Disc Golf
O’Brien Park is host to the Park District’s Disc Golf Course. Disc Golf is a free activity that is available to the public.
What is Disc Golf?
Players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. The object of the game is to play the course with the fewest number of throws.
History of Disc Golf
Modern disc golf started in the late 1960s, when it seems to have been invented in many places and by many people independently. The first disc golf course was designed in Pasadena, California. In 1975, the first disc golf association, the PDGA was formed, which now officiates the standard rules of play for the sport – Wikipedia.
| Scoreboard Term | Specific term | Definition |
 |
||
| -3 | Albatross (or Double-Eagle) | Three (3) strokes under par |
| -2 | Eagle (or Double-Birdie) | Two (2) strokes under par |
| -1 | Birdie | One (1) stroke under par |
| 0 | Par | Stokes equal to par |
| +1 | Bogey | One (1) stroke more than par |
| +2 | Double Bogey | Two (2) strokes over par |
| +3 | Triple Bogey | Three (3) strokes over par |
Albatross
Three-under-par (-3); often called a double eagle. Extremely rare, and occur most commonly on par-fives with a strong drive and a holed approach shot. Holes-in-one on par-four holes (generally short ones) are also albatrosses. The most famous albatross was made by Gene Sarazen in 1935, which propelled him into a tie for first at The Masters Tournament. He won the playoff the next day. The sportswriters of the day termed it "the shot heard 'round the world." Between 1970 and 2003, 84 such shots (an average of fewer than three per year) were recorded on the PGA Tour.
Eagle
Two-under-par (-2). Eagles usually occur when golfers with great enough distance can drive to the green with fewer strokes than expected. This most commonly happens on par-fives, though it occasionally occurs on short par-fours. A hole-in-one on a par-three hole also results in an eagle.
Birdie
One-under-par (-1). This expression was coined in 1899, at Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, New Jersey. It seems that one day in 1899, three golfers - George Crump (who later built Pine Valley, about 45 miles away), William Poultney Smith (founding member of Pine Valley), and his brother Ab Smith – were playing together when Crump hit his second shot only inches from the cup on a par-four hole after his first shot had struck a bird in flight. Simultaneously, the Smith brothers exclaimed that Crump's shot was "a bird." Crump's short putt left him one under par for the hole, and from that day the three of them referred to such a score as a "birdie." In short order, the entire membership of the club began using the term and, since as a resort the Atlantic City Country Club had a lot of out-of-town visitors, the expression spread and caught the fancy of all American golfers. The perfect round (score of 54 on a par 72 course) is most commonly described as scoring a birdie on all 18 holes, although no player has ever recorded a perfect round in a professional tournament.
Par
Even (E). The golfer has taken as many strokes as the hole's par number. In theory, pars are achieved by two putts, with the remaining shots being used to reach the green. For example, on a par-five hole, a player would be expected to take three shots to reach the green and two shots to putt the ball into the hole. Par derives its name from Latin, where "par" means even.
Bogey
One-over-par (+1). "Going round in Bogey" originally meant an overall par score, starting at the Great Yarmouth Golf Club in 1890, and based on a popular music hall song "Here Comes the Bogey Man." Nationally players competed against "Colonel Bogey" and this in turn gave the title to a 1914 marching tune.
As golf became more standardized in the United States, par scores were tightened and recreational golfers found themselves scoring over par, with bogey changing meaning to one over par. Bogeys are relatively common, even in professional play - so much so that it is considered somewhat noteworthy if a player manages to complete a 'bogey-free' round - and they are standard for most casual and club players. A player with a handicap of eighteen would be playing to his or her handicap if they scored a bogey on every hole.
More than one shot over par is known as a Double-Bogey, Triple-Bogey, and so on. However, it is more common to hear higher scores referred to by the number of strokes rather than by name. For example, a player, having taken 12 shots to negotiate a par-three, would be far more likely to refer to it simply as a 12, or being nine over par, than a nonuple bogey. Double-bogey or worse scores are relatively uncommon for top performers in professional play.
