Photo by Erin M. Droste

Kurt Ohlendorf, Seattle senior, prepares to throw his frisbee at the sixth hole of the disc golf course at Centennial Park, southwest of Sixth and Iowa streets, yesterday afternoon. Ohlendorf skipped class to go to the park to play with his friends. It was his fifth time playing the sport. “We’re pretty decent. We’re not great,” said Ohlendorf.

Editor’s note: This is a regular series that profiles recreational activities in which students take part. If you hunt, fish, climb rocks, go canoeing or are an expert spelunker, The University Daily Kansan would like to share your story. Please contact Caleb Regan by calling the Kansan sports desk at 864-4858 or by e-mailing him at cregan@kansan.com.

It’s always a walk in the park, no matter how a person scores or how frustrated he feels. Disc golf, which is played in Lawrence at Centennial Park, even has its own class at the University of Kansas.

Its instructor, Cody Shaffer, said enrollment for his class had steadily increased since he took over the course two years ago.

Part of the appeal is the inexpensiveness of playing a round — except for the seven or eight dollars to buy a disc — and also the competitive nature of disc golf. Like its sister sport, golf golf, disc golf is a way for people to get out in the sun, improve their games and get some exercise at the same time.

Centennial Park, located just southwest of Sixth and Iowa streets, is home to the only disc golf course in Lawrence. A second course is being built at Clinton Lake.

Shaffer said exercise was only part of the reason he enjoyed “folf,” which is short for Frisbee golf.

“I wore a walking odometer one time out, and walked three and a half miles. That number can change in either direction, depending on how good or bad you are,” Shaffer said. “That’s good, but even better is the feeling of improving at something, setting goals and getting better.”

The object of folf is to throw a Frisbee that is slightly less than one foot in diameter into a pin that is anchored in the ground. The pin is a wide metal basket that is attached about halfway up a tall metal pole. Vertical chains are connected from a ring at the top of the pole to a point on the pole near the basket.

A disc flies into the chains and comes to rest in the basket. All 18 holes at Centennial are par-3s and are roughly 100 yards in length, depending on the pin settings, which are changed once every three or four weeks during the season.

Shaffer said he attributed the growth in popularity to both exercise and low cost.

“It’s free to play, unlike regular golf, and lots of people don’t like to run or go to the gym just for the sake of exercise,” he said. “It gives you a reason to walk that three and a half miles.”

In the first two days of disc golf class, students learn the rules and regulations. The rest is devoted to practicing technique and playing rounds at Centennial Park.

Scott Smith, Hutchinson sophomore, said the class was beneficial to his game.

“I already played disc golf before I took the course, but the class taught me a lot about playing at Centennial. Hutchinson’s course is flat relative to this one,” Smith said. “The class taught me a lot about the technique of throwing uphill and downhill, and increased the distance of my drive.”

Centennial Park boasts holes with a wide range of distance, elevation and obstacles. Three or four holes, depending on pin placement, require players to throw downhill across streams.

“My favorite part is seeing how far I can throw it,” Smith said. “When you make a good shot, it makes you feel good as you watch your game improve.”

Edited by Kendall Dix