Regardless of what they were made of, thin, flatish, circular items such as trays and pie tins have often tempted people to see how far they could make them soar. A plastic version was created in 1948 to be sold at county fairs, and Walter Morrison called it the Flying Saucer, then the Pluto Platter, capitalizing on the hype after the 1947 UFO sightings at Roswell, New Mexico. The founders of Wham-O (later bought by Mattel) bought the rights to the toy and named it Frisbee, misspelling the name of the famous Frisbie Baking Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the throwing of whose pie plates was a popular pastime for nearby college students.

Though many know Frisbees as summer toys tossed around at outdoor gatherings—my older brothers used to let me toss one around the yard with them—these identified flying objects have spawned many games based off ball sports. Ultimate Frisbee combines the passing game of football with the endurance aspects of soccer. Disc golf states up front what game it’s based on, and is much easier on the knees and lungs than running games. But it’s not played with Frisbees. These discs are smaller, thinner, and—like golf clubs—there are different ones for different situations. Unlike golf, it is possible to play with just one disc, and most courses don’t charge use fees.

The first disc golf club was formed in Rochester in 1975, and, while not as popular as pickleball (yet), there are more disc golf courses than Dunkin’ Donuts in the US. There was an upturn during covid—you could play solo or at a safe distance with others. The goals are metal baskets on a center pole with chains running from a rim above to the basket. Most are in public parks or on college/university campuses. The smallest category is wineries and breweries, which prompted me to give my disc golf-loving brother a future birthday experience—a day at Fulkerson’s Winery for a tasting and a game on the Back Forty (not necessarily in that order). Redeemable this summer.

There are websites and apps (UDisc being the main one) that provide information on what clubs, leagues, and courses are nearby. It’s a friendly community, and easy to find a regular gathering to join if you want company or pointers. Ordering lunch at the counter of Turtle Leaf Café in Elmira, I noticed a wall full of discs for sale. The young man taking my order happened to be Cory McCarty, who owns Queen City Discs. He agreed to show me the ropes—or chains. He suggested we meet at Denison Park in Corning.

I showed up with my one disc. Cory had a bag of twenty. He assured me my pink Shark mid-range disc was a good all-round choice for a beginner, explaining there are also putters, for close throws, and drivers, for long distances. Within those categories, there are variations for distance, speed, glide (float), color, and other factors. Bright pink is a popular color because it’s easier to find in the foliage.

Cory recommended the UDisc app to keep track of scores, and its map is helpful if you’re on a new course. It’s not always obvious where to go because disc golf courses often double back on themselves, and you may see several baskets from where you are. Cory pointed to the first tee—a concrete slab five feet wide by at least eight feet long. A small sign near the tee gave the hole number, par three (the number of throws), and showed where the second tee was in relation to the first hole. I was surprised at how long the pad was until Cory walked to the back of it, wound up, and got a running start before releasing his disc—a respectable throw that didn’t bounce off any trees and got near enough to the basket that he’d no doubt make it in par.

“Just start standing at the edge for now,” he suggested. “Concentrate on form. You want to keep it level and in line.”

“In line with what?” I asked. His wife, Kayla, helped him out by telling me that, as I brought the disc alongside my chest, to go nipple to nipple.

My first shot kicked off a tree but toward the middle rather than out of bounds. It took me three throws to get near where Cory had with one. The away player—the person whose disc is furthest away from the hole—goes next and until they catch up. Cory was reassuring, saying “if you get a double bogey or better, that’s great for a beginner” and “forward is good!” Anything that goes out of bounds must be set inside at the exit point, and a stroke added to that player’s score.

My biggest fear was hitting people or, on the third hole, sending my only disc over the fence and onto Denison Parkway. Hole four was my best—a true bogey—but usually I needed four or more throws than Cory. I’d like to tell you a story of my great beginners’ luck throw that impressed him, but there was none.

Still, it was fun. Cory’s friends introduced him to the game about eight years ago. “I hated it. I was awful. Half my throws went behind me.” Then someone, who’d gotten the wrong impression, bought him a starter pack of three discs, and he felt obligated to use them. Once his competitive spirit kicked in and skill improved, he started enjoying this way of hanging out with friends in nature. Liked it enough to start Queen City Discs in early 2023. “I have a heart for Elmira and its growth,” he says. “I was trying to find a way that I could add something to the area.” While discs can be purchased online, having a local place to see and handle the different discs is nice.

According to Cory, Denison isn’t really a beginner course, especially holes thirteen through eighteen which are by water (we only played ten holes). To start, he recommends Eldridge Park’s nine-hole course in Elmira and the full South Shore course along Cowanesque Lake just over the line in Pennsylvania. Closer to me is a new nine-hole course at Hammond Lake at Ives Run. A quick search brings up more.

The Corning 20%ers, the local disc golf club, manages the course at Denison and have set times on Thursdays and Sundays when anyone can show up and play with them. They’ll probably loan you a disc, or you can stop by Turtle Leaf Café and buy a mid-range one. Cory says, “I’ll happily meet up with anyone and bring some discs they’re interested in!”

Find more information at udisc.com, queencitydiscs.com, or look up the Corning 20%ers on Facebook.