Course Development

The PDGA wants to help you in your efforts to design and implement new courses. Here are some resources that will assist you with the process.

Weave Your Way on the Web - Dr. John G. Duesler, Jr

Benefits of Disc Golf - Jason Siniscalchi

Disc Golf Course Design Standards - PDGA

Course Design Guidelines for PDGA Skill Levels & Divisions

Suggested PDGA Par Guidelines

Acreage Guidelines for New Courses

Sample Course Proposal - San Francisco Disc Golf Club

Sample Fact Sheet - San Francisco Disc Golf Club

Sample Pledge Form - San Francisco Disc Golf Club

Sample Course Proposal

Download in Microsoft Word Format

The San Francisco Disc Golf Club submitted the following proposal for a disc golf course in Mc Laren Park to the City of San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreation. Reproduction of this document in whole, or in part, for the purpose of proposing the installation of a course or educating community members is not only condoned, but encouraged. We believe that by leveraging our communal knowledge, and by not re-inventing the wheel every time we set out to accomplish a task, we can help disc golf to grow at a greater, and more intelligently executed rate.

1. DESCRIBE YOUR PROJECT: (Attach sketches, plans, photos as needed)

The San Francisco Disc Golf Club is proposing the installation of an 27-hole disc golf course in John McLaren Park. Total cost of the project is estimated at $27,571.

Rationale:

There are now more than 600 Disc Golf courses in the United States and Canada, nearly all installed by city and county parks departments (see Annex II for testimonials by parks and recreation staff and a list of major U.S. cities with disc golf courses). They have found that there are few recreational activities that offer the high benefit-to-cost ratio of disc golf. Disc golf has low capital and maintenance costs, is environmentally sound, is played year-round in all climates and is enjoyed immediately even by beginners of all ages.

The installation of a disc golf course would be consistent with the stated goals of the recently revised master plan for McLaren Park, one of which is to "add major attractions to increase park use." Disc golf is also in perfect keeping with the plan's call for the development and improvement of recreational facilities that "emphasize the natural attributes and sweeping views of the City" and that "meet diversified recreational needs and offer opportunities not available elsewhere in the City."

What Is Disc Golf?

Disc Golf is played much like traditional golf, only instead of hitting a ball into a hole you throw a disc (similar to a frisbee) into an elevated metal basket. The goal is the same: to complete the course in the fewest number of shots. A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a basket, which is the "hole". As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the "putt" lands in the basket and the hole is completed.

Who Can Play?

The simple answer is that everyone can. In studies measuring participation in recreational activities, "throwing a Frisbee" has consistently been a top-ten activity. A disc golf course serves a broader portion of the community than many narrower interest activities with higher cost, skill or fitness levels required to even begin to play. Men and women, young and old, families with small children -- all can play disc golf. Because disc golf is so easy to understand and enjoy, no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities and proceed from there.

How Much Does It Cost To Play?

Since most courses are located in city or regional parks there is no charge to play. The equipment itself is quite inexpensive -- golf discs sell for around $8 and only one is needed.

What Kind of Construction Would Be Needed At McLaren?

Unlike traditional golf, a disc golf course does not require that trees be cut down, fairways mowed and watered, plants uprooted or non-native species planted. Rather, the course fits into the existing flora of the park. The installation of a 27-hole disc golf course at McLaren would involve the construction of tees and the installation of signs and baskets.

Tees: Each hole would have two tees, a short one for novice players and a longer one for advanced players. The novice tees would be made of concrete, the advanced tees would either be grass or gravel. On a few of the proposed holes, existing asphalt pathways could be marked with paint and used for tees. On the rest, concrete tees 4" thick measuring approximately 4' x10' would be built flush with the ground. We estimate that a maximum of 27 tees of this size would be required.

Baskets: Each hole would have a Mach III Disc Pole Hole target with a locking collar which would be set in a cement hole measuring approximately 8" in diameter and 18-24" deep (technical specifications for the installation of tees and baskets can be found in Annex IV). In addition, each hole would have 1-2 additional collars so that the basket could be moved to those locations periodically to avoid soil compacting and erosion. We estimate that approximately 80 holes would need to be dug.

Signs: Tee signs are very important to help the first time user find his or her way through the course. Each hole would have a sign indicating the hole number, length, recommended flight path and par. In addition, a rules sign and information board near the first hole are strongly recommended. The signs can be constructed with a variety of materials although we believe it would be preferable to construct signs with a natural appearance to fit in with the surrounding area.

What Would be the Maintenance Needs of a Disc Golf Course at McLaren?

After installation, the maintenance needs for a disc golf course would be minimal. The targets are made of welded steel anchored in concrete and need no regular maintenance. In the unlikely event that one of the targets is damaged beyond repair or stolen, they can be replaced for around $350. Much of the area of the proposed course is underutilized and not highly maintained. Under the proper supervision of the McLaren Park staff, SF Disc Golf Club volunteers would be eager to undertake an initial clean up of these areas and then maintain them as trash-free zones. With 2-3 pin placements per hole, wear and tear on any one area is avoided. Players' walking pathways may need occasional maintenance to prevent erosion and soil compacting which Club volunteers would also be willing to do under proper supervision.

How Much Land Would Be Needed?

A 27-hole course would cover approximately 27-35 acres, depending on design. A significant advantage of disc golf is its ability to utilize areas that are not very desirable or usable for other activities such as dense woods, rocky areas and slopes. In addition, a disc golf course need not be an exclusive use area -- it can co-exist amicably with other active and passive recreation uses such as hiking, dog-walking, etc. Finally, the relative portability of baskets and signs would allow the park department to inexpensively relocate the course to another site as the needs of the master plan dictate.

