97:
early 1970s. As mentioned above, Ed
Headrick designed the disc pole hole in 1976 and it was first featured in the World Frisbee Championships later that year at two Los Angeles parks, Oak Grove and La Miranda. This seminal event was won by John 'Friz Whiz' Kirkland. Wham-O's $ 50,000 Disc Golf Tournament was significant turning point for disc golf. Held in Huntington Beach, California. The tournament was groundbreaking, first and foremost because of the cash involved, its massive payout right in the title, but also because the competitors had to qualify for an invitation. 72 qualifying events were established around the country, bringing in the best disc golfers from across the United States.
148:
friends. He founded the
Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) and Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA) for competitive and family-oriented play, respectively, and worked on standardizing the rules and the equipment for the growing sport. Headrick abandoned his trademark on the term "Disc Golf", and turned over control and administration of the PDGA to the growing body of disc golf players in order to focus on his passion for building and inventing equipment for the sport.
975:
54:, he formulated and then began organizing Frisbee golf tournaments at nine of the city's playgrounds he supervised. This culminated in 1965 with a fully documented, Wham-O sponsored, citywide Frisbee golf tournament spearheaded by "Steady" Ed Headrick at Wham-O. This highly publicized tournament included hula hoops as holes, with published rules, hole lengths, pars, and prizes; an event in which
65:, was in attendance. In 1965, Sappenfield was a recreation counselor during a summer break from college during which, he set up an object course for his children to play on. When he finished college in 1968, Sappenfield became the Parks and Recreation supervisor for Conejo Recreation and Park District in
124:
invented the modern golf disc in 1983, with the revolutionary change of adding a beveled rim, giving the disc a greater distance and accuracy. Dave was one of the founders of Innova, a well-known disc manufacturer. In 1982 Ed
Headrick turned over control of the PDGA to the players and Ted Smethers to
33:
by teenagers in the
Anacapa and Sola street areas. Gazebos, water fountains, lamp posts, and trees were all part of the course. This took place for several years and an Alameda Park collectors edition disc still exists, though rare, as few were made. Clifford Towne from this group went on to hold a
96:
in downtown
Toronto and presented Canada's first disc golf competitions. In California, the Berkeley Frisbee Group established a standardized 18 hole object course on the Berkeley campus in 1970. University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor had an object Frisbee golf course designed in the
84:, there were only a few disc golf object courses in the U.S. and Canada. Despite having never heard of the International Frisbee Association (IFA) that Ed Headrick and Wham-O had put together, or ever seeing a copy of the IFA Newsletter, Jim Palmeri, his brother, and a small group of people from
88:, had been playing disc golf as a competitive sport on a regular basis since August 1970, including tournaments and weekly league play. By 1973, they had even promoted two City of Rochester Disc Frisbee Championship events which featured disc golf as the main event. In Canada, beginning in 1970,
147:
Headrick coined and trademarked the term "Disc Golf" when formalizing the sport and patented the Disc Pole Hole, the first disc golf target to incorporate chains and a basket on a pole. He started designing the target because he was tired of arguing over what counted as a scoring disc with his
140:-based Wham-O Corporation and is credited for pioneering the modern era of disc sports. Ed Founded "The International Frisbee Association (IFA)" and began establishing competitive standards for various sports using the Frisbee such as Distance, MTA, TRC, Accuracy,
128:"Steady Ed" Headrick began thinking about the sport during his time at Wham-O Toys where he designed and patented the modern day Frisbee. Headrick designed and installed the first standardized target course in what was then known as Oak Grove Park in
50:, were able to individually spread the sport in their California cities. Donnelly began playing a form of Frisbee golf in 1959 called Street Frisbee Golf. In 1961, while a recreation leader and then recreation supervisor for the City of
16:
Modern disc golf started in the early 1960s, but there is debate over who came up with the idea first. The consensus is that multiple groups of people played independently throughout the 1960s. Students at
69:. Sappenfield planned a disc golf tournament as part of a recreation project and contacted Wham-O Manufacturing to ask them for help with the event. Wham-O supplied Frisbees for throwing, and
645:
518:
801:
748:
21:
in
Houston, Texas, for example, held tournaments with trees as targets as early as 1964, and in the early 1960s, players in Pendleton King Park in
893:
806:
532:
871:
796:
738:
112:
are two inventors and players who greatly impacted how disc golf is played. In 1976 Headrick formalized the rules of the sport, founded the
911:
157:
776:
763:
120:(PDGA), the Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA) and invented the first formal disc golf target with chains and a basket.
