For those who enjoy being outside and throwing a plate of Frisbee, Saturday might be the perfect excuse to get out on the golf course—it’s National Disc Golf Day!
This day is celebrated in August to honor the American Flying Disc Open, the first nationwide event for golf enthusiasts that took place on August 4-5, 1974.
National Disc Golf Day was created in 2016 by Minnesota Professional Disc Golf Association coordinator Jason Wilder and Sarah Nicholson, co-founder of Throw Pink, a non-profit organization that hosts golf events nationwide with the goal of encouraging women and girls to become more physically active during providing support. The fight to eradicate breast cancer.
Golf is played like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website.
The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the goal of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes or, in the case of disc golf, the fewest pitches. A disc is thrown from the tee area into the hole, which is usually a raised metal basket.
Whether you’re a veteran who’s played the game hundreds of times or someone interested in trying it out for the first time, here are six disc golf courses across the greater Columbus area for you to try.
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Brent Humbrick Memorial Disk Golf Course
Located within Hoover Reservoir Park at 4151 Central College Road, Brent Hambrick Memorial is a 27-hole free full-length championship course with a mixture of wooded and open areas. Westerville Stadium features large concrete litter trays with double spots and jerseys on multiple holes, according to the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
blendon woods disc golf course
Located within Blendon Woods Metro Park at 4265 E. Dublin Granville Road, Westerville disc golf course was installed in 1985 after moving from Highbanks Metro Park, according to the course website. Suitable for beginners and advanced players alike, the free course has 18 holes, with several concrete tee pads, fancy tee markers and a large warm-up area with three baskets.
The golf course at Ohio State University
Located on the Ohio State University campus at 1992 Kenny Road, the 1,518-yard free course includes 18 holes. The OSU course is more suitable for intermediate players, according to Experience Columbus.
Disks are available to check out at Fred Beekman Park (2200 Carmack Road), Jesse Owens Tennis Center West (1031 Carmack Road) and Adventure Recreation Center (855 Woody Hayes Drive), according to the Ohio State website.
Griggs Reservoir Disc Golf Course
The free 18-hole course is located in West Columbus near Upper Arlington at 2933 Riverside Drive. Located in a wooded area, the course features large concrete platforms and views of the Scioto River on holes 8, 17 and 18, according to Columbus Recreation and Parks.
For those in need of equipment, there are stores nearby: Disc Golf Mart (1971 Riverside Drive) and Frank Marathon (3116 Riverside Drive).
Veterans Memorial Golf Course
The Veterans Memorial Disc golf course is located within Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park at 3800 Veterans Memorial Drive in Hilliard. Renovated in 2020, the original nine-hole course has expanded to 18 holes and features a mix of open, wood and water holes. There is no cost to play the course.
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Glacier Ridge Metro Park
For those who don’t mind driving to Plain City, Glacier Ridge Metro Park has its own free golf course. The 6,000-foot course, located at 9801 Hyland-Croy Road, has 18 holes, including six in the woods and 12 in mostly open fields. The course is open year-round and has a mix of short and long tees, with many holes over 400 feet in height, according to the park’s website.
ThisWeek reporter A. Kevin Corfu in this report.
Micah Walker is a popular Dispatch reporter. You can reach her at mwalker@dispatch.com or 740-251-7199. Follow her on Twitter @micah_walker701.