An assessment of the relevance of landscape architecture and disc golf

Abstract

Disc golf is on the rise. Disc golf is a sport based on traditional golf but played with a flying disc instead of a ball and club. It was formalized in the 1970s and has grown steadily ever since, particularly in the last decade. Landscape architecture has largely ignored this phenomenon, except for two MLA theses (Plansky, 2013a; Hutzelman, 2012). This seems unusual, considering that landscape architecture has been called the most relevant degree to disc golf course design (DGCD, 2014). This study assesses the relationship between landscape architecture and disc golf. A general research question guides this study: what added benefit, if any, might landscape architects bring to disc golf course design and development? This guiding question is explored through three subquestions: 1) what services might landscape architects offer disc golf course development, 2) how might landscape architectural services be used by the current state of disc golf course development, and 3) how might future course development types take full advantage of the services provided by landscape architects? This project used literature synthesis, analysis of existing data, and three types of exploratory designs to answer the above questions. The results of these methods showed that landscape architects can add value to disc golf course design and development through their skillsets and process. Not every landscape architect necessarily possesses the skills and experience to design a disc golf course, but landscape architects as a whole can propose disc golf courses if they have a basic knowledge of course requirements. A closer relationship between landscape architects and disc golf would be beneficial for the growth of the profession and the sport. This report concludes with recommendations and an action plan to reach this goal.