42:
Two early coordinators of the sport are George
Sappenfield and Kevin Donnelly, who, through similar backgrounds and the help of
876:
866:
856:
743:
1004:
888:
881:
861:
607:
396:
62:
129:
927:
117:
322:
25:
would toss
Frisbees into 50-gallon barrel trash cans designated as targets. In 1968 Frisbee Golf was also played in
832:
162:
81:
954:
932:
635:
978:
728:
514:
708:
675:
667:
93:
66:
55:
51:
30:
539:
493:
723:
718:
600:
133:
791:
771:
141:
113:
469:
226:
827:
822:
533:"Archive: 1978 Disc Golf Association Disc Golf Promotional Development Guide. PDF 11 pages"
183:
8:
85:
999:
968:
703:
655:
593:
92:
and Jim Kenner played
Frisbee golf daily on an 18 object hole course they designed at
753:
650:
640:
273:
22:
374:
77:
713:
89:
18:
125:
be run independently and to officiate the standard rules of play for the sport.
786:
566:
59:
993:
848:
733:
132:. (Today the park is known as Hahamongna Watershed Park). Ed worked for the
121:
109:
685:
26:
680:
105:
43:
317:
315:
446:"Innova - The Choice Of Champions - #1 in Disc Golf - Innova Disc Golf"
397:"About Ed Headrick - Father of Disc Golf - DGA | Disc Golf Association"
137:
616:
341:
312:
252:
70:
781:
580:
570:
421:
575:
348:
295:
47:
202:
948:
585:
445:
470:"Ed Headrick, Designer of the Modern Frisbee, Dies at 78"
739:
United States
Amateur Disc Golf Championships (USADGC)
749:
United States Women's Disc Golf Championship (USWDGC)
991:
576:The History of Flying Disc Sports in New England
227:"History of Frisbee and Flying Disc freestyle"
100:
37:
601:
274:"History of Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Sports"
744:United States Disc Golf Championship (USDGC)
181:
158:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disc golf
608:
594:
928:Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)
349:"Brief History of Disc Golf and the PDGA"
296:"Brief History of Disc Golf and the PDGA"
293:
203:"Brief History of Disc Golf and the PDGA"
419:
200:
992:
581:The History of Frisbee and Disc Sports
231:Development of Frisbee and disc sports
589:
76:Before 1973 and the invention of the
974:
58:, inventor of the Pluto Platter and
933:World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF)
13:
426:Professional Disc Golf Association
353:Professional Disc Golf Association
300:Professional Disc Golf Association
253:"Greater Rochester Disc Golf Club"
207:Professional Disc Golf Association
118:Professional Disc Golf Association
14:
1016:
560:
973:
130:La Cañada Flintridge, California
525:
507:
496:. Discgolf.com. 30 October 2001
486:
462:
438:
413:
389:
538:. Discgolf.com. Archived from
367:
287:
266:
245:
219:
194:
175:
163:International Disc Golf Center
1:
615:
420:Gregoire, Matt (2015-01-30).
376:Flying disc entrapment device
201:Gregoire, Matt (2008-09-23).
168:
34:National Time Aloft record.
