The Unofficial UC Davis Disc Golf Course Guide – Back Nine (Holes 10-18)

 

See The Front Nine
See the guide for the front nine (holes 1-9). 
Quick Start
All you need to play this course is a regular “Frisbee”-type disc, maybe some friends, and about 90 minutes (45 if you jog it).

Start next to the second floor elevator door of the North Entry Parking Structure. Please play when campus is not busy, