Frisbee Golf at Burke Lake Park
SUBMITTED BY: Samuel Dearth
LAST UPDATED: December 23, 2005

What do you get when you combine the sport of golf with a frisbee? Frisbee Golf of course!

Frisbee golf is played in a similar manner as ball golf. The initial "drive" is taken from a designated tee area. Each subsequent throw is taken from just behind the spot where the disc came to rest. Each throw is added to your tally. As with ball golf each hole is given a par rating. A common strategy for a par-three hole, as in golf, would be drive (long hard throw toward the tee), chip (medium throw to the "green"), putt (short toss into the basket). Your hole is scored when the disc has come to rest in the target.

The target in Disc Golf is usually a basket that is suspended parallel to the ground about two feet from the ground, and attached to a vertical pole that is a few feet tall. To better allow discs to come to rest in this basket, chains are suspended from another circular section near the top of the pole and allowed to hang limply to a point where they are connected to the pole in or near the receiving basket.

Burke Lake Park has an 18-hole, scenic frisbee golf course that is set in the woods along the lake. There is no charge to play on the course. Simply bring your frisbee and start at hole#1. Be careful however, you and your Little can get hooked on this and find yourself going again and again.

The course is generally not crowded and it takes just under an hour to play 18 holes. Burke Lake Park also offers miniature golf, boat rentals, an ice cream parlor, a miniature train, an 18-hole par-3 regular golf course, and picnic areas with grills. Parking for Fairfax County residents is free. In the summer, there is a car charge for non-county residents.

There are also other courses throughout the Northern Virginia area but I cannot speak to specifics about them. A few links of these courses can be found below.

Related Resources

Fairfax County Website includes descriptions and directions
Great article on Disc Golf Basics

Bull Run Regional Park Frisbee Golf Course
Pohick Bay Regional Park Frisbee Golf Course
McLean Central Park Frisbee Golf Course
Bluemont Park Frisbee Golf Course