Disc golf is one helluva game. Not only is it a cool hobby to have, but it can be a cheap one as well. Disc golf itself is played like ball golf, but differs in a few fundamental ways. Disc golf doesn’t use clubs, small white balls, or a hole in the ground as a target. Disc golf uses frisbee-like discs and baskets. And even though disc golf is scored the same, the equipment we use to play disc golf is completely different.
So what do you need to play disc golf?
In order to play disc golf, you need at least 3 disc golf discs (preferably 6), a bag to carry your discs, some course-appropriate accessories (water, snacks, disc retreiver, towel, mini marker disc, sharpie), and a good local course to play disc golf on.
You will need some other things to play, like comfortable clothes, a good pair of tennis shoes or hiking shoes, a disc golf glove, and other accessories, but discs, a bag, and a course are the most basic needs in order for you to be able to go play disc golf. So without further ado, let me show you exactly what you need and where to get it.
First things first: you need some discs
Discs are important in disc golf. You obviously need them to play. So I’m going to go over my top disc recommendations in each disc category: control driver, mid-range, and putter. You need at least 3 discs, but I recommend having at least 6 on hand while you play (2 in each type – 2 drivers, 2 mid-range, and 2 putters) just in case you lose a disc.
As a new player, you do not need a distance driver. They are hard to throw and require you to learn the game a little bit. Therefore, I recommend you wait to purchase a distance driver and only start out with a control driver, mid-range, and a putter.
Control driver top pick – Innova Leopard
The Leopard is a disc that is perfect for beginners. It doesn’t require you to throw it very hard and is very balanced and controllable. Every new player needs to have one of these in their bag. You can get yourself one here at Discgolfunited.com.
Mid-range top pick – Discraft Buzzz
The Discraft Buzzz is just about the most popular mid-range disc on the market. Loved by all players over varying skill sets, the Buzzz is an extremely well-balanced, easy-to-throw disc. Whether you’re brand new or a competitive player, you need to own a Buzzz and have it available in your bag. This disc will give you a great start. Grab yours here on InfiniteDiscs.com.Grab yours here on InfiniteDiscs.com.
Putter top pick – Dynamic Discs Judge
I freaking love the Judge. It is a very sturdy, extremely straight-flying putter. Ever since the first time I threw it, I knew I needed one in my bag. I guess you could say it was love at first flight? Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. But seriously, head over to Infinite Discs and pick on of these up.head over to Infinite Discs and pick on of these up.
Lastly, check out our epic post, the “37 Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners (You Need These).” This post is your go-to guide for picking out beginner discs. Every disc in there was specifically picked out for new players. Hit that up and you should be good to go.
Next up, a bag
After you grab a few discs, you’ll need a good bag to store them in. As a new player, I wouldn’t go all out and buy a $100 dollar bag or a $150 dollar disc golf cart right away. You probably only have a few discs so a small bag will do. Below, there’s a list of bags that I recommend for new players starting with my top recommendation.
1. My top recommendation – the Dynamic Discs Trooper Bag
The Dynamic Discs Trooper bag is fantastic. It’s a full size bag, can hold a lot of discs, has multiple storage pockets, and is only $40 bucks here on InfiniteDiscs.com.and is only $40 bucks here on Amazon. This is a bag that you can easily grow into as a new player. It is so worth it to get a bag like this. I love it. And it’s one of the most popular disc golf bags in the #discgolfcommunity.
2. The Infinite Discs Slinger bag
One of my new favorite bags to play with is my Infinite Discs Slinger bag. It can hold just enough discs at 8-10, is very comfortable to lug around, and is relatively cheap at about $35 total dollars. Grab one here on Amazon.
3. The Discraft Weekender bag
A good bag for new and casual disc golfers. This bag can hold around 8-10 discs and costs around $15 bucks here on Amazon.
The list here on this page is short. You can see all of our top recommendations here on our bag recommendations page.
You can also check out Amazon’s list of disc golf bags and their backpacks bag page here.
Miscellaneous accessories
After you’ve selected your discs and your bag, there are a bunch of miscellaneous things that you should have with you in order to successfully maneuver and complete your round of disc golf with ease.
Before we list these couple of things, you can check out all of these course-appropriate accessories in our post, “How to Build the Ultimate Disc Golf Bag.” You can check the post out now or just check out the following items that you should have with you on the course:
• Snacks – my favorite snacks to take are the Nature Valley sweet and salty nut bars (I get them here on Amazon).
