And when I say it’s used, I mean it …
It’s everywhere.
Let me back up a bit, though.
I’m not one of those anti-ball golf disc golfers who never shuts-up. The basic premise of our sport is derived entirely from traditional golf. As such, I have zero issue pulling much of what today’s game looks like from what’s proven to work – ball golf offers that kind of security.
There’s lots to reference here: rules, culture, business, tour organization, etc. Heck, I can even get onboard with a dress code, should Jeff Spring feel that sort of branding is necessary. However, it’s the incessant use of ONE term that’ll undoubtedly drive me to an early grave …
I have to use it.
You have to use it, too.
It’s that ingrained in the game …
“Hole.”
There it is – that’s it.
In ball golf, it makes sense, as the pin (or cup) is literally a hole in the ground. So when a ball golfer describes how they approached the pin on the fifth hole, they mean it: It was the fifth hole (the keyword) they attacked through 18 total holes of ball golf – this makes complete sense.
This is NOT the case in disc golf.
In disc golf, we use baskets. Yet, when discussing the course or an upcoming round in players meetings and press conferences, “hole” is the term that’s used by athletes to orient audiences.
Again, disc golf samples heavily from ball golf – this extends to terminology, as well. Yet again, I’m perfectly fine with the vast majority of them: par, putt, drive, stroke, hazard, layout, fairway, approach, etc. There are a million of these things in use. You can probably think of more …
Not “hole,” though.
It doesn’t work.
Similarly, discs aren’t clubs – they’re “discs.” Or, if you’re feeling frisky, they’re “frisbees.” Yes, on occasion, Philo Brathwaite might talk about “clubs” or “clubbing-up,” but that’s about it.
#CheeseOnBread
If I had everything my way, we’d trash the use of “hole” entirely and opt for “basket,” instead. I could even be talked into using “cage,” if it’s variety you’re looking for. Alas, I’m but a man and do err in my wish. As a result, we’re all doomed to hear about disc golf “holes” until death …
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It does not make sense to me at all. But, if you would start saying basket 9 or basket 18, that would be kindof long. I would argue for something shorter like tee or something.
‘Hole’, in disc golf and in ball golf refers to each distinct ‘start to finish’ circuit. There are typically 18 of these that make up a course. ‘Hole’ used in this way is a ‘metonymy’, it names a part but stands for the whole, tee-to-basket unit that one records a score for.
‘Basket’, on the other hand, is analogous to the literal hole, but is just too unique and specific to work as a metonymy that names the whole tee to basket unit – at least, this early in the evolution of disc golf.
Came here to say this
LOL
There are a lot of those. T-box, t-off, T-pad, T-time. Dosc golf doesn’t use a T like ball golf. Driver. Literally a driver in ball gold drives the ball. Disc golf throws the disc so it is a useless term. Green. Can we just say circle 1 and 2. A lot of disc golf courses the so called green is woods, dirt, mulch. Not grass.
For sure, for a quick one syllable term, Cage would be fine. Udisc doesn’t help change things either, they use the term Hole on the scorecard and in course descriptions. On a positive note, I heard Zoe Andyke mention DISCING DOWN on a recent broadcast.
Would it be acceptable to call them traps? That’s how I feel half the time.
I can totally see your point. It is a basket or cage (or bucket if you’re Luke Humphries). However, to be fair, try he basket is full of large square…..holes. The disc falls in through the top biggest…hole. I can get see the validity in your endeavor, sir, but I could go either way on this.
Well the problem here is that the inventor, Ed Hedrick, named them disc pole hole. When the inventor gives it the name you kind of have to stick with it
Agreed!
Baskets are trash. Tone poles NEVER spit out. Time to go back to a better option. Add a light similar to a hockey goal perhaps solar for ADA & night golf options. Cheaper to manufacture & distribute.
Tone poles leave room for debate. Did I knick the edge? Did I hit high enough on the pole on that ace run? Who knows. A basket removes ambiguity. There’s 0% chance we go back to tone poles.
Umm. So im supposed to say i got a par on basket 4? Lame.
Yeah, totally agree. There are a lot of haters in the comments section. Just play the game and shut up. One doesn’t have to change everything that’s touched!
No the term you need to stop using is ball golf it’s golf the game you are writing about is disk golf .
Sincerely golf groundskeeper disk golf player scott
Finally SOMEONE agrees with me! But for a simple correction, it is “disc”, not “disk.”
Disc, not disk.
The hole is no good for disc golf,I like to use the word target…..
How about not calling it “ball golf.” Golf was here long before disc golf, hence we use the “disc” term to refer to our version of the game.
Ed called the DGA “baskets” disc golf pole holes. I believe DGA still uses the term.
Maybe we adopt the verbiage that Jesse from Trash Panda came up with using Chat-GPT.
Here are the changes he came up with:
Disc Golf – Disc-a-Roo
Fairway – Arial-Alley
Card – Horde
Tee – Runway
Hole – Harvester
Birdie – Dinkum
Bogey – Duffer
Driver – Sculptor
Rough – Scrub-Scuffle
Putter – Sinker
Jump Putt – Bound Sinker
I second the notion to refer to birdies as “dinkums” from now on.
What a completely pointless article, waste of time reading this. Hope you didn’t get paid for this waste.
Lol. Even UDisc list them as 18 holes, 36 holes. When you are the course the tee pads are labeled Hole 1, Hole2.
