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Disc golf in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disc golf in the United States
Putting at the Ellsworth Air Force Base disc golf course in South Dakota
Governing bodyPDGA
Registered players53,669 (December 2020)[1]
National competitions

Disc golf is a popular sport in the United States played at the recreational, club, and international competition levels.

Popularity

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In 2018, the PDGA counted 36,993 active members, 6,316 courses, and 3,068 disc golf tournaments in the United States. In 2021, PDGA counted over 50,000 active members and 9,454 courses.[2]

Courses

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The world's first permanent disc golf course went into the ground in 1975 at Oak Grove Park in Los Angeles County, California.[3]

Approximately 75% of the world's disc golf courses are located in the United States. Some of the most notable ones include DeLaveaga, Maple Hill, Blue Ribbon Pines, Brewster Ridge, Diamond X, and Milo McIver.[4] Iowa, Kansas, and the Dakotas have the most courses per capita, whereas Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Delaware have the most courses per square mile of dry land. Texas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have the most courses overall.[5]

As of February 2020, there are 7,379 known disc golf courses in the United States on the official PDGA Course Directory.[6] Below is a listing of lists of disc golf courses in the United States by state and territory. 3,281 of them (49%) are full-size courses with 18 holes or more, and 3,093 of them (46%) are smaller courses that feature at least 9 holes.

State or territory Courses as % of U.S. courses per capita (/1M) per 10,000 km2 of dry land
 Alabama 111 1.5% 1.5
 
