Guide to Siouxland Disc Golf Courses

One of Siouxland's fastest growing activities is a family friendly sport for all skill levels! I've had a lot of fun playing with my kids, husband, and dad, and I'm excited to share more about this cool game with more families. Wondering what in the world disc golf is and whether you too might develop a strange addiction to this deceptively simple game? Here's the scoop:

What is disc golf?

Disc golf is a game played by throwing discs (like Frisbees, but Frisbee is actually a brand name, and the best discs for this game tend to be from other companies, surprisingly!) at metal baskets, starting from a specified point on a course. Your score is calculated by counting how many throws it takes you to get to each basket; low score wins. 

What do you need to play?

At least one flying disc, and a basket. As I mentioned though, the best discs for golfing aren't actually from the Frisbee company. I prefer to use ones from Innova. 

While you only need one to play, and we were initially skeptical that the different discs for different distances thing was mainly a marketing ploy, we found our scores really did improve when we used the different discs. 

For me the one that makes the biggest difference is the putter. It is heavier than the other discs and a slightly different shape, so it is easier to get in the basket from a close distance and doesn't roll as much when you miss your putt, which I appreciate a lot as someone who misses lots of putts. The discs all have funny names to keep them straight, and a few of our family's favorites include the Archangel, Aviar, Banshee, Leopard, and Polecat. They are all pretty versatile and beginner friendly.

Where can you play disc golf in Siouxland?

Iowa actually has the most disc golf courses per capita of any state in the USA, so we have lots of options! There are several courses in our area, including:

Disc golf courses in Sioux City

• Briar Cliff University
• 18 hole
• Grandview Park
• 9 hole
• Leif Erickson Park
• 9 hole
• Sertoma Park
• 18 hole
• temporarily closed in 2023 for mountain bike course construction
• WIT
• 9 hole

Other disc golf courses in Iowa

• Central Park
• Hawarden, Iowa
• 9 holes
• Hillview Recreation Area
• Hinton, Iowa
• 9 holes
• Moville
• Moville, Iowa
• 9 holes
• Onawa
• Onawa, Iowa
• 9 holes
• Sergeant Bluff
• Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
• 9 holes
• new in 2020
• West Floyd Park
• LeMars, Iowa
• 18 holes
• recognized by Travel Iowa as one of the best in the state

Disc golf courses in Nebraska

• Crystal Cove Park
• South Sioux City, Nebraska
• 18 holes
• Wayne State College
• Wayne, Nebraska
• 9 holes

Disc golf courses in South Dakota

• Barstow Park
• Vermillion, South Dakota
• 9 holes
• Elk Run
• Elk Point, South Dakota
• 18 holes
• Prentice Park
• Vermillion, South Dakota
• 10 holes

 

You can also check out Travel Iowa's recommendation of Best Disc Golf courses in Iowa, or use this map to find more disc golf courses all around the country!

Sounds fun...so how can I get awesome and then beat my spouse at disc golf?

Study disc golf technique online, read up on the rules, and practice! You can even buy disc golf baskets for your backyard to practice putting in (or maybe even set up a full hole to play, depending on the size and shape of your yard!)  So far the best inexpensive one we've found for backyard use is this one from Menards. You can also join online disc golf communities, like the Sioux City Disc Golf group on Facebook or the disc golf subreddit!

Can kids play disc golf?

Of course! Disc golf is a great game for kids, and some of the Sioux City area disc golf courses are actually pretty short, which makes them great for beginners and people with short arms! 

One thing that makes it more fun for our son is to add 1 to the par for each hole for "kid par" and to focus on beating our own PRs rather than trying to beat each other. He has gotten better every time we have gone. 

Another option can be to play "best ball" (well, "best disc") and let everyone in your family throw, and then everyone makes their next throw from the closest disc to the basket. If you have enough people playing, you can do that on teams, or just have the whole family be one team. 

Whatever specific rules you decide to play with, I encourage you to get out there and have fun throwing!

Looking for more family fun outdoors in Siouxland? Check out my full guide to city parks in Sioux City!