My Five Favourite F-Words

Please don’t be alarmed by the title as this is definitely a family-friendly article! However, now that I have your attention let me share a suggestion for something you should consider giving a try. Something that is FUN, FREE, involves FRESH AIR, FITNESS and FRIENDS! For an increasing number of folks an activity that checks all those boxes is playing disc golf. Whether you are a visitor to our area or a local resident, you’ll likely agree that there are hidden gems in a city or region that many people don’t always hear about or have yet to explore and this article is intended to shed some light on one such place here in Niagara Falls - the free, public disc golf course at Firemen’s Park! (for myself, and several of my family and friends, Firemen’s Park has also become one our favorite F-words due to the many great times we’ve enjoyed together on the course).

By Sean Hilliker

If you have never heard of disc golf or experienced the game first-hand, it is an amazing way to enjoy the outdoors in a beautiful setting while making memories, sharing laughs, and getting some exercise. Interest in this sport has exploded worldwide in recent years and it continues to grow at an incredible pace.

Here are some fun facts published by UDisc.com (the most popular website/app for disc golfers):

• Canada has the 3rd most disc golf courses in the world (over 700) behind the United States (over 9,000) and Finland (over 1,000)

• Finland has ranked #1 in the World Happiness Report several years in a row and in 2022 its’citizens played more rounds of disc golf per capita than any other country! (I can’t guarantee a correlation there, but I don’t think it’s just a coincidence!)

• There are now more disc golf courses in the United States than Dunkin’ Donuts shops!

UDisc also publishes a yearly summary of statistics for each course. Keep in mind that the actual numbers are much higher than what is shown below since these statistics are only based on participants that record their games on the UDisc app with their phones and there are many that play without it or who come out without keeping score. With that in mind, check out these impressive stats for the Firemen’s Park course in 2023:

• Over 1,000 different players (from 9 countries) scored rounds on the course, including 641 for the first time

• Just under 7,000 rounds of disc golf were recorded at Firemen’s Park

• Players who used the UDisc app took a total of 31,479,401 steps on the course, totaling up to 23,987 km!

Have I piqued your curiosity yet? I hope so! If you are looking to discover what all the fuss is about then you will be happy to know that as luck would have it, Niagara Falls is home to one of the best public courses in the entire region. Several locals have dedicated countless hours to maintaining the course as well as helping to educate and inspire others to become involved. Eric Conlon is one of those passionate and committed volunteers who make up the Greater Niagara Disc Golf Association. With almost 500 members in their Facebook group, they are on a mission to help spread the good news about the increasingly popular pass time. In speaking with Eric recently he was quick to praise the many others who serve as ambassadors to help grow the sport and increase awareness about it.

Besides organizing tournaments, leagues, and social events they are building a culture of encouragement and inclusivity so that people of all ages and skill levels get to join in on the fun!

The game itself is similar to the concept of a round of golf where you have 18 holes, and you are trying to get your disc thrown into a metal basket on each hole in the least amount of throws. Official discs that are designed for the game can be purchased at local retailers Sport Chek or Canadian Tire and of course there are many options on-line. Beginners could even use a regular frisbee to start or purchase a starter pack of 3 official discs for under $30. There are three main categories of discs (drivers, mid-range and putters). As you progress in the sport most players experiment with different discs that vary in their flying characteristics and quality.

Jim Diodati, the Mayor of Niagara Falls, posted a great video to showcase the Firemen’s Park disc golf course and to introduce the basics of the sport. It will give you a quick overview of how the game works and what the local course looks like.

The latest statistics on Disc Golf’s popularity worldwide can be found in the 2024 Disc Golf Growth Report.