(Photo by Brad Poreda)

Have you ever played disc golf? If not, it’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors, check out the park, and get some fresh air and exercise with family and friends! 

W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park is home to a Par 60 18-hole disc golf course that opened to the public on July 21, 2021. It is open from dawn to dusk daily, it is available to all members of the public, and it is free to play the course. There are no tee time reservations or required apparel. 

The course has white (beginners / recreational) and blue (intermediate) tee boxes, and it navigates through native prairie grasses, wooded areas, and a 30-foot-tall hill. Tee boxes are concrete hog slats, and the baskets are DGA Mach X.

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What is Disc Golf?

Disc golf is similar in concept to regular golf, in that players throw a disc from a tee box into a standing basket, counting the number of throws it takes to accomplish the task on each hole. As with golf, the object of disc golf is to make as few throws as possible on each hole.

After throwing your disc from the tee box toward the basket, go to where it landed. From there, throw again, and so on and so forth until you’ve thrown your disc into the basket. Count the number of throws it took you, and whoever threw the fewest times wins that round.

Alternatively, of course, you can just play for fun and not keep score.

New to disc golf and just want to try it out first? No problem! Visit the Disc Library at the course entrance, borrow a driver and a putter, play the course, and return the discs after you’re done!

Did you find a lost disc on the course while you were playing? Simply slide it into the big black metal Lost & Found box, and we’ll get it back to its owner.

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What Equipment Do I Need?

You just need a disc or two, and that’s it! More advanced players will have several discs of various sizes and weights. Feel free to borrow discs from the Disc Library at the course entrance and return them when you’re done playing.

We highly recommend writing your name and phone number on any discs that you own in permanent ink before you start playing. That way, if you lose your disc anywhere on the course and someone finds it and places it in the Lost & Found box, we can contact you to return it.

There are no apparel requirements to play our course. Simply dress comfortably and for the weather. There are no golf carts in disc golf — it is a walking sport, so wear comfortable shoes.

If you want to keep score, bring your own scorecard and something to write with or use the UDisc app to score electronically. 

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Where in the Park is the Disc Golf Course?

Upon entering the park, take the first drive to the left. It will lead you to the disc golf course parking lot. The course is in the prairie, on the hill, and in some of the wooded area near the front of the property.

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Hendricks County Disc Golf Club

Hendricks County Parks & Recreation worked closely with the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club on the design and construction of the course, and the club continues to provide expertise, manpower, and funding on a regular basis to make the course fun for everyone of all levels of ability. 

Formed in 2008, the club promotes disc golf within the county and everywhere they play. They promote enhancements to current courses and development of additional courses throughout Hendricks County, and they host leagues, tournaments, special events and workshops. Anyone with any questions or who are interested in play, practice, group workshops for churches, youth groups, schools, or scouts, charity tournament planning, competitive play are encouraged to contact them.

The club hosts its Thursday night league at 6 p.m. from March through October at the W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park Disc Golf Course.

For more information about the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club, check out their:

• Website
• Facebook group