Destination Bedford offers big, bold and unforgettable experiences. You’ll see stunning beauty in the Blue Ridge Mountains and hear stories of bravery that will take your breath away at the National D-Day Memorial.
The growth of disc golf has exploded over the past decade, and shows no signs of slowing any time soon. At the end of 2023, there were 15,205 disc golf courses worldwide, which is double the number of courses available in 2017. The United States is the first nation to exceed 10,000 disc golf courses.
Originally called Frisbee Golf (or frolf), it has been around in some form since the 1960s. College students played an early version of it using trees as targets. Bedford County embraced disc golf long before its popularity took off like a tee throw with a gusty tail wind. This county loves disc golf. There is an active club that organizes events and a Facebook group to help players connect with other players.
You can imagine how excited the community is that the 2024 World Disc Golf Championship is being played right here in Bedford County. It will put Bedford on the radar of players everywhere who will follow the media coverage. They will see the beautiful courses and the stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Disc golfers will soon consider it a bucket list item to play the courses in Bedford County.
There are five beautiful courses in Bedford. Two are rated for expert players, one of which was actually designed by a former world champion who resided in Bedford County at one time. Watching these top players navigate the advanced courses is like watching tennis at Wimbledon and being thankful you’re not on the receiving end of a Roger Federer serve. It also makes us thankful that there are some awesome courses in Bedford that are perfect for us beginners.
Disc golf is perhaps the ideal beginner sport. Beginner skiers fall down a lot. Beginner tennis players swing and miss or hit the ball over the fence, continually interrupting the flow of the play. Beginner disc golfers who are unable to throw the disc all the way down the fairway simply get to pick it up and throw it again. It’s not an inconvenience, and you were going to walk the same distance down the fairway, anyway.
It’s not nearly as frustrating to be a beginner at disc golf as it is in other sports. It’s genuinely fun. And, unless you’re playing for a championship, fun is what it’s all about, especially when you’re playing in Bedford County, where you may have to share the fairways with the deer while enjoying the beautiful mountain views.
For more information on where to play disc golf in Bedford County, visit: DestinationBedfordVA.com/DiscGolf
Some advice for those who have never tried disc golf, or play once in a blue moon:
- Don’t spend a lot of money at first on discs. Discs are rated for speed, glide distance and fade or tendency to curve. Much is affected by how hard you throw and the angle of release. Try a couple and see what works best for you.
- Keeping score is optional the first few times you play. Don’t worry about what the sign says is par for each hole. Have fun and figure out the strategies as you go along.
- Play with people who are close to the same skill level. This helps ensure that you don’t frustrate each other by moving at different paces. In a perfect world, you might have one player who is slightly better than the others so that he or she can offer tips and suggestions.
- Try some different courses, as long as they are suitable to your skill level. Variety will keep things interesting and contribute to your enjoyment of the game.
- Have fun. Don’t forget to enjoy the fresh air, scenery and good conversation.
