By the time December rolls around, most traditional golfers have put their clubs in the garage, hung up their hats, and settled in front of the television to make up stories of the day they knocked in a hole in one on a par four (unfortunately, no one was watching at the time!).

Disc golfers, on the other hand, don’t have an off-season. They can hit the course anytime they want – rain, shine, or blizzard!

What is this nation-sweeping sensation, which can be enjoyed at the 18-hole Ace Run Ranch on Carolina Highway (539-7327)? Let’s talk about the basics.

Like &uot;normal&uot; golf, the game consists of knocking (or, in this case, throwing) an object into a target in as few strokes as possible. But in disc golf, participants are tossing Frisbee-like discs into a steel basket from which chains hang.

Players begin by &uot;driving&uot; from a specified area (known in disc circles as a ‘tee pad’). They hurl a small disc toward the &uot;Pole Hole,&uot; trying for a hole-in-one. If that doesn’t work, they head to where the disc landed and use a &uot;putter&uot; (normally a small, hard disc) for the finishing shot.

Not only is disc golf much less expensive that regular golf (compare a set of clubs to a Frisbee and see the difference), but it’s much easier to find an area in which to play it. While normal golf courses require huge amounts of space – often requiring the destruction of acres of landscape – disc golf courses are tiny (holes usually range between 150 and 500 feet), and landscape acreage is just a welcome obstacle.

Also, disc golf is a great way to get outdoors with the family. While normal courses take hours to complete, a round of disc golf can be finished in an hour or so. Anyone, regardless of age, sex, economic status or experience, can take part.

See you on the greens!