by Rhia Daniel

King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15) might be an under-appreciated and overlooked park in your eastern Adelaide Park Lands.

Until 2002, it had no name - known simply as “Park 15”. Now, King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina is home what might be considered an an under-appreciated and overlooked sport — disc golf.

SA Disc Golf community engagement officer Chris Harris, tells me that disc golf was invented in the late 1960s or early ‘70s by “Steady” Ed Headrick, in California.

Headrick worked for Wham-O, a toy company that’s created and sold iconic toys like the slip ‘n slide, hacky sack, hula hoop, and most importantly, the frisbee.

Chris cautions me, though, not to refer to the brand name “frisbee” but to the generic term “flying disc” instead.

Just like traditional golf, players have a set of driver, midrange, and putter discs. You differentiate between the discs depending on the distance you need the disc to cross.

There are concrete slabs laid in nine places in Park 15. These are the locations where you tee off to play each basket on the nine-basket, par 28 course. The objective is to get your disc into each basket using the fewest throws.

Chris started playing disc golf around three years ago, but it wasn’t a very gentle introduction. He lives on East Terrace, overlooking King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, and witnessed someone digging holes in the grass there.

Becoming quite upset at this, he crossed the road and asked the man what he was doing. This man introduced himself as Gareth Morgan, a current member of SA Disc Golf, and told Chris all about the game. He was helping to install an official disc golf course there, thanks to some funding from the City of Adelaide.

Gareth managed to charm Chris into not only letting him continue what he was doing but joining SA Disc Golf as a member. At the time, Disc Golf had only twelve members. Three years later, it now has about 80 members.  

I join players on a league day, held on the first Sunday of each month in your Adelaide Park Lands.

Competitors have gathered before a game at 10am. Groups of four are announced to start on each hole. The four players I will be accompanying for the morning are James, Steve, Ben, and Chris.

Chris takes me through one way to launch the discs. He favours a throw across the chest, keeping his other arm straight to slice through the air. But the other players have different ideas.

Steve and James both like to visualise the disc’s journey, before throwing it, by holding it up to eye level. Ben often keeps his elbow tucked into his side and whips out his wrist to throw the disc — like you might fling a dinner plate at the wall if you found a giant spider on it!

The trees in your Park 15 form obstacles for the players, and their respective throwing styles can work for or against them in guiding the discs around the greenery.

Ben said he got into disc golf because “it was pretty chill; it’s not a contact sport like rugby”… “A mate invited me along to a come-and-try, and it went from there.”

There are benefits of disc golf, both physically and environmentally. It is a low-impact sport, and Chris mentioned the positive, calming effect of seeing the bright discs floating in the air like birds.

It’s not surprising that the sport has gained traction over the last few years as it gives players the opportunity to spend a few hours out in the sun each weekend.

At $10 per year for a local membership, the sport is far cheaper to play than regular golf. The course requires much less water and maintenance than a traditional golf one.

There are five rules signposted around the Park 15 course to ensure the game is played respectfully and safely. They are:

1.     Always give other park users the right of way.

2.     Do not throw your disc until the group ahead is clear.

3.     Ensure the path is clear before throwing.

4.     Take all rubbish with you or place it in the bins provided.

5.     Respect the natural flora and fauna.

The sport is great for casual fans as well. Discs can be rented from The Stag on Rundle Street and they’re often hired by families looking for a low-cost, bonding activity for an afternoon.

For those wanting to learn more about the sport, you can find the SA Disc Golf website here and keep up with its activities on Facebook here.

Rhia Daniel has moved to Adelaide from Kapunda, and deeply values community and green spaces.

Main photo (top) of competitor Sarah Lee at the course in King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15).