Bring Your Friends and Play Golf   Disc golf, a growing sport great for kids and adults alike, involves throwing Frisbees at targets. Started in Southern California 25 years ago, today there are over 1700 Disc Golf courses worldwide. Disc golf is similar in concept to regular golf, but instead of using clubs and golf balls, the player throws a disc (frisbee) from a tee pad to a basket on a pole. Winning is based on the fewest number of throws required to get the disc in the basket. Lake Mendocino Disc Golf Course North South scorecard and North scorecard

Our south disc golf course is located at the overlook day-use area. It consists of 18 holes, each with an alternate location. Tees are cement or rubber matting.  Most holes have light to moderate amounts of trees.

The north disc golf course is located across Marina Drive from the Pomo A parking lot. It consists of 9 holes, each with an alternate location. Tees are rubber matting. Holes are mostly medium to heavily wooded.

Do You Need Special Equipment? The discs used in disc are similar to a Frisbee. You can use regular frisbees when first starting, however, special weighted discs are preferred by disc golf pros. They are actually smaller and come in three different types: driver, midrange, and putter. Several local stores sell disc golf discs including Nickel Creek Nursery, Diamond Sporting Goods and Pacific Outfitters and Big 5 Sporting Goods. Most discs cost between $7 - $15.

Click map to view pdf.

Basic Rules of Play

The player begins by “driving” from a designated tee area. Each throw after that is made from the spot where the previous throw landed. When a player gets close enough to the basket, they then use the “putter” disc for short throws into the basket.

Common courtesy dictates that your opponent’s turn to throw be without distraction, just like in regular golf. Do not throw your disc until you are sure its flight or landing will not distract or hit another player or park visitor.

At the first tee play "Heads or Tails" with a disc to to decide who goes first. The printed side of the disc is "Heads". The odd man goes first. In the event of a tie when playing with four or more people then the two that flipped heads in the first round play another round of "Heads or Tails" to determine who goes first. Beginning at the second tee, the person with the lowest score tees off first at the remaining holes.

The "Plant" Foot (the foot that you put your weight on when you throw) must be as close as possible to the front line of the tee or the marker disc. The other foot can be any place you choose as long as it is no closer to the hole than tee line or the rear of the marker disc. Neither or your feet should be infront of the tee line or marker disc or more than one foot behind the tee line or disc marker.

Proper foot placement: Determining who goes first

Follow through, (stepping past marker disc after throwing), is allowed on any throw except when putting, (any throw where the rear of the marker disc is within 10 meters of the hole). Falling forward to keep your balance after a putt is not allowed.

Marker Disc

An extra disc or marker disc like a pocket Mini Disc model that is not used in normal play is used to mark every throw. The thrown disc is always left on the lie, (where it came to rest) until the marker disc is placed on the ground directly in front of and touching the disc. The thrown disc is then picked up.

A throw that lands out of bounds must be played from the point where the disc went out of bounds, and a one-point penalty is added onto your score.

Some courses have "out of bounds" areas. If your disc is "out-of-bounds", place your marker disc "inbounds" at the place where your disc went "out-of-bounds" and give yourself a one throw penalty. Hole #2 has an out of bounds section, delineated by cables that mark the edge of the cliff to the left of the basket.

If the disc is stuck in a tree or a bush more than 2 meters above the ground, the marker disc is placed exactly beneath it and it is carefully removed from the tree. You have also just added one throw to your score. This is called a penalty throw. You may now proceed; however, take extreme care not to damage the tree or bush, or reshape them in any way to improve your throwing conditions.

Out-of-Bounds and Water Hazards

Water hazards are played like you do the "out-of-bounds" throw, and don’t forget to take a one-throw penalty. If the disc is touching any shore above the water, it is "inbounds". Standing water or mud on the course that is caused by sprinklers or rain is not considered "out-of-bounds" and the disc may be relocated no closer to the hole without penalty.

Just like golf, trees, shrubbery, and water make the game a bit more interesting. Please be considerate of the course and the plants. Do not break branches and shrubs to make your game easier. Unfortunately, there are also litterbugs found on every disc golf course. The ideal solution is to pick up trash as you play. Hopefully, everyone else will get the idea when they see you. Trash cans are located at tee boxes #5 & #8. If you think something needs to be removed or spot a vandal in action, please contact the park headquarters at (707) 467-4200.

Distance from Lake Mendocino City Miles Ukiah 5 Willits 20 Santa Rosa 65 San Francisco 120 Sacramento 145 Eureka 155 Fort Bragg, CA 55