7:
772:Disc Golf Association (DGA)
401:DGA | Disc Golf Association
184:"Kevin Donnelly: Disc Golf"
151:
101:Creation of the modern game
38:Early pioneers of the sport
10:
1021:
1005:History of sports by sport
729:Pender Island Invitational
494:"The History of Disc Golf"
964:
941:
920:
904:
841:
815:
762:
696:
676:List of disc golf players
666:
623:
67:Thousand Oaks, California
56:Walter Frederick Morrison
52:Newport Beach, California
31:Santa Barbara, California
764:Brands and manufacturers
724:PDGA World Championships
567:The History of Disc Golf
422:"Disc Golf Hall Of Fame"
294:Anonymous (2008-09-23).
853:Lists of golf courses
754:World Disc Games (WDG)
792:Innova Champion Discs
697:Disc golf tournaments
327:Disc Golf Association
182:Altmyer, Don (2011).
114:Disc Golf Association
63:"Steady"' Ed Headrick
106:"Steady Ed" Headrick
73:for use as targets.
355:. 23 September 2008
323:"About Ed Headrick"
704:Beaver State Fling
329:. 17 December 2018
987:
986:
1012:
977:
976:
955:Innova Disc Golf
921:Governing bodies
641:Disc golf course
610:
603:
596:
587:
586:
554:
553:
551:
550:
545:on 15 April 2012
544:
537:
529:
523:
522:
521:
517:
511:
505:
504:
502:
501:
490:
484:
483:
481:
480:
466:
460:
459:
457:
456:
442:
436:
435:
433:
432:
417:
411:
410:
408:
407:
393:
387:
386:
385:
384:
371:
365:
364:
362:
360:
345:
339:
338:
336:
334:
319:
310:
309:
307:
306:
291:
285:
284:
282:
280:
270:
264:
263:
261:
259:
249:
243:
242:
240:
238:
223:
217:
216:
214:
213:
198:
192:
191:
179:
78:disc golf target
60:Frisbee inventor
23:Augusta, Georgia
1020:
1019:
1015:
1014:
1013:
1011:
1010:
1009:
990:
989:
988:
983:
960:
937:
916:
900:
837:
811:
758:
714:Maple Hill Open
692:
662:
619:
614:
563:
558:
557:
548:
546:
542:
535:
531:
530:
526:
519:
513:
512:
508:
499:
497:
492:
491:
487:
478:
476:
468:
467:
463:
454:
452:
450:innovadiscs.com
444:
443:
439:
430:
428:
418:
414:
405:
403:
395:
394:
390:
382:
380:
373:
372:
368:
358:
356:
347:
346:
342:
332:
330:
321:
320:
313:
304:
302:
292:
288:
278:
276:
272:
271:
267:
257:
255:
251:
250:
246:
236:
234:
225:
224:
220:
211:
209:
199:
195:
180:
176:
171:
154:
103:
90:Ken Westerfield
40:
19:Rice University
12:
11:
5:
1018:
1008:
1007:
1002:
985:
984:
982:
981:
971:
965:
962:
961:
959:
958:
951:
945:
943:
939:
938:
936:
935:
930:
924:
922:
918:
917:
915:
914:
908:
906:
902:
901:
899:
898:
897:
896:
891:
886:
885:
884:
879:
874:
869:
859:
851:
845:
843:
839:
838:
836:
835:
830:
825:
819:
817:
813:
812:
810:
809:
804:
802:Lonestar Discs
799:
794:
789:
787:Infinite Discs
784:
779:
774:
768:
766:
760:
759:
757:
756:
751:
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
700:
698:
694:
693:
691:
690:
689:
688:
683:
672:
670:
664:
663:
661:
660:
659:
658:
653:
643:
638:
633:
627:
625:
621:
620:
613:
612:
605:
598:
590:
584:
583:
578:
573:
562:
561:External links
559:
556:
555:
524:
506:
485:
474:New York Times
461:
437:
412:
388:
366:
340:
311:
286:
265:
244:
218:
193:
173:
172:
170:
167:
166:
165:
160:
153:
150:
102:
99:
82:disc pole hole
39:
36:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1017:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
