By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – If you haven’t heard of “frolfing,” you’re not alone.
Otherwise known as disc golfing, it takes some skill, coordination and most importantly, a desire to have fun.
Dating back to the early 1900s, disc golfing is a sport played using rules similar to golf and often played on a course of nine or 18 holes.
Players complete a hole by throwing a Frisbee-like disc from a tee area toward a target, throwing again from the landing position of the disc until the target is reached.
Usually, the number of throws a player uses to reach each target is tallied (often in relation to par like golf) and players seek to complete each hole, and the course, in the lowest number of total throws.
In 2018, it was estimated that disc golf was played in 40 countries.
There are over 115,000 active members of the Professional Disc Golf Association worldwide.
I started playing just a few years ago, and it’s really a fun sport.
You’d be surprised at how much fun it is, and it’s a great workout as well.
Like golf, it can be very frustrating, but that’s also part of the fun.
A group of friends can have a lot of laughs when a shot bounces off a tree and goes into the thick brush or water.
I’d consider myself an average player. Once in a while, I can get a good shot, but those are few and far between.
There is a lot of technique involved in throwing. I’d suggest you watch some YouTube videos to get yourself up to speed.
It would take me a whole article to discuss the different type of discs. Again, I’d suggest looking online or going to a reputable place in town that knows what they’re talking about.
The great part about disc golf is the majority of the courses are free. Unlike real golf, I have yet to pay to disc golf.
The initial set-up cost is way less expensive as well. All you need is a few discs, and you’re ready to go.
I didn’t realize how many courses were in the Green Bay area until I began to play.
Pamperin Park in Howard has a beautiful – but very challenging – 18-hole course on the west side of Duck Creek.
You will find trees, water and more trees.
Some of the holes are so demanding that if you can make it through without hitting a tree, it would be considered a miracle.
My other favorite course to play is at the Triangle Sports Area (Baird’s Creek) on the east side of town.
Like Pamperin, it’s demanding but also a ton of fun.
Other area courses include Perkins Park (Green Bay), Legion (De Pere), Pinecrest (Howard), UWGB and Dier Straits (Allouez).
The easiest of the group is probably the courses at UWGB and Legion.
If you venture a little further away, Plamann (Appleton), Silver Creek (Manitowoc), Winter Park (Kewaunee), Grignon (Kaukauna) and Sugar Creek (Brussels) have outstanding courses.
Young or old, you can always find a good time and get some quality exercise by disc golfing – give it a try.