Randi Gingerich
Published: March 30 2005
A Frisbee golf course is being built on Milton campus. The sport made its PJC debut at this year’s lumberjack festival. Two catching apparatuses (holes) were set up at the event to give students a taste of the game.
“It’s a sport that’s been around for 30 years but is now getting to Northwest Florida. We really think it’ll be a great addition to the campus and the community,” Nik McCue, educational media coordinator, said.
The University of Florida campus, with PJC Milton, is building the course.
“It’s a joint effort between PJC and UF. Basically, we’re using PJC land, and the PJC foundation is financing the operation. UF is driving the installation,” McCue said. “We’re able to use research equipment and academic programs to apply them in course installation.”
“It should be about 27 holes total, and we plan to have it open in May,” Logan Fink, professor of biology, said. “There will be two courses players can play as one, but one is much more difficult, with changing elevation.”
The nine-hole course is scheduled to be ready in May, but the 18-hole course won’t be installed until the summer. The course will be open to the public as well as to students. Tournaments and events will be well publicized. The course will be free to use.
Disc golf is growing in popularity because it appeals to people of all ages and genders. In addition to the United States, disc golf courses can be found internationally, including Canada, Japan, Germany, and Taiwan.
Disc golf is much the same as golf. Instead of using a ball and clubs, players throw flying discs (Frisbees).
The player must throw the Frisbee into a metal device which serves as the hole. Like golf, the object is to make it through the course with the lowest score. Each throw is made from the spot where the disc landed previously. Scoring is calculated by counting the number of throws and penalty throws at each hole.
According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf courses are normally 18 holes in length, but there are also nine-hole, 22-hole, 24-hole and 27-hole courses in existence.
Another similarity to golf is that the courtesy rules expected of players. One may not distract other players, litter, or interfere with other players. These rules also dictate that players keep score properly, refrain from throwing until it is safe to do so, and help other players locate lost discs.
Order of teeing on the first hole is dictated by the order of the players’ names on the scorecard. At each hole after the first, the player with the lowest score tees first, and the rest continue in the order of lowest to highest score. In the event of a tie, refer to the previous score on the scorecard.
“It’s an interpretative disc golf course. The course can be used to study vegetation and animals in the area. Dr. Brewer, a PJC professor and UF adjunct, takes his dendrology class outside often. They could put plaques identifying trees around the course. We can use programs we already have to make it educational and fun,” McCue said.
“I’m not too athletic, but I intend to play at least a round a week, and I’ll take on anyone who wants to challenge me,” Fink said. “It’ll be fun to get together with folks and walk the nature trail with a little competition involved with it.”
Anyone interested in providing a donation, volunteering to help create the course or who wants more information can contact Nik McCue at the UF/IFAS Milton Campus by phone (850) 983-5216 x.120 or by email at ngmccue@ufl.edu.