The beginnings
Ed Headrick – Father of Disc Golf
The foundation for the sport of Disc Golf was laid in 1978 by Ed Headrick with the patenting of the first target basket with catch chains and the opening of the first course in Oak Grove, California. Gradually, more and more park authorities, first in the U.S. and later around the world, were persuaded to make disc golf facilities available to the public in their parks. By the end of 2012, there were more than 3700 disc golf facilities worldwide – nearly 3200 of them in the U.S. alone. As of spring 2017, there are over 7100 courses registered in the Disc Golf Course Directory. In Finland, for example, there are over 500, in Germany just under 100, and in Switzerland over 25.
Disc Golf courses then gave rise to clubs and national associations. The international players’ association PDGA now has tens of thousands of members who play disc golf as their sport. The number of recreational disc golfers is estimated to be in the millions, and the trend is growing with every new facility opened.
Recreational sport for the whole family
Disc Golf is not only a sport that is played in clubs or tournaments, but also a great leisure activity for the whole family, but also for clubs and companies. Most Disc Golf facilities in Switzerland are open to the public and can be used free of charge. An overview of the existing facilities in Switzerland can be found here.
