Give it a Spin: Disc Golf in Cerritos

Looking for a new hobby or sport to pick up this summer? How about disc golf? Though you may never have heard of it, disc golf has grown in popularity since it was invented in the early 1960s.

In fact, you don't have to go very far to check it out, there is a disc golf course right here in Cerritos at .

The Liberty Park course has nine holes, though there are no actual holes. Just like ball golf, there is a tee, or starting point, for every hole, but instead of a hole, there is a basket. The goal is to get the disc into the basket in as few throws as possible, just like the type of golf most people are familiar with.

The course at Liberty is simple, most of the holes are rather short and there are few obstacles, making it perfect for first timers. “It's an easy course, it's good for beginners. I bring a lot of friends here”, said Tom Sales. “I used to live down the road, I probably play twice a week, try to at least, it's real convenient,” he added before launching a disc into the distance.

The course is not very busy on weekdays, but there are quite a few groups playing on the weekends, and at night the light up the entire course, making it bright enough to find your discs almost anywhere. The lights stay on late into the night, but all public parks close at 10pm, which is also when the sprinklers turn on.

One of the many reasons to try disc golf is that the sport is rather inexpensive to play. Most courses, like Liberty Park, charge nothing to play, others charge a dollar or two.

“It's cheap to play”, responded Robert Perez, when asked why he first tried the sport. “I got introduced to it a few years ago, I'm picking it up again.”

Though many people refer to the sport as frisbee golf, you do not throw normal frisbee discs. Disc golf discs are smaller and involve a much more technical design. The most expensive discs are around $20, but simple starter discs are only about $8. Like traditional golf, there are different types of disks to use including drivers, mid-range and putters, and there are a huge variety of disk styles and brands to choose from.

Though Liberty Park course has no pro shop, on weekends you can often find someone in the parking lot next to the course selling discs. If you want a wider selection, some of the major sports supply stores have a small section of discs and there is a specialty disc golf store in Buena Park called Discovering the World.

Since the Cerritos course is so simple, you may quickly find yourself looking for a more difficult challenge. If so, look for people playing holes that are not marked, these players are playing a guerilla course, which is a course that uses the baskets already in place, but the starting points are rearranged or created. Disc golf players are often very friendly, just ask these more experience players if you can play with them or simply follow them through the course.

If you ever find yourself confused or frustrated while playing, never hesitate to talk to other players. More often than not they will be perfectly happy to share some throwing tips or answer any technical questions you might have.