2008 Woodie Awards
'Frolf' offers challenge of golf without the greens fees
Eli Andrews
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Disk golf is a great low-cost activity for all ages and ability levels.
Frisbee golf, or frolf, as it's often called, is like traditional golf except instead of hitting balls, you throw Frisbees to the hole. It's not really a hole but more like a big basket with chains dangling in the middle. The object is to get your Frisbee in the basket in the least amount of tries possible. My friends and I decided to go to Westchester Park, a beginner to intermediate course. It's classified as a par 3, which means that it's possible to make every hole in 3 tries or less. On this particular day we weren't keeping score, just enjoying the last bit of sunshine before it's gone.
As I approached the first hole, I stretched to warm up and wound up with my throwing hand for my initial toss. As I released my disk, I knew it was destined for the woods, but I kept my eyes on it to avoid losing it. After locating my disk, I threw my setup shot to get near the basket. Now I was within ten feet and able to make it directly in the "hole" with a quick decisive throw through some branches. No two holes are alike, so it's important to keep composed in case there's a bad throw. It's easy to recover from being down two, but after ten tries it's probably time to move on to the next hole.
Throughout the rest of the nine holes, disks were flung, birdies were made and bogeys were forgotten. All and all it was just an excuse to get off the couch and enjoy the fresh fall air. There are park hours, so be aware of when the parks close to avoid getting in trouble or worse, locked in. During June it's not uncommon to see a parking lot at 12 a.m. full of people playing disk golf with their friends.
Course etiquette is crucial to the longevity of these parks. If they start to get a bad rap, they could slowly go the way of the dinosaurs. As for now, park regulations are few and far between. There are a few ground rules, however:
-Don't walk around with open containers, even though you may see others doing so.
-If you decide to bring your dogs along, clean up after them and keep them leashed.
-If you see a big group, ask if you can play through. If you are with a big group, offer to let smaller groups to go ahead of you as a common courtesy.
There are several options that exist in Anchorage. Westchester Lagoon is Alaska's most popular disk golf course. Located in downtown it's a great course for beginners. At less than 4500 feet, this course is short and will test the skill of players, rather than how far they can chuck a disk. Par is 5-4. There are two sets of driving pads for each basket, which are marked with red flags or paint.
Kincaid Park is Alaska's first disk golf course. It's Anchorage's largest park, so be aware of the wildlife. Par is 5-4 for 18 holes. There is deep rough on many holes, so a spotter is necessary to avoid losing disks on longer holes.
There are more parks in and around Anchorage; find out more at www.alaskadiscgolf.com.
All you need to play disk golf is a Frisbee. Any will do, but if you want accuracy and distance, purchasing a specialty disk is advantageous. Play It Again Sports has a large selection with prices starting as low as $5 to upwards of $20. One disk is sufficient, but some players chose to have a variety of disks for different situations. A putter can be helpful for making short shots since they are heavier and travel more slowly. A midrange driver could be used for par 3 courses but isn't really necessary since you can just compensate by throwing the disk more softly. It's always a good idea to bring two, just in case you lose one in the woods.
So get out there with your friends, make some friendly wagers or just go for fun. No matter if you go by yourself or with a large posse, it's always a good time in the park. Just watch out for flying disks coming your direction, and if you hear someone yell "fore," hit the ground.