Give disc golf a shot once lockdown is over
KYALAMI – Inanda Country Base has a championship level 18-hole disc golf course you can try your hand at.
While the great outdoors is not currently accessible, one sport you can consider taking up when the lockdown is over is disc golf.
The sport was launched at Inanda Country Base in Kyalami two years back and the venue has a championship level 18-hole, par 60 course and a beginners course.
Disc golf is one of the world’s fastest growing outdoor sports.
It is played largely the same way as traditional ‘ball’ golf, but instead of clubs and golf balls, disc golf uses special high-speed discs thrown by hand like a frisbee, albeit with a different technique.
Instead of a hole in the ground, the target in disc golf is a metal basket with chains. When one throws the disc into the chains, the disc drops into the basket. The lower the number of throws from tee into the basket, the better.
Most courses are either nine or 18 holes.
Disc Golf South Africa chairperson, Bart Meulenbeld explained that the discs used for the sport were different from frisbees in that they were designed to be thrown fast (on average 80 to 120km/h) and far, and are not suitable for catching.
“Most amateur players will throw on average between 75 to 120m with a distance driver, while professionals will routinely throw 150m or more,” he said.
“There is a wide variety of discs. There are also different types of plastic and different plastic molds, which all influence how the disc will fly.”
Meulenbeld said many disc golfers have set up a target of sorts in their garden to practise putting.
“This may be a mobile version of a basket, but can really be any target – a tree with painted lines works great.”
To practise long-distance throwing, an open field or park of sorts will be required.The sport has some advantages over other sports, namely a low environmental impact (some game rules declare a penalty shot for littering and there is course maintenance as part of the challenge playing around nature).
It is also low cost to the player as even one disc will suffice.
“The sport can be played by all ages. While physical power is important at the highest echelons of the game, technique is the most important factor in determining success in disc golf.”
Meulenbeld invited anyone interested in playing the game to join them at Inanda Country Base once the lockdown is over.
Details: To find out more about the sport or to buy tickets for the Inanda Country Base’s championship and beginners courses, contact Bart Meulenbeld at discgolfsouthafrica@gmail.com
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