Disc Golf in the Adelaide Park Lands

The Adelaide Park Lands are full of surprises and activities, such as the recently installed 9-hole disc golf course in East Park Lands.

Disc Golf is essentially golf played with a frisbee, or flying disc.  So, basically, way more fun than regular golf.  It is a fun outdoor activity that can be as casual or as competitive as you want to make it.

To play, you throw your disc down the course and and into the target (hole), which is a large basket at thigh height with vertical chains suspended above to help catch the disc.  It can be played with any frisbee you have at home, making the next shot from where the last throw landed until you get it into the basket.  However, as people get more serious, they usually opt to purchase an array of specially designed discs of varying weights for different purposes.  For example, you can get drivers and putters, just like with normal golf.

The course in Adelaide’s CBD was installed in May 2020 and is located in King Rodney Park / Ityamai-Itpina (Park 15), which is on East Terrace between Bartels and Wakefield Roads.  The first tee and the information sign about the course are about halfway between Bartels and Wakefield roads along East Terrace.  From there the course zigzags its way through the western half of Park 15 which is lightly shaded by the red and blue gum and olive trees that populate the park. 

In addition to the occasional tree, course obstacles include a few official out of bounds areas, the park path (and anyone who may be on it) and the (usually) dry creek that cuts through park.  The course crosses the creek twice, once during hole four and once when walking between holes 6 and 7.  There are toilets near the tee for hole 9.

Since it’s in the middle of the Park Lands, the Adelaide course is free and makes for a fun 30-minute walk around the park.  On a sunny spring day, the park and the course are stunning. If you haven’t meandered through this part of the Park Lands, I highly recommend it. If you have a flying disc lying around somewhere at home, there’s no reason not to give it a try!

The Essentials

Getting There

King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15) is located between Bartels and Wakefield Roads along East Terrace.  There is plently of free street parking along the roads on the weekend, during the week parking is ticketed.  There are several bus stops in the area, and it less than a kilometre from the Botanic Gardens Tram stop on North Terrace.

Distance

Walking the entire 9-hole course is about 1.5 km (depending on how on course you manage to stay) or 30-40 minutes.  You can of course, always opt to double it for a full 18 holes.

Cost

It is free to play on the course.  

If you don’t already have a disc, you can pick up a standard frisbee for about $10.  Starter kits of PDGA certified discs star from about $50.