• Water – lots and lots of water. Water is important for keeping you hydrated in the course.
• Towel – to wipe off your hands and wet discs. Grab one from Amazon here.
• Cell phone – you can keep score, take pics, or just have it for emergencies.
• Mini marker disc – for marking the lie. Grab one here off of Amazon.com.
• Sharpie – to mark your discs so they don’t get lost and for marking your discs when you get aces. Amazon has cheap pack of them here.
• Disc golf retreiver – good for getting discs back out of water. Find one that you like here off of Amazon.
• Friction disc golf glove – for playing in the rain. Grab one off of Amazon.
• Hockey puck or a baseball – for knocking stuck discs out of trees.
And there are a lot of other really awesome accessories that you can buy off of InfiniteDiscs.com or Amazon. Check out that post that I linked to earlier so you know exactly what you need to buy for your bag.
Finding a course
I put this section last because it shouldn’t be very hard for you to find a course near you. Here are a quick couple of steps to finding a local course.
Step 1 – go on Google. Simple enough, right?
Step 2 – search for, “disc golf courses near me.” This search should bring up any local courses close to you. There are thousands of courses in the United States and all over the world. So you should have at least something close to you.
I live in Greensboro, North Carolina, and there are at least 5-7 courses within 30 minutes of where I live. All I have to do is a quick search. But if you don’t have any courses close, you can search by your state for, “disc golf courses in (insert your state here).” Then just punch your state name in. I would say probably 90% percent or more of disc golfers have a course within an hour of them. There are like 15 courses for me within an hour.
Step 3 – pick your course, pack your equipment, and go play!
5 general improvement tips for new disc golfers
1. Go out and play more
This tip is so common sense that some people wouldn’t think about this. It took me a little while to understand that you need to get out and play more if you want to get better. If you like disc golf, you will probably automatically play more. But if you want to get significantly better, you have to play even more than that. I’d say that a serious disc golf competitive player plays at least 3-4 times per week (or more).
2. Learn the rules
Obviously playing and getting on-the-course experience is invaluable to you. But thoroughly learning the PDGA rules of disc golf can help you get a better understanding of the game and can help take your mindset to a more serious level. Check out the Professional Disc Golf Association’s “Official Rules of Disc Golf” here on their site.
3. Focus on learning technique
Technique is super important. Whenever I’m writing a tips list, I usually try to find a way to work this tip in. Why? Well, because technique is one of the most important concepts in all of disc golf. Check out our post, “7 Steps to the Best Disc Golf Technique and a Perfect Throw,” and get your technique down.
4. Find good players to play with
I just recently wrote a post called, “7 Reasons You Need a Mentor in Disc Golf.” In that post, I talk about why you need to surround yourself with a mentor or just a better player in general. And this can really teach you a lot about the game, so check that post out for more information.
5. Read our 101 tips list
For even more awewome tips related to disc golf, you can check out our post, “101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level.” This tips list is awesome for general improvement and is one of the most extensive disc golf resources on the internet.
Overall
The game of disc golf is awesome. So hopefully by now you’ve played a few rounds and have started to really like everything. You should have just about everything you need to play, and hopefully, you’ve found a good local course to play on. If you need anything else, be sure to check out InfiniteDiscs.com or you can shoot an email to dgndiscgolf@gmail.com. alright, thanks for reading disc golfers! Now get out there and go throw!
Great job!
If you’ve gotten this far, you must really want to learn more about disc golf! If you’re interested in more of what we have to say about the sport, check out some of our best posts below.
50 Ways to Get More Birdies and Improve Your Disc Golf Game
The 50 Best Disc Golf Drills to Change Your Game Forever
The 27 Best Disc Golf Distance Tips for Beginners
The 15 All-Time Best Disc Golf Discs
All of these posts are our absolute best resources for practice, drills, and disc selection so check them out!
Related Content
You can also check out our awesome related content.
The #1 Way to Improve Your Disc Golf Game This Year
9 Weird Tricks to Improve Your Disc Golf Game (Forever)
101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level
The 12 Best Disc Golf Putting Tips for Beginners
Don’t forget
You can also grab a copy of our book, “The Disc Golf Player’s Manual,” here on the site. It’s packed full of extremely practical tips and tricks to help you immediately start improving on the course!