New to Disc Golf

Etiquette 101

Be the player everyone wants to share a card with.

Why it matters

Disc golf is played in groups, on shared ground, with objects flying at head height. Nearly every bit of friction on a course is avoidable, and the habits that avoid it take no skill at all — which makes this the fastest way to be welcome in any group you join.

How to do it

Stand still and quiet behind the person throwing, never in front of them and never in their eyeline.
Whoever is furthest from the basket throws first. On the tee, the lowest score on the previous hole goes first.
Shout "FORE!" loudly and immediately if your disc heads anywhere near another person. It is the one thing you should never be shy about.
Wait until the group ahead is out of range before you throw. If a faster group catches you, wave them through.
Take your rubbish with you, and do not break branches to open a line. The course belongs to everybody who plays it after you.
Help look for a lost disc, and return any you find — which is why your name and phone number should be on yours.

Common mistakes

Walking ahead to your own disc while somebody is still throwing.Stay behind the thrower until the disc has landed. This is the most common one and the most genuinely dangerous.

Talking, rustling a bag or moving during someone’s throw.Be still from the moment they step onto the pad. It costs you nothing and is noticed every time.

Throwing when you are not sure whether the group ahead is clear.If you cannot see them, wait. A disc at speed into a stranger is the one mistake with consequences beyond your scorecard.

Playing music out loud on a busy course.Headphones, or nothing. Other groups are concentrating even if you are not.

Key points

Stay quiet and still while others throw.
Furthest from the basket throws first; keep pace.

The drill

Drill · Watch where you stand — 1 round deliberately positioning yourself for every throw. For one round, before each person throws, consciously put yourself behind them and off to the side where they can see you are not in the way. Notice how often you would otherwise have been ahead of the thrower. After one round it stops being a decision.

Watch: Learn to Play Disc Golf with Nate Sexton - Course Etiquette — Innova Discs