2. HOW DOES THE PROJECT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY: (Discuss demographics, safety, conservation, economics, etc.)

The installation of a disc golf course in McLaren Park would benefit the surrounding community by increasing and enhancing recreational opportunities, park safety and conservation goals.

Recreational Needs: A disc golf course would provide an inexpensive form of recreation for people of all age and skill levels and be a much needed addition to the recreational facilities at McLaren Park. In 1996, frisbee skills, and in particular disc golf, were incorporated into the San Francisco Unified School District's athletic curriculum. Unfortunately, there is currently no disc golf course in San Francisco at which physical education staff can teach basic disc golf skills. Given the high density of middle and high schools in the immediate vicinity of the park, the installation of a disc golf course would provide an important recreational resource for the schools surrounding the park, as well as for the wider community. A disc golf course would give youth in the neighborhood a healthy and challenging outlet for their energies and would allow members of the San Francisco Disc Golf Club to organize clinics and youth leagues on their behalf. For the growing number of disc golfers in San Francisco, the presence of a disc golf course in the city limits would obviate the need to travel to play and would give them a base from which to further promote the sport.

The San Francisco Disc Golf Club, in response to a request by the San Francisco Unified School District's Athletic Curriculum Department, conducted a very successful city-wide training for PE instructors at McLaren on October 8^th. It will also be holding clinics in the local schools over the course of the next year (clinics at Visitacion Valley and Luther Burbank middle schools and Burton and Bridgemont high schools are being arranged). Support from the schools surrounding the park is strong, as the letters in Annex I attest. In addition, the new Recreation Director at McLaren has expressed his strong support for the course and offered to work with club members to design and implement programs for neighborhood youth including leagues and clinics.

Ross Hammond of the San Francisco Disc Golf Club (SFDGC) has offered to be the volunteer "course pro" for the McLaren Park course. In this capacity, he would work with Park staff and local players to run leagues, clinics and tournaments and secure any necessary permits for these activities. These activities would be self-funding and so would require no new park funds. However, SFDGC members would be glad to train park recreational staff and other volunteers to take over and expand programs as demand increases.

Although San Francisco has never had a permanent disc golf course, it has played host to many important tournaments over the years and is the home to some of the country's best disc golfers including the number two woman in the world.

Safety: A disc golf course at McLaren would increase foot traffic in the Park at random times during the day and steadily during evenings and weekends. The influx of purposeful visitors would discourage the presence of individuals who are only in the park to cause mischief and perhaps engage in crime. Areas that are infrequently used and considered unsafe would be "opened-up" by the course. As many of the attached letters from different Recreations Departments show (Annex II), the installation of a disc golf course has led to significant decreases in vandalism and litter as users have a stake in keeping the course and surrounding area clean and well-kept.

Conservation: Disc golf is an uniquely environment-friendly sport. Unlike traditional golf, a disc golf course does not require that trees be cut down, fairways mowed and watered, plants uprooted or non-native species planted. Rather, the course fits into the existing flora of the park. The impact of a disc golf course on the surrounding area is minimal. Each hole would have multiple pin placements, ensuring that no one area gets constant foot traffic (this has the added benefit of providing new challenges to players). In addition, disc golfers as a group tend to take great pride in where they play, guaranteeing that the area taken up by the disc golf course would be litter free. In the long-term, a disc golf course would also help in the preservation of the park by giving young people in the neighborhood a stake in its preservation and protection.

Economics: A deluxe 27-hole disc golf course with two sets of tees, professional signs and baskets can be purchased and installed for under $28,000, less than the cost of a single tennis or basketball court. A 27-hole course can accommodate 108 people at a time, as compared to a tennis court (4 maximum) or basketball court (10 maximum).

3. IDENTIFY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PROJECT: (Evidence of additional funding, neighborhood involvement, public meetings, general consensus in the community, etc. Include a mailing list of supporters, community organizations). For proposed acquisition projects, please provide name(s) and address(es) of all affected property owners.

Additional Funding:

As of October 9^th, 1997 Club members have managed to raise $4,483 in pledges of cash and in-kind contributions from local players and the manufacturer of the disc golf baskets (over 100 discs have also been pledged for an opening ceremony and/or youth activities). This leaves a funding gap of $23,088 which we hope to fill with resources from the Open Space and Park Renovation Program and the 1987 Bond Fund.

Public Meetings and Support:

Members of the SF Disc Golf Club met with the Friends of McLaren Park on September 20^th and have been invited to give a presentation at an October 29^th community meeting hosted by Friends of McLaren Park, San Francisco Safe and Neighborhood Safety Partnership. They have also spoken to the following people who have pledged to support their effort to get a disc golf course installed in John McLaren Park:

The San Francisco Disc Golf Club was formed in early 1997 to promote disc golf as an environmentally and socially beneficial sport that is challenging and rewarding for people of all ages and backgrounds and that can co-exist amicably with other recreational activities in the city's parks. It currently has over 100 members.

ANNEXES

1. Letters of Support
2. Testimonials from Parks Departments and Partial List of U.S. Cities With Disc Golf Courses
3. Newspaper and magazine clippings
4. Technical Specifications for Baskets and Installation of Tees, Baskets and Signs
5. Disc Golf Recreation Study & Other Miscellaneous Materials
6. Budget

ANNEX II

PARTIAL LIST OF MAJOR U.S. CITIES WITH DISC GOLF COURSES