Click here to read John Houck's contribution to disc golf.

View John's Resume on HouckDesign.com .

The History of Disc Golf
America's fastest-growing sport

What is Disc Golf?

Disc golf combines one of the world’s great games – golf – with a modern recreational phenomenon – the flying disc. The now well-organized and hugely popular sport began with the simple fun of throwing a piece of plastic. As far back as the 1950s, players throwing at trees, lamp posts, and even garbage cans realized that they were playing a modern version of golf. In the 1960s and 1970s, other major disc sports developed, including Ultimate (which combines discs with of the best elements of soccer and football), Freestyle, and Double Disc Court (a Space Age disc version of tennis). In 1976, Ed Headrick, an executive at Wham-O, patented the first dedicated target for the game: the Disc Pole Hole. He founded the Disc Golf Association and the Professional Disc Golf Association, which he later turned over to the players themselves. For his contributions "Steady" Ed is widely known as the Father of Disc Golf.

The flying disc designer responsible for the technological leap that shaped modern disc golf was David Dunipace. Dunipace invented and patented the modern beveled-edge golf disc and in 1983, founded Innova-Champion Discs. The golf disc he designed went on to make most of the day's courses obsolete. Innova continues to lead the industry in disc design and manufacturing. Today, while retaining his role at Innova, Dave Dunipace is the genius behind the disc designs of Millennium Golf Discs.

The Growth of Disc Golf

Today the Professional Disc Golf Association is considered the governing body for disc golf, and most clubs and tournaments are associated with or abide by its guidelines. Current PDGA membership is nearly 12,000 players, and membership has grown by an average of over 10% every year. That number only hints at the growing cadre of casual disc golfers who now number in the hundreds of thousands.

There are more than 2,400 courses worldwide in 28 countries including Australia, Belize, Iceland, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and even Antarctica. There is an ever-growing industry based around the sport; discs, targets, course design services, and accessories are all highly competitive areas of the disc golf business. As the popularity of disc golf increases, so does the demand for new and exciting products and services.

John Houck's Contribution to Disc Golf