Disc Golf Course Installation: Course Design

All course designs should take into account several factors. These are:

Safety and Fairness –
Safety and fairness are the foundations of good course design. A well-designed course minimizes the risk for disc golfers and non-disc golfers alike. The good course designer routes the course away from potential dangers and creates fairways that reduce the likelihood of throws landing in streets, parking lots, and adjacent fairways.
A fair course rewards good throws, punishes bad throws, and provides varying degrees of success for throws in between. Luck will always be part of the game of disc golf, but the good course designer will never accentuate the element of chance.
An enjoyable, satisfying, and fun disc golf experience can only result from a fair and safe course.

“The best designs feature distinctive holes and innovative layouts that are scenic and fair. But the bottom line is the playing experience: it must include shot-making options, opportunities for risk management, and the need for a variety of shots... and it has to be enough fun to keep players coming back.” – John Houck, designer of more than 50 courses, including the Circle R2 Disc Golf Resort, featuring the 3 courses that host the PDGA World Doubles Championships

Variety –
The course should require a wide variety of different skills (shots) to avoid obstacles, negotiate terrain challenges and to score well.

Strategy –
The design should require good decision-making, putting a premium on correct shot selection and placement.

Character –
Course design should highlight the special features and inherent beauty of the land itself.

Disc golf can be designed to coexist with existing playing fields.

Land Considerations
How much land will you need for your disc golf course? For starters, it depends on who will be using it. If your target audience is school children who need to complete the course during gym class, you can use as little as 2-3 acres and make a course that’s 1,000 to 2,000 feet long. But if you hope to host a major championship, you may need 30 - 40 acres to hold a course that’s 7,000 – 10,000 feet or longer.

Disc golf courses work in all kinds of settings: there are courses in the flood plains of the Mississippi River and on the ski slopes of Colorado. One of disc golf’s most attractive qualities is that courses can be successful on almost any size plot, in virtually every type of terrain, and with any kind of foliage.  

Terrain and foliage density will also impact the amount of land you may need. Downhill throws experience a wider spray pattern. These holes require more land to avoid impacting other areas. Conversely, uphill holes tend to minimize the spray pattern. They also help provide “power” holes in less space. The density of foliage will dictate the amount of buffer space between holes. The presence of trees and bushes in critical places helps to contain errant throws.

As a rule of thumb, an acre per hole is a good estimate, but the more land you have available, the better your course can be. If you have a choice of areas, look for some of the features that always enhance a course: mature trees, changes in elevation, creeks, and ponds (click photo at right for ideas). Whenever possible, put your course in an area away from other activities and structures.

A qualified professional designer can help you pick the best place to put your course. Using the best features of your property, the designer will then create a playing experience that is challenging, fun, safe, and fair.

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