Photo Credit: DGPT

You see them out there on the course all of the time – people with fancy disc golf bags and a ton of discs, throwing like they were born to play the sport. Perhaps you’ve tuned in to disc golf coverage on YouTube and have seen the best of the best completely dominating a course and thought to yourself….

“I can’t do that.”

While there are a ton of incredibly talented people out there who make throwing 400 foot shots look like child’s play, it doesn’t mean that you have to possess this level of skill in order to play disc golf. In fact, some of the people who love disc golf the most aren’t even very good at it, but they simply enjoy the activity and community it provides.

If you’re asking yourself if you can play disc golf, this blog’s for you. That’s right – we’re talking specifically to you. No matter your age, level of athletic ability, occupation, or how much money you have, you can play disc golf. Don’t believe us? Keep reading.

Photo Credit: DGPT

A Sport For Everyone

Die-hard disc golfers will tell you that they love to play for a wide range of reasons: the sight of the disc in the air, the feeling you get when you execute a perfect shot, the community of people they get to play with, and more. Perhaps one of the best reasons to get involved in the sport, however, is for the sheer fact that it truly is all-inclusive.

Think about any other sport you’ve seen before – basketball, baseball, football, or soccer. How many of those players are over the age of 50 or 60? How many are children? Are any of the women pregnant? These might sound like odd questions because the answer is always “no,” however when you talk about disc golf, you could say “yes” to all of these factors! Disc golf can literally be played by everyone, and it’s one of the most attractive things about the game.

Photo Credit: DGPT

Physical Ability

You can argue that talented disc golfers are just athletically gifted and that you’ll never be that in shape or coordinated. If you’re expecting to go on tour and win without ever having played before then sure, you might be right. But going out on a Saturday afternoon to play a round or even competing in a local tournament doesn’t require any kind of specific physical qualifications whatsoever.

We’ve seen women who are 6 months pregnant on the tee box throwing drives and having fun! People who don’t exercise much love disc golf for its ability to be a low-impact and enjoyable activity that naturally helps you to lose weight. Think of it as a hike in the park while throwing a frisbee!

Even individuals who are in wheelchairs have played disc golf before, as the game simply requires you to be able to use one of your arms to throw. You don’t have to feel pressured to do a fancy run up like you see others doing – as long as you can get your disc out into the fairway and eventually into the basket, you’re good to go!

Photo Credit: DGPT

Age Is Only A Number

Unlike other sports that cater to individuals who are between the ages of 16 and 35 (give or take a few years), you can play disc golf no matter how young or old you are. There’s a huge push to involve more children in the sport, with tournaments and clubs dedicated to kids only. In fact, DUDE Ambassadors Dustin Keegan and Zoe Andyke even run a nonprofit called UPlayDiscGolf that offers curriculum and training to school-aged kids and gets them excited about playing!

On the opposite end of the spectrum, disc golf is an easy enough sport that people can play well into their 60’s, 70’s, and even 80’s. In fact, the PDGA even designates age protected divisions that encourage people in later stages of life to compete in tournaments without having to worry about playing against the young guns.

If your parents or grandparents love going for a walk around the block each day, they’d be perfect candidates for disc golf. They don’t have to throw hard or far, and playing a round of 18 holes is really not much different than their daily strolls.

Photo Credit: DGPT

More Affordable Than Ever

Many sports out there often include a high barrier to entry, requiring that you pay club fees, buy expensive equipment, and travel to far away destinations for competitions. While more traditional sports can sometimes be unaffordable for some, disc golf is just the opposite.

If you completely fall in love with the sport and want to spend money on a nice bag and compile a deep selection of discs, that’s totally up to you. Yet for your very first time out there, all you need is two or three discs at the most. A putter is essential, and you could use a midrange type of disc for your other shots, or may choose to add a third disc to your collection called a fairway driver.

Disc golfers are known for being generous, and if you’re going out for the first time with a friend or family member, there’s a good chance they may just gift you the discs that you’ll need to play. Courses are typically free, although in some parts of the US you do have to pay to play. Even so, it’s often no more than $5 or $10.

Whether you’re a starving college student who doesn’t have much money to spare or you’re retired and are on a very fixed income, you can play disc golf. If your job is demanding and you only have one day off per week, you can guarantee that there’s a course available for you to play on during that one day.

Disc golf is intended to be a fun activity that keeps you moving, not a competitive sport that forces you to “be good” or else you have no right to be there. The next time you drive by a disc golf course or talk with a friend that likes to play, stop and ask yourself what’s really holding you back from playing. We promise you, literally everyone can play disc golf – including you!