22.1 22.1
 
8.5 8.5
 
 Alaska 37 0.5% 0.5
 
50.5 50.5
 
0.3 0.3
 
 Arizona 71 1% 1
 
9.9 9.9
 
2.4 2.4
 
 Arkansas 112 1.5% 1.5
 
37.2 37.2
 
8.3 8.3
 
 California 321 4.4% 4.4
 
8.1 8.1
 
8 8
 
 Colorado 198 2.7% 2.7
 
34.3 34.3
 
7.4 7.4
 
 Connecticut 31 0.4% 0.4
 
8.6 8.6
 
24.7 24.7
 
 Delaware 12 0.2% 0.2
 
12.1 12.1
 
23.8 23.8
 
 Florida 168 2.3% 2.3
 
7.8 7.8
 
12.1 12.1
 
 Georgia 131 1.8% 1.8
 
12.2 12.2
 
8.8 8.8
 
 Hawaii 14 0.2% 0.2
 
9.6 9.6
 
8.4 8.4
 
 Idaho 96 1.3% 1.3
 
52.2 52.2
 
4.5 4.5
 
 Illinois 277 3.8% 3.8
 
21.6 21.6
 
19.3 19.3
 
 Indiana 172 2.3% 2.3
 
25.3 25.3
 
18.5 18.5
 
 Iowa 288 3.9% 3.9
 
90.3 90.3
 
19.9 19.9
 
 Kansas 254 3.4% 3.4
 
86.5 86.5
 
12 12
 
 Kentucky 111 1.5% 1.5
 
24.6 24.6
 
10.9 10.9
 
 Louisiana 57 0.8% 0.8
 
12.2 12.2
 
5.1 5.1
 
 Maine 70 0.9% 0.9
 
51.4 51.4
 
8.8 8.8
 
 Maryland 46 0.6% 0.6
 
7.4 7.4
 
18.3 18.3
 
 Massachusetts 57 0.8% 0.8
 
8.1 8.1
 
28.2 28.2
 
 Michigan 298 4% 4
 
29.6 29.6
 
20.4 20.4
 
 Minnesota 329 4.5% 4.5
 
57.7 57.7
 
16 16
 
 Mississippi 95 1.3% 1.3
 
32.1 32.1
 
7.8 7.8
 
 Missouri 176 2.4% 2.4
 
28.6 28.6
 
9.9 9.9
 
 Montana 59 0.8% 0.8
 
54.4 54.4
 
1.6 1.6
 
 Nebraska 107 1.5% 1.5
 
54.5 54.5
 
5.4 5.4
 
 Nevada 35 0.5% 0.5
 
11.3 11.3
 
1.2 1.2
 
 New Hampshire 32 0.4% 0.4
 
23.2 23.2
 
13.8 13.8
 
 New Jersey 38 0.5% 0.5
 
4.1 4.1
 
20 20
 
 New Mexico 50 0.7% 0.7
 
23.6 23.6
 
1.6 1.6
 
 New York 130 1.8% 1.8
 
6.4 6.4
 
10.7 10.7
 
 North Carolina 263 3.6% 3.6
 
25.2 25.2
 
20.9 20.9
 
 North Dakota 59 0.8% 0.8
 
75.7 75.7
 
3.3 3.3
 
 Ohio 264 3.6% 3.6
 
22.4 22.4
 
24.9 24.9
 
 Oklahoma 160 2.2% 2.2
 
40.4 40.4
 
9 9
 
 Oregon 134 1.8% 1.8
 
31.6 31.6
 
5.4 5.4
 
 Pennsylvania 195 2.6% 2.6
 
15 15
 
16.8 16.8
 
 Rhode Island 4 0.1% 0.1
 
3.6 3.6
 
14.9 14.9
 
 South Carolina 113 1.5% 1.5
 
22.1 22.1
 
14.5 14.5
 
 South Dakota 76 1% 1
 
85.7 85.7
 
3.9 3.9
 
 Tennessee 149 2% 2
 
21.6 21.6
 
14 14
 
 Texas 448 6.1% 6.1
 
15.4 15.4
 
6.6 6.6
 
 Utah 79 1.1% 1.1
 
24.1 24.1
 
3.7 3.7
 
 Vermont 42 0.6% 0.6
 
65.3 65.3
 
17.6 17.6
 
 Virginia 129 1.7% 1.7
 
14.9 14.9
 
12.6 12.6
 
 Washington 128 1.7% 1.7
 
16.6 16.6
 
7.4 7.4
 
 West Virginia 66 0.9% 0.9
 
36.8 36.8
 
10.6 10.6
 
 Wisconsin 344 4.7% 4.7
 
58.4 58.4
 
24.5 24.5
 
 Wyoming 40 0.5% 0.5
 
69.3 69.3
 
1.6 1.6
 

Organizations

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California

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Colorado

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  • Mile High Disc Golf Club – Arvada

Louisiana

  • Shreveport-Bossier City Disc Golf Union (SBDGU) – Shreveport

Minnesota

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  • Minnesota Frisbee Association (MFA) – Minneapolis
  • Mankato Area Disc Golfers United (MADGU) – Mankato
  • Rochester Area Disc Golf Association (RADGA) – Rochester

North Carolina

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Pennsylvania

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  • Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society (PFDS) – Pittsburgh

South Carolina

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Texas

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Manufacturers

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  • Innova – Largest brand, makes the most amount of molds
  • Discraft – Most popular brand, sponsors a legion of top pros
  • Trilogy Discs:
    • Dynamic Discs – The largest of the four brands in Trilogy, based in America
    • Latitude 64 – Based in Europe
    • Westside Discs – Based in America
    • Kastaplast – Based in Europe
  • Discmania – Offshoot of Innova, created their own brand
  • MVP Discs (+ Axiom Discs and Streamline Discs) – Most popular disc golf company due to the attraction of James Conrad's "Holy Shot" to win the 2021 World Championship in Ogden, Utah, the signing of charismatic YouTube personality Simon Lizotte in 2023, and elite pro Eagle McMahon in 2024

Mass Media

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Magazines

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Notable disc golf magazines published in the United States include DiscGolfer, the official publication of the Professional Disc Golf Association, as well as Chasin' the Chains Magazine and Physics of Flight Magazine, both by Dynamic Discs.[7][8]

Podcasts

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Notable disc golf podcasts recorded in the United States include PDGA Radio,[9] Ultiworld Disc Golf's The Upshot,[10] Showmez,[11] and Disc Golf Answer Man, co-hosted by Eric McCabe.[12]

Streaming

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  • Disc Golf Network – 6,500 subscribers and 4,000 concurrent viewers during the Disc Golf Pro Tour[13]

Competitions

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Notable American disc golfers

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "PDGA Player Search – United States". Professional Disc Golf Association. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "2018 PDGA Year-End Demographics" (PDF). Professional Disc Golf Association. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  3. ^ "Oak Grove (Hahamongna Park)". Disc Golf Scene. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  4. ^ "World's Best Disc Golf Courses: #1-#100". Release Point. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  5. ^ "Advanced Course Search – United States". Professional Disc Golf Association. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Disc Golf Courses in the United States". Professional Disc Golf Association. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  7. ^ "Chasin' the Chains Magazine | Dynamic Discs". www.dynamicdiscs.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  8. ^ "Physics of Flight Magazine | Dynamic Discs". www.dynamicdiscs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  9. ^ Hill, Steve (2018-02-20). "PDGA Radio Returns". Professional Disc Golf Association. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  10. ^ Charlie Eisenhood; Jamie Thomas. "Podcast Archives". Ultiworld Disc Golf. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  11. ^ "SHOWMEZ is a non-podcast not about Disc Golf". JomezPro. 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  12. ^ "About". Disc Golf Answer Man. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  13. ^ Johnny Discgolf (15 March 2020). "DGPT Update: Jeff Spring talks COVID-19, Brodie Smith, and the Disc Golf Network". YouTube. Retrieved 21 June 2020. Jeff Spring: [...] We got up to 4,000 concurrent viewers through the paywall, which is crazy. [...] I think we just hit 65 hundred subscribers [...]
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