It was 9 a.m. on a Saturday and just a few hours earlier, Mark Pryor had finished his shift at Noosa’s manufacturing facility. His work is just up the road from Cache La Poudre DGC, one of the great disc golf courses in Colorado, which is nestled in the trees between the town’s middle school and creek.

On this Saturday — like most Saturdays — Pryor met up with Chris Alder after work to play disc. About two hours in, the twosome had already walked the course about four times.

Alder was giving Pryor a hard time for not getting an ace — disc golf lingo for a hole-in-one — as they started their next round. Pryor usually racks up at least one ace a week.

“He was like the Tiger Woods of disc golf,” Alder said of Pryor.

Pryor first stumbled across disc golf in 1996. The City of Fort Collins had drained a pond at Edora Park, and on the muddy bottom were a few dozen discs.

“I was like, what is this? I had never heard of disc golf,” Pryor said.

The game of disc golf

Disc golf is played with a “disc” similar to a Frisbee. There are thousands of disc options, from putters to drivers, which help a player reach a desired target: a disc golf basket.

The baskets, most of which are designed by Ed Headrick, according to the Disc Golf Association, hang on poles driven into the ground. The circular, chain-metal baskets entrap a disc thrown into them from any direction.

Rules are similar to traditional golf but with a disc rather than a club and ball. Players start from the tee box, usually a level area where they can take a few steps. Each throw is a “stroke” and each hole has a “par” number. The player moves through each hole by tossing the disc again from where it previously landed, with the goal of taking the fewest strokes possible to get the disc into the basket. Strokes or penalties are also accrued for going out of bounds.

Scoring is also like traditional golf. Players get a point for every stroke. The person with the lowest number of strokes for the entire course wins.

History of disc golf

The father of disc golf, Ed Headrick, was a toy inventor for the Wham-O company. He was rethinking the company’s original flying saucer and that resulted in the creation of the Frisbee in the 1950s, according to the Disc Golf Association. Headrick knew the Frisbee could be so much more and extensively marketed its broader uses — trick throws and games. He also founded the International Frisbee Association, which led the way for the new sport.

With Headrick’s lead, people began using Frisbees for target practice, making challenges out of trying to hit things like trees, trash cans or light poles. When Wham-O didn’t share Headrick’s vision for a Frisbee golf sport, Headrick split and joined his son to start the first disc golf company in 1976. A year later, he designed the disc golf basket.

There are now thousands of disc golf courses worldwide, most of which are free to play.

A sport for everyone

Because most courses are free, and a used disc can be picked up for a few dollars at a local sports or disc golf shop, disc golf has also become a great family sport.

“The great thing is the activity,” Alder said. “It keeps you on your feet and keeps you moving. And everyone is so friendly. We meet a lot of people from all around.”

Due to its growing popularity, many more communities have established courses in parks or open spaces over the years. Disc golf can be enjoyed while traveling, so look for a local course on your next outing or cross-country trip. Stop for lunch and play a round to stretch your legs. Most courses are dog-friendly — as long as pet/leash laws are followed — so they’re a great option for getting exercise for you and your dog.

Here’s a small sampling of our picks for great disc golf courses in Colorado.

Norte de Colorado

Eastman Oxbow Disc Golf Course in Windsor. Located at Eastman Park, this 12-hole par-3 course is a fairly open course is located among scattered trees along the Cache La Poudre River.

Edora Disc Golf Course in Fort Collins. Probably one of the oldest courses in northern Colorado to have baskets, the moderately hilly and slightly wooded 18-hole course weaves through Edora Park and has been remodeled several times. It has a variety of short and long holes to make it enjoyable for all levels.

Morning Fresh Dairy Disc Golf Course in Bellvue. This 9-hole, par-3 course wraps around the Morning Fresh Dairy Farm that’s home to Noosa yogurt and Morning Fresh Daily products. Stop in the Howling Cafe in the middle of the course to enjoy an ice cream or sign up for a dairy tour after your game.

University of Northern Colorado Disc Golf Course in Greeley. This nine-hole, par-3 course weaves through campus. It’s best to play this course on nights and weekends because the campus is crowded with students during school hours. Parking is free after 5 p.m.

Centennial Park in Longmont. This well-maintained 9-hole course has water features that will challenge players of all levels. It’s a beautiful course with a mix of trees, a creek and park features.

Tip: College campuses and elementary, middle and high schools are great places to find disc golf courses. However, those on school property limit playing hours to evening and weekends while school is in session.

In Fort Collins, you can find additional courses at Front Range Community College, Fort Collins High School, Lincoln Middle School, Boltz Jr. High School, Werner Elementary School, Fossil Ridge High School and Cache La Poudre Middle School.

Sur de Colorado

City Park Disc Golf Course in Pueblo. Created in the early days of Headrick’s promotion of disc golfing, this course is the third oldest course in the country, according to the City of Pueblo. It’s 18 holes with concrete tees, easy-to-read signs and park facilities.

Widefield Disc Golf Course in Colorado Springs. Like many larger urban areas, Colorado Springs has several disc golf courses. This 18-hole course has a variety of shots from open to technical and features a small stream to toss over on a few holes.

Rampart Park in Colorado Springs. Because this 19-hole course is located within the park, it is only open during park hours. It features some long, open shots as well as technical tree shots.

Woodmen Hills Park & Recreation Disc Golf Course in Peyton. This is a great beginner 9-hole course that is mostly flat and involves about 2 miles of walking.

Área metropolitana de Denver

Camenisch Park (Badlands) in Federal Heights. With easy parking and set in a well-maintained park, this 18-hole course is moderately hilly and lightly wooded and is part of the Hyland Hills Park & Recreation District.

Johnny Roberts Disc Golf Course in Arvada. This 18-hole course, renovated in 2014, is situated in Memorial Park, located behind City Hall and Police Headquarters. It is moderately wooded, with a small creek running through the middle.

Exposition Park Disc Golf Course in Aurora. This open 18-hole course provides players with distance and water challenges as it weaves around three small ponds and the creek that connects them.

Paco Sanchez in Denver. This is a 21-hole course. The first eight holes are located in the park, and the remaining 13 holes are situated in a mixed-use area, following a concrete path throughout. It is a challenging course with longer holes than some smaller courses.

Tip: There are A LOT of disc golf courses, some maintained better than others. A popular disc golf app is UDisc, which can help you find courses, including details, reviews, maps and level of difficulty.

Other Colorado favorites

Steamboat Springs Ski Area uses part of its ski mountain in the summer for a disc golf course. This makes for a wide mix of challenging wooded holes, wide open spaces and steep inclines. You can drive to hole one, which is at the top of Burgess Creek Road at the bottom of Thunderhead lift.

Baldridge Disc Golf Course in Montrose. This course has gone through some major changes over the past decade, but now is a well-marked course with a variety of trees, hills and open spaces, as well as one water challenge.

Buena Vista Disc Golf Course. This course is on a ridge adjacent to the river and behind the town’s baseball fields. It consists of tall desert shrubbery and cactus, providing players with a change in scenery from the typical city disc golf courses.

Tip: Many Colorado ski resorts boast disc golf courses on their slopes during the summer months. It’s a great way to combine mountain hiking and disc golf at the same time.