Section 3: Playing Area
Course Layout
A disc golf course consists of a sequenced set of holes, typically nine or eighteen, each comprising a tee area, a fairway, and a target. Each hole has a designated par — the number of throws an expert player is expected to require to hole out — and a designated rated distance. PDGA-approved courses are rated and listed in the PDGA Course Directory.
Tees
Each hole begins from a designated tee area marked by tee pads (typically rubber or concrete) or by tee signs. The tee defines the legal area from which the first throw of each hole is made. Tee pads have defined boundaries; the player must establish a legal stance entirely within the tee area for the tee shot.
Fairway and Out-of-Bounds (OB)
- The fairway is the area within the boundaries of the hole where play is intended; the rules do not require play to remain on a defined fairway, only that the disc not come to rest in OB
- OB areas are defined by the Tournament Director: roads, parking lots, water, marked lines, defined property boundaries
- A disc is OB when it is established that the disc came to rest entirely surrounded by OB territory
- OB carries a one-throw penalty (Rule 805 / 806 area) and the lie may be re-thrown from the previous lie or marked at a designated drop zone or on the playing surface a meter from where the disc last crossed into OB, per the rules and Tournament Director's specification
Mandatories
A mandatory ("mando") is a designated obstacle (often a tree or pole) marked by an arrow indicating the side the disc must pass. A disc that fails to pass a mandatory on the indicated side incurs a one-throw penalty and is played from the designated drop zone, or from the previous lie if no drop zone exists.
Drop Zones
A drop zone is a designated area for re-throwing after specified penalty events (OB, missed mandatory, deep rough, etc.). Drop zones are part of the course design and are noted in the round briefing and on the tee signs.
Course Hazards
Hazards (one-throw penalty without re-throw, the disc is played from where it lies) are differentiated from OB (one-throw penalty with re-throw or drop zone). Tournament Directors define hazards on a per-event basis.