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Are disc golf and frisbee golf the same thing?
Yes. Disc golf and frisbee golf refer to exactly the same sport: throwing discs at a chain basket target, following golf rules and scoring. There is no difference in equipment, rules, courses, or gameplay. The only difference is the word used. "Disc golf" is the official and preferred term used by the Professional Disc Golf Association, all manufacturers, tournament organizers, and nearly every player. "Frisbee golf" is what people who do not play the sport often call it, because Frisbee is the familiar word for a flying disc.
If you search either term, you will find the same courses, the same discs, and the same community. Every one of the 7,008 courses on ThrowSpot is a disc golf course and a frisbee golf course. They are the same thing.
Why is it called disc golf and not frisbee golf?
Because "Frisbee" is a registered trademark of Wham-O, the toy company that popularized the flying disc in the 1950s and 1960s. The sport's founder, "Steady" Ed Headrick, actually worked for Wham-O and designed the modern Frisbee before inventing the disc golf basket. When he founded the PDGA in 1976, he chose "disc golf" because the sport needed a generic name that would not depend on a single company's product.
The naming also reflects a practical reality: the discs used in disc golf are not Frisbees. They are made by dozens of manufacturers including Innova, Discraft, MVP, Dynamic Discs, and Latitude 64, none of which are Wham-O. Calling the sport "frisbee golf" would be like calling ball golf "Titleist golf." Players use the generic term for the generic equipment.
That said, nobody in the disc golf community will correct you or think less of you for saying frisbee golf. It is universally understood. The sport has more important things to worry about than terminology.
What is frolf?
Frolf is a slang portmanteau of "frisbee" and "golf." It became widely known through a 1998 episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer talks about playing frolf. The term is still used casually, especially by people who played in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it is rare within the modern disc golf community. If you hear frolf, it means disc golf.
What is the difference between disc golf and ultimate?
Ultimate is a team field sport where players pass a disc toward an end zone to score, similar to football or soccer. Disc golf is an individual target sport played on a course with baskets. They share only the flying disc. Everything else differs.
| Disc golf | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Individual (or doubles). Play against the course. | Team sport, 7 vs 7 on a field. |
| Object | Throw disc into basket in fewest throws. | Catch disc in opponent's end zone to score. |
| Field | Course with 9 to 18 holes across parks or woods. Each hole 150 to 1,000 feet. | Rectangular field, 70 by 40 yards, with 25-yard end zones. |
| Disc | Small, dense, sharp-edged golf discs. 165 to 175 grams. Many types. | Single standard disc, 175 grams, wide and flat. Discraft Ultra-Star is the standard. |
| Movement | Walk the course. Low intensity, 1.5 to 3 miles. | Sprint constantly. High intensity cardio. |
| Contact | None. You never interact physically with other players. | Non-contact by rule but incidental contact is frequent. |
| Governing body | PDGA (333,400 members as of Aug 2026) | USA Ultimate and WFDF |
| Time | 60 to 150 minutes per round | 60 to 90 minutes per game |
| Cost | $25 to start, most courses free | $10 for a disc, free at any field |
Many players enjoy both, and the throwing mechanics transfer partially: the backhand throw in ultimate is similar to the backhand drive in disc golf, though disc golf uses a full-body rotation for distance while ultimate prioritizes quick accurate passes. The forehand (flick) in ultimate is nearly identical to the forehand in disc golf.
How are disc golf discs different from frisbees?
Disc golf discs are smaller in diameter (21 cm vs 27 cm), heavier per volume, have a sharp beveled edge, and are designed to fly far and fast. Recreational frisbees are larger, lighter, have a rounded edge, and are designed to float slowly for easy catching.
| Feature | Disc golf disc | Recreational frisbee | Ultimate disc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 21–22 cm | 23–27 cm | 27 cm |
| Weight | 150–175 g | 90–150 g | 175 g |
| Edge | Sharp, beveled | Rounded, thick | Rounded, medium |
| Purpose | Distance and accuracy to a target | Casual catch, dogs, beach | Catching in a team game |
| Max distance | 500+ feet (pros), 250–350 (recreational) | 100–200 feet | 200–300 feet |
| Types | Putters, mid-ranges, fairway drivers, distance drivers. Hundreds of molds. | One type | One standard type |
| Cost | $9–20 | $3–15 | $10–15 |
The sharp edge is the defining feature. It lets the disc cut through air with less drag, producing far more distance. It also makes disc golf discs uncomfortable to catch, which is why nobody plays catch with them. A disc golf driver thrown hard is a projectile, not a toy, which is why courses have strict etiquette about never throwing when people are in range.
Can you play disc golf with a regular frisbee?
Technically yes, but you will throw about half as far and have much less accuracy. A standard Wham-O or Ultra-Star frisbee floats and drifts because it is designed to be catchable. On a 300-foot disc golf hole, you will take five or six throws to reach the basket where a disc golf player takes two or three. It will also be frustrating to putt because recreational frisbees do not stick in chains well.
If you want to try disc golf before spending money, a regular frisbee is a fine way to walk a course and understand the flow. But a single $12 mid-range disc transforms the experience completely. Most people who try disc golf with a real disc for the first time are surprised by how much farther and straighter it flies.
Where did disc golf and ultimate come from?
Both sports emerged from the flying disc boom of the 1960s. Wham-O began selling the Frisbee in 1957, and by the mid-1960s people were inventing games with it. Ultimate was formalized in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, by a group of students led by Joel Silver. Disc golf's origins are more scattered: informal "object golf" games where players threw discs at trees, poles, and trash cans were played in various places through the 1960s. The sport was standardized when Ed Headrick invented the Disc Pole Hole (the chain basket) in 1975 and founded the PDGA in 1976. The first permanent course was installed in Oak Grove Park in Pasadena, California that same year.
Disc golf's growth has dramatically outpaced ultimate's. There are over 7,000 disc golf courses in the US and the PDGA has 333,400 members. Ultimate has a strong college and club scene but remains a smaller sport in terms of infrastructure. Disc golf's advantages are lower barrier to entry (no team required), lower physical intensity (accessible to all ages), and the fact that a course can be installed in almost any park.
Which sport is right for you?
Choose disc golf if you want a low-intensity, individual activity you can do any time, alone or with friends, at low cost. Choose ultimate if you want high-intensity team competition and cardio. Disc golf is closer to hiking with a purpose. Ultimate is closer to soccer. Both are welcoming to beginners. Disc golf is easier to start because you can play tomorrow morning by yourself with one disc at a free course; ultimate requires finding a pickup game or league with enough players.
If you are here because you searched "frisbee golf," you are looking for disc golf. Find a course near you and try it. It costs $12 and takes an hour.