Disc Golf Course Design: Inscribing Lifestyle into Underutilized Landscapes

ABSTRACT

Disc golf emerged as one of several alternative lifestyle sports from the countercultural social movement of the 1960s and its popularity has steadily grown while other postmodern recreation forms have faded or plateaued (Wheaton 2004). As an accessible, malleable form of outdoor recreation its appeal can be explained by the sense of place elicited from direct engagement with the landscape and community derived from a culture of play. This thesis identi!es the landscape and cultural characteristics of disc golf that make it attractive by collecting and analyzing qualitative data directly from its participants in the Los Angeles region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at four popular disc golf courses representing four distinct landscape typologies in order to discover motivations to play and user preferences related to landscape characteristics. Demographic results identi!ed patterns of user responses. The results of content analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed an overall reluctance to travel for disc golf, but a desire for landscape variety. Interview respondents also expressed an overall willingness and enthusiasm to play courses developed on underutilized post-industrial sites. Community and camaraderie at each site was shown to be uniquely shaped by rule-creation through play forms (Callois1961) by either leveling the playing !eld for newer players, or creating complexity/challenge for more experienced players. As the economy weakens, leisure demand for open space increases (Trust for Public Land 2011) and landscape architecture in academia has the opportunity to research how course growth can activate underutilized urban environments. With new understanding about subculture and course typologies, designers can apply knowledge of disc golf as a unique form of recreation to steer its evolution as a component of multi-functional urban environments. Guidelines and recommendations are given.