Scott Dyer discovered disc golf when he and his family were looking for something fun to do during the pandemic.
Dyer’s two sons played soccer, but matches had been canceled. So they unpacked some discs they had received as a gift and headed to a disc golf court near Maize South High School. After that, they started watching how-to videos on YouTube and exploring courses around Wichita.
“We were all in at that point, and we just started playing a ton,” Dyer said. “The real benefit for me, as a parent, is I now have a lifetime sport to play with my boys, so it’s become a passion for that reason.”
Like many disc golfers, the Dyers appreciated the sport’s low barrier to entry. It’s low-impact, accessible, easy to learn and pretty much free to play. The average starter kit costs $25 or less, and most courses are free.
Disc golf is a relatively young sport, but it has a rich history in Kansas. The city of Emporia, about an hour north of Wichita, proclaims itself the “Disc Golf Capital of the World,” in part because it’s home to longtime manufacturer Dynamic Discs.
Worldwide, there are more than 17,000 disc golf courses — nearly 90% of which are free to play. Since 2020, participation has grown 86%, as measured in rounds recorded on the popular UDisc app and website.
In Wichita, disc golfers say the sport is thriving and growing. There are dozens of disc golf courses in Sedgwick County, including several 18-hole courses in Derby, Haysville and Park City.
“No one knows how much of a mecca for disc golf Wichita is,” said Mike Junod, manager of Duck’s Flying Discs in Wichita. “We have every single resource to host some sort of world championship or major event.”
Junod spent a recent afternoon at the Oak Park course in Riverside, clearing branches and repositioning baskets for an upcoming tournament. He said disc golf is “hiking with a purpose” and a great way to work out.
“People that like to exercise but don’t feel like walking because they’re just walking? Throw something and walk up to it, and then throw something again and walk up to it,” he said. “The next thing you know, you're playing disc golf, and you’re walking two miles, and sometimes you’re carrying 25 pounds on your back.”
Like traditional golf, disc golf features equipment designed for various distances or conditions. The average starter set includes a driver, putter and mid-range disc, but many beginners start with just a mid-range.
The object is pretty simple, and similar to traditional golf — or “ball golf,” as the disc golfers like to call it: Players throw a disc from the tee area toward the target, which is a chain basket. The fewer tries it takes you, the lower your score, and the lowest score wins.
Dyer’s son Zack earned a disc golf scholarship to Emporia State University, where he plays on the school’s nationally ranked team.
The team’s coach, former world champion Eric McCabe, went from playing disc golf at his neighborhood course in Emporia to joining the pro tour. Now he designs and installs disc golf courses worldwide.
“For right now, I’m really focusing on getting courses in the ground,” McCabe said. “Especially in communities that don’t have disc golf but have the park space to put in maybe a shorter, nine-hole course that’s going to introduce the future athletes to our sport.”
McCabe says it doesn’t take much to get started. The UDisc app can point you to dozens of courses in your area.
“You can just pick up a couple discs, head over to your local course, give it a try and yeah, you’ll be hooked,” he said. “I promise you, you’ll get hooked really fast.”
For Scott Dyer, it’s the satisfying sound of a disc hitting its target. He also loves being outside on a nice day, hearing the birds and watching the discs sail.
“When you throw a disc and it flies like it’s supposed to … it’s just beautiful to watch it fly through the air,” he said. “It’s like hitting a pure, traditional golf shot. You just remember that, and you wanna go do it again and again.”
He said a great way to meet disc golfers and learn more about the sport is to join a local league or organization, like the Air Capital Disc Golf Club.
This year for the first time, the club is hosting its DooDah XL tournament in partnership with the Wichita Riverfest, in hopes of attracting more people to the sport. The event is May 30-31 at three local courses – Oak Park, Champ Cessna and Herman Hill Park.
Teams in the Wichita-area Flights League meet every day of the week at any of the numerous courses in south-central Kansas. You can find out more on the league’s Facebook page.