997:
995:
980:
972:
970:
967:
966:
963:
957:
956:
952:
950:
947:
946:
944:
940:
934:
931:
929:
926:
925:
923:
919:
913:
910:
909:
907:
903:
895:
894:United States
892:
890:
887:
883:
880:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
864:
863:
860:
858:
855:
854:
852:
850:
849:Driving range
847:
846:
844:
840:
834:
833:United States
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
820:
818:
814:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
769:
767:
765:
761:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
734:Portland open
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
709:European Open
707:
705:
702:
701:
699:
695:
687:
684:
682:
679:
678:
677:
674:
673:
671:
669:
665:
657:
654:
652:
649:
648:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
628:
626:
622:
618:
611:
606:
604:
599:
597:
592:
591:
588:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
568:
565:
564:
541:
534:
528:
516:
510:
495:
489:
475:
471:
465:
451:
447:
441:
427:
423:
416:
402:
398:
392:
378:
377:
370:
354:
350:
344:
328:
324:
318:
316:
301:
297:
290:
275:
269:
254:
248:
233:. 11 May 2017
232:
228:
222:
208:
204:
197:
189:
185:
178:
174:
164:
161:
159:
156:
155:
149:
145:
143:
139:
135:
131:
126:
123:
122:Dave Dunipace
119:
115:
111:
110:Dave Dunipace
107:
98:
95:
91:
87:
86:Rochester, NY
83:
79:
74:
72:
68:
64:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
35:
32:
28:
24:
20:
953:
807:Prodigy Disc
686:Paige Pierce
668:Disc golfers
630:
547:. Retrieved
540:the original
527:
509:
498:. Retrieved
488:
477:. Retrieved
473:
464:
453:. Retrieved
449:
440:
429:. Retrieved
425:
415:
404:. Retrieved
400:
391:
381:, retrieved
379:, 1976-04-19
375:
369:
357:. Retrieved
352:
343:
331:. Retrieved
326:
303:. Retrieved
299:
289:
279:December 25,
277:. Retrieved
268:
258:December 25,
256:. Retrieved
247:
235:. Retrieved
230:
221:
210:. Retrieved
206:
196:
190:(Fall 2011).
187:
177:
146:
144:, and Guts.
127:
104:
94:Queen's Park
75:
41:
27:Alameda Park
15:
797:Latitude 64
719:Masters Cup
681:Paul McBeth
188:Disc Golfer
134:San Gabriel
116:(DGA), the
80:called the
44:Ed Headrick
994:Categories
549:2013-09-29
515:US 4039189
500:2011-12-27
479:2002-06-14
455:2017-05-11
431:2017-05-11
406:2017-05-11
383:2018-04-18
305:2018-04-18
212:2017-05-11
169:References
138:California
71:hula hoops
1000:Disc golf
816:Countries
777:Discmania
646:Equipment
617:Disc golf
142:Freestyle
969:Category
912:COVID-19
782:Discraft
636:Glossary
624:Overview
237:April 6,
152:See also
979:Commons
857:Austria
828:Finland
823:Estonia
631:History
571:YouTube
889:Norway
862:Canada
842:Venues
656:Basket
520:
48:Wham-O
949:UDisc
942:Media
905:Years
543:(PDF)
536:(PDF)
359:7 May
333:7 May
651:Disc
361:2020
335:2020
281:2017
260:2017
239:2018
108:and
569:on
46:at
29:in
996::
882:QC
877:ON
872:BC
867:AB
472:.
448:.
424:.
399:.
351:.
325:.
314:^
298:.
229:.
205:.
186:.
136:,
609:e
602:t
595:v
552:.
503:.
482:.
458:.
434:.
409:.
363:.
337:.
308:.
283:.
262:.
241:.
215:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.