Is Disc Golf a Cheap Sport?
Yes, disc golf (AKA frisbee golf) is a very inexpensive sport to get into! In fact, I recommend you get started with a single disc (a putter) which you can find starting around $10 (or sometimes even less)!
This blog page includes my top 3 options (plus beginner tips) for getting into disc golf on a budget.
GO PLAY! If you are thinking about trying disc golf, then please do because it is extremely fun, good for your mental and physical health, and can even be good for your relationship health if you go with family or friends. Also, every disc golfer I have met on the course has been very friendly and welcoming, and in my opinion, the disc golf community is a great community for everyone to be a part of. Please do yourself a favor, grab a disc golf putter and find a course (just search google maps for “disc golf course near me”. The courses are almost always free to use.
How To Play Disc Golf on a Budget
Option 1
Start with just a putter. Unlike regular ball golf, in disc golf you can throw putters off the tee and from anywhere on the course. Putters fly straight and far (pros can throw them 300 or 400 feet)! More importantly a good putter is all you should be using until you are able to throw 200 feet or more (that’s about 61 meters). Until then, just have fun with a good putter.
HOW TO CHOOSE A PUTTER
FEEL is the most important thing to consider because most putters fly very similar (straight), but they can feel completely different. You need one that feels good in your hand for both throwing and putting when you get close to the basket.
TIP – if at all possible go to a store where you can feel the putters before you buy.
Look for whether or not you like the feel of a bead on the bottom or a beadless putter which tend to feel shallower.
Secondly, consider the depth of how the disc feels in your hand. If you have large hands you may want a deeper-feeling putter. Also, the deeper the disc the more air it will trap under and the “floatier” or more glide it will have. More glide on a putter means less effort to putt to basket but if you miss it could glide further past the basket.
Personally, I like shallower putters because I am used to them and they feel more like other discs you will grow into (midranges and fairway drivers) so they are easier for me to throw more consistently.
Then, consider plastic type which affects how grippy or smooth they feel.
Finally, I recommend you consider design, color and cost. These last three are all completely personal preferences based on what you like, but my tip here is to buy brightly colored discs that contrasts with the courses you will play. For example I love bright pink, orange, or teal discs because they are very easy to find in both grass or leaves. This is very helpful when you are new because odds are you will be missing the fairway a lot and therefore hunting for your discs a lot.
TOP 3 PUTTER RECOMMENDATIONS
Axiom Envy – very popular choice and what I give people I meet on the course that seem interested. It is also cool because it is the disc James Conrad threw in from 247 feet during the 2021 World Championship to force a playoff with Paul McBeth. This shot is known to disc golfers as “the holy shot”. It is a great slightly overstable disc that flies very far for a putter.
Yikun Gui – my personal throwing and putting putter. Feels and flies just like an Envy, but it is cheaper and their Tiger Plastic is super soft and grippy but seasons into smooth dense feel that is just amazing and again my personal favorite. I only recommend their Tiger plastic though as the other plastic types are not great quality.
Dynamic Discs Judge – DD has great base plastic for putters for both feel and durability for a great price. The judge has a bead so that would be my recommendation for a not-too-deep putter with a bead. Beads feel great for putting into the basket for some people because you can rest your finger on the bead which is very comfortable.
Really, you can’t go wrong with any putter because you will get used to how it feels, but again, if you can feel first just choose one that feels “comfortable” to you in your hand both gripping for throwing and with your looser putting grip.
Option 2
Get a starter pack. Starter packs are great options because they typically include 3 or 4 beginner-friendly discs some of which will fly further for you than a putter. Also, a big part of the fun of disc golf is trying new discs! You can usually get multiple discs in a starter pack for only $24-$50 price range.
TOP 3 STARTER PACK RECOMMENDATIONS in no particular order are:
1. Dynamic Discs Misprint Starter Pack – for only $20 at the time of writing this you get a quality starter set that will be durable enough to give you months or even years of use. I think DD’s base (more inexpensive) plastic used for these discs are the best base plastic on the market. This is definitely my #1 pick.