Disc golf has been around for a long time boys and girls. It’s not early in starting, covid just brought the sport to populatity. My dad has been a PDGA member since 94′ we just use the term “hole” because it is the most relatable term considering ball golf has been around for longer. It’s used as a term not to describe a literal object. I could get with calling it a cage but “Cage in one” doesn’t have the same ring to it. What does it say about the person slamming a sport for its terms? Sorry I’m with holden balls on this…
Please stop saying “ball golf”, it’s embarrassing. The sport has been around for hundreds of years longer than disc golf, and it is called “golf”.
“Disc golf” is both newer, and a variant of the original, hence it requires the “disc” qualifier. You don’t need to add a qualifier to the original. Everyone knows what you’re talking about when you say “golf”….it’s golf.
Sincerely,
Golfer, disc golfer, and etymology enthusiast.
Target
“That tree blocks my line to the hole”… Replace hole with Basket
“I birdied the 5th hole yesterday” … Just say 5th.
“The first tee is next to that tree” … Replace tee with pad
The rest of the terminology transfers just fine.
Well, this turns out to be a slightly lame and flimsy argument for new Disc Golf verbiage. As demonstrated by the first comment the word Hole while referring to the hole in the ground also encompasses the entire area for each of the numbered playing areas.
We call those areas holes. In order to lose the word hole we would need to incorporate an entirely new word for the numbered areas (holes) we play.
Hey, maybe it’s “areas,” after all …
Feels like we’re opening a can of worms with this one – haha.
It’s not ‘Ball-Golf ‘ it’s just “golf”.
There’s golf.
Miniature golf.
Disc golf.
Nobody going to acknowledge how dumb it is to call Golf, ball golf??
It’s just Golf. You add a variation to it, that’s disc golf. You don’t get to change the name of something just because you came up with a variation…
There’s a counter to every argument, Brandt …
Try this on for size: https://bit.ly/3wXNVBZ
I never leave comments, but have to here. I stopped reading after the second paragraph, and I am astounded that someone has put this much time, effort, and energy I to something so silly. So astounded thatvI sacrificed the 12 seconds to write this (which I will never get back). I suggest investing your time and energy in a more meaningful way, and just have fun playing, watching, and enjoying disc golf. Have a great weekend!
You should go back to not leaving comment
I agree with Michael’s suggestions: just drop the word hole. If you feel like you need a word you can use “link” as that’s already an accepted golf term.
“I birdied the 5th today,”
Each link is played pad to basket.
BTW, it doesn’t matter how “frisky” you are feeling the term is disc. Frisbee is a brand name . That would be akin to calling golf clubs “Taylor Mades.” Furthermore, Frisbee golf discs are rare these days. Save the tem frisbee for playing catch.
Man’s literally spent all this time ab a word that don’t matter. Just don’t use the term if u don’t like it lol. It’s just habit that people say hole. Not thay deep bro
Interestingly, in the Finnish language we have taken most terms directly from English but not the non-sensical “hole”. Instead the Finnish word “väylä” refers both to the fairway (instead of rough) and the whole playable area from the tee to the basket.
Using the term “basket” does not work if you are playing an object course, whether it be tone poles or trees/light poles/whatever.
If you’ve never played an object course, maybe you should find a few and try it.
I mean… There is an argument that saying disc golf and ball golf is dumb and should never be used as golf by definition is hitting a ball with a crooked stick and trying to make it into a hole. So disc golf should really be disc coursing or create some new word instead of continuing to co-opt a word that was never supposed to involve a disc. Otherwise… It’s fine to use similar terms even if they don’t make literal sense.
I was really hoping it was going to be “ball golf”.
Sorry to disappoint …
I’m a fan of the term. Haha.
“Hole” is in the past now that I’ve read this, I can’t unthink it. I’m not calling it a basket though. Pin, I can get behind pin. Basket is too much of a mouthful. Even pad would be fine, imo. What about “HOLE in one” how do we discard that phrase?
Becky, you’re starting to ask difficult questions …
You’ll shake-up the entire foundation of the sport, if you’re not careful!
With respect to your question about the term “hole-in-one,” however, “ace” is a fairly easy solution 🙂
Thanks for reading!
I always say “Pole.” It is close to hole and works well for basket and tone courses.
Never thought of that one – thanks, Andrew!
I prefer a simpler, easier term.
The Triple D
Desired Disc Destination.
Feel free to adopt this.
There you have it – beautiful!
It’s been called “hole” for too long. For that reason, it will never be called anything else. It’s kind of locked in. I have an equally odd term that bothers me: “down”. The only time you say down in any golf refers to how many strokes you are from the leader, not from par. This should’ve been corrected before they got comfortable with this mistake. It sounds so stupid when they say a player’s 5 down for the day. That should ALWAYS mean 5 away from the lead. NEVER 5 under par. Can’t even believe there weren’t enough knowledgeable ball golfers around to speak up about that obvious mistake in terminology. How embarrassing and strange for the word “down” to become a “normal” mistake that ALL the commentators make. My guess is, a couple people in the beginning had it wrong but there weren’t any knowledgeable “golfers” present to correct it. So it just continued and grew into the biggest verbal mistake I’ve witnessed in any game or sport. Frustrating and strange, not to mention embarrassing.
Woah …
I’d never thought of the “down” thing before.
You also hear of somebody being (insert # of strokes) “back,” so that’s a bit better.
But you’re right …
We’ve come this far – there’s no turning back. Haha.