Designing a disc golf course is much more than placing baskets in the woods. A successful course balances flow, safety, challenge, and clarity — while respecting the environment and serving its intended players.
If you’re planning a new course or improving an existing one, it’s important to understand both the big picture and the practical steps involved. Our The Complete Guide to Disc Golf Course Design covers the full process in depth — from land selection and budgeting to infrastructure, maintenance, and community building.
This article zooms in on the practical, step-by-step side of course design. Below, we walk through exactly how to design a disc golf course, from evaluating the site to creating clear signage and maps that guide players through the layout. It’s written for clubs, course designers, municipalities, and anyone looking for a clear, actionable starting point.
How Disc Golf Course Design Works
Designing a disc golf course involves evaluating the land, defining the target audience, planning safe and engaging hole layouts, placing tees and baskets accurately, and creating clear signage and maps to guide players through the course.
Disc Golf Course Design: Step-by-Step Process
- Evaluate the site and its constraints
- Define the course concept and target audience
- Plan course flow and hole layout
- Place tees, baskets, and key features
- Design course maps and navigation
- Create professional tee signs and signage
- Prepare for events and long-term use
- Review, test, and iterate
Each step is explained in detail below.
Step 1: Evaluate the Site and Its Constraints
Every good disc golf course starts with understanding the land.
Before designing any holes, evaluate:
- available area and boundaries
- terrain, elevation, and natural features
- existing paths, roads, and buildings
- safety zones and potential overlap between holes
- environmental or municipal restrictions
The goal at this stage is not to design holes, but to understand what is possible and what is not.
Courses designed without proper site evaluation often face safety issues, confusing layouts, or costly redesigns later.
Step 2: Define the Course Concept and Target Audience
One of the most important steps in disc golf course design is deciding who the course is for.
Ask:
- Is this course designed for beginners, recreational players, or advanced competitors?
- Is it a permanent course or a temporary event layout?
- Will it host sanctioned tournaments?
- Do you need multiple tee or pin options?
Defining the audience influences:
- hole lengths and pars
- shot shapes and difficulty
- use of OBs, mandatories, and hazards
A clear concept keeps the design consistent and prevents mismatched difficulty.
Step 3: Plan the Course Flow and Hole Layout
What Is Disc Golf Course Flow?
Disc golf course flow describes how naturally players move from one hole to the next, including walking distance, transitions, and navigation clarity.
Good course flow means:
- minimal backtracking
- logical hole order
- clear transitions from basket to next tee
- safe spacing between fairways
A strong layout avoids repetition and keeps players engaged throughout the round. This is where digital layout tools and early mapping become especially valuable.
Step 4: Place Tees, Baskets, and Key Features
Once the layout takes shape, place:
- tee pads
- baskets
- mandatories
- OB areas and drop zones
Accuracy matters. Distances and angles should reflect the intended difficulty and shot shapes.
Using GPS-based tools helps ensure:
- reliable distance measurements
- realistic fairway shapes
- easier future updates if the layout changes
Step 5: Design Clear Course Maps and Navigation
Even a great layout fails if players can’t understand it.
What Is a Disc Golf Course Map?
A disc golf course map shows the full layout of the course, including hole order, fairways, walking paths, and key features.
Effective navigation includes:
- an overall course map near the first tee
- hole-by-hole maps on every tee sign
- clear walking paths and “Next Tee” guidance
Clear maps improve player experience, pace of play, and accessibility — especially for new players and events.
Learn more in Disc Golf Signage & Course Maps: Complete Guide
Step 6: Create Professional Tee Signs and Course Signage
What Should Be on a Disc Golf Tee Sign?
A disc golf tee sign should include the hole number, par, distance, a clear fairway map, and all relevant OBs, mandatories, and hazards.
Consistency across all signs is critical, especially for:
- tournaments
- multi-layout courses
- courses maintained by multiple people
Design templates make it easier to keep signage accurate and visually consistent as layouts evolve.
See how templates support this in Disc Golf Design Templates: What They Are & How to Use Them
Step 7: Prepare for Events and Long-Term Use
If the course will host competitions or grow over time, plan ahead.
Consider:
- alternate tees or pin positions
- caddie books for events
- temporary OBs or special rules
- sponsor branding
- digital maps for spectators
Designing with future use in mind saves time and prevents costly redesigns later.
Step 8: Review, Test, and Iterate
No disc golf course design is perfect on the first attempt.
Before finalizing:
- walk the course
- test holes with different skill levels
- verify distances and safety zones
- check signage clarity
Iterative testing is a normal and healthy part of course design. The best courses evolve over time.
Tools That Make Disc Golf Course Design Easier
Modern course design benefits greatly from purpose-built tools.
With tools like Parkdly, designers can:
- design layouts directly on a map
- calculate distances automatically
- generate consistent tee signs and course maps
- update layouts without starting from scratch
Explore how Parkdly’s Disc Golf Tee Sign Templates fit into the full design workflow.
Final Thoughts
Designing a disc golf course is a multidisciplinary process that combines land use, player experience, safety, and communication.
By following a structured step-by-step approach, you create courses that are:
- enjoyable to play
- easy to navigate
- scalable for events
- sustainable over time
For deeper context and planning guidance, read:
If you’re designing a course, this step-by-step process is the best place to start.