2. Kastaplast Starter Set – If price isn’t an issue this is in my opinion the highest-quality starter set which you can find for about $50. You get what you pay for. Kastaplast is my favorite manufacturer and I bag 2 of the 3 discs in this set today as an intermediate player. The Reko putter has a bead but great for putting and throwing as it flies nice and straight and dependable. Then, your midrange is understable meaning as a new player you will be able to get longer flights and more distance. Then the Falk (fairway driver) is also understable and goes FOREVER! Currently, the Falk is my favorite disc. Pick up this set and you’ll be a Kastaplast fan like me for a very long time! P.S. Kastaplast’s plastic is the best on the market in terms of durability and grip. All of their plastic types are better than anyone else’s so do yourself a favor and try them all. It will raise your standards.
3. Innova Starter Set – This is the most popular option and in-fact my first starter set personally. These molds are timeless (since Innova is the oldest manufacturer and revolutionized disc golf discs when the sport was new). Plus, they are very beginner-friendly discs to start. An advantage of this option is that the plastic is not very durable which means you get to experience how the flight of the discs change as you “beat them in”. You will learn that almost all discs become more understable as you use them due to wear and changes in their aerodynamics. This will help you experience what all disc golfers ultimately experience which is breaking in discs to flights that are perfect for your liking.
No matter the starter set you can’t go wrong as long as you get one from a top manufacturer because their discs will be good. Innova, Discraft, MVP, Kastaplast, Discmania, Trilogy (Latitude 64, Dynamic Discs, and Westside Discs), Lonestar Discs, Clash Discs, and Prodigy are some examples of top disc golf manufacturers that all have great starter sets. Where you might get into trouble is with a newer company or a company that manufactures other products that decides to make a disc golf starter set. Most of those are not going to be good so just stick with a top disc golf brand and you’re all set!
Option 3
Get a Glitch. The MVP Glitch is an incredible hybrid disc (a mix between old-school frisbees that you might have thrown before in the yard or on the beach and a disc golf disc). This makes it a fun beginner disc because you can toss back and forth with friends to get into the throwing motion and warmed up then you can play disc golf and even putt with it. It will go very far, very straight, and is useful even for advanced and even pro players.
Benefits include the fact it will go wherever you throw it and give you great feedback if you are throwing properly or not. It will help you develop a better throw while always being a great and very fun disc. This may be the best option for you especially if you want to just play one round of golf and see if you like it. I highly recommend getting an MVP glitch sooner rather than later.
Other Disc Golf Costs
All you need is a disc because almost all disc golf courses are free to play.
That being said, if you fall in love with the sport (hopefully you do), you can likely have fun buying other disc golf accessories and maybe even playing tournaments.
If so, here are some things you might grow into and some price ranges you might expect:
1. More discs. Discs are good. Discs are great! My Precious!!!! You can never have too many discs, and a lot of the fun of disc golf is trying new discs! Disc golf discs range from about $6 to $35 with most being around the $15-$25 range. Some rare collectable discs can go for hundreds or thousands of dollars on the secondary market, but most are inexpensive.
2. A disc golf bag (or cart) to carry your discs in. These can start around $35 up to a few hundred. On a budget just use whatever you have. Ultimately, this would be a good investment for helping you have more enjoyment on the course.
3. A disc golf basket. These are much more expensive but probably the best thing for improving fast because it will help your putting more than anything if you have one at home to use. They say, “drive for show but putt for dough” because being a good putter will save you the most amount of strokes on the course.
4. Accessories – towels for drying your disc, chalk bag, disc retriever, sunscreen, a water bottle, and snacks are the first that come to mind that are not very expensive but very useful.
5. A net – to practice throwing hard without having to go to a range or open field.
6. Tournaments and PDGA membership – once you are ready to compete (or just want to) you can find tournaments usually cost about $70-100 each but include a players pack which often includes disc golf discs. And, if you are good you may even win prizes!
7. Pay to play courses – Although the vast majority of courses are free to play there are some really nice ones that require a fee to play. Often, those fees help maintain the beauty and upkeep of the course.
8. Gadgets – like the new TechDisc, a rangefinder to estimate distances, speedometers, are more expensive but fun to look forward to. TechDisc is the latest piece of disc golf technology that provides invaluable feedback if you are serious about competing in disc golf or just desiring more distance. More disc golf technology is sure to come down the road too!