. Most beginner discs run $10–$15 at any sporting goods store.

Beginner gear guide
Equipment

The Four Types of Discs

Distance Driver

Distance Drivers

Built for maximum distance off the tee. A sharp, beveled edge and high speed rating means these discs require real arm speed to fly correctly. Beginners who throw a distance driver will usually see it turn over and crash — hold off on these until your form is dialed in.

Speed 9–14  ·  Innova Destroyer · Discraft Zeus · Dynamic Discs Raider
Fairway Driver

Fairway Drivers

The middle ground between distance drivers and mid-ranges. Fairway drivers produce solid distance without the arm-speed demand of a distance driver. They're the right first driver for players ready to step up from a mid-range.

Speed 6–9  ·  Innova Leopard · Discraft Vulture · MVP Amp
Mid-Range

Mid-Range Discs

The most useful disc in any bag at any skill level. Mid-ranges fly slower, straighter, and far easier to control than any driver. Start here. Use it for approach shots, tight holes, and anywhere control beats raw distance.

Speed 4–6  ·  Discraft Buzzz · Innova Roc3 · Dynamic Discs Truth
Putter

Putters

Short-range basket attempts and close approach shots. A blunt, rounded edge gives putters a slow, predictable flight path. Many players also drive with putters on shorter holes where landing in the fairway matters more than distance.

Speed 1–4  ·  Innova Aviar · Discraft Luna · Dynamic Discs Judge
Reference

Disc Golf Knowledge Index

Flight Physics

How Flight Numbers Work

Every disc carries four flight numbers — Speed, Glide, Turn, Fade — that tell you how it will behave before you throw it.

Technique

The Backhand Throw

The most common throw in disc golf. Reach back, rotate your hips and shoulders, snap the wrist at release. Most players develop this first.

Technique

The Forehand (Sidearm)

Two-finger grip, releases from the side. Useful for anhyzer lines and holes where a backhand approach doesn't fit the obstacle layout.

Shot Angles

Hyzer vs. Anhyzer

Hyzer: disc tilts away from you at release (edge down). Anhyzer: tilts toward you. Each angle creates a completely different flight arc.

Shot Types

The Hyzer Flip

An understable disc on a hyzer angle that flips to flat mid-flight — producing a long, straight S-curve. Controlled disc physics in action.

Equipment

Overstable vs. Understable

Overstable discs resist turn and fade left at flight's end (RHBH). Understable discs curve right early. Stability determines how and when to throw each disc.

Rules

Out of Bounds

Landing OB costs one stroke penalty. Play resumes from a designated drop zone or the last point the disc was in bounds.

Rules

Mandatories

Course-defined gates the disc must pass through. Missing a mandatory means a penalty stroke and replaying from a designated area.

Competition

PDGA Player Ratings

The PDGA rates each sanctioned round. Your performance vs. the course rating adjusts your official player rating used in competitive divisions.

Step by Step

How to Play Your First Round

Find a Course

Use the PDGA course directory or the UDisc app to find a free course near you. Most public park courses have 9 or 18 holes with tee signs and on-site scorecards. Expect your first round to take about 90 minutes.

Get One Disc

A mid-range disc is all you need. The Discraft Buzzz or Innova Roc are the standard starting points — under $15 at any sporting goods store. Do not buy a driver first. You won't be able to throw it correctly.

Learn the Backhand

Four fingers curled under the rim, thumb on top. Reach back, rotate hips and shoulders, snap the disc forward at chest height. Practice the motion without worrying about power or distance first.

Keep Score

Count every throw from the tee until the disc is in the basket. Play ready golf — throw when it's safe rather than waiting on strict honor order. Your score will drop noticeably in the first three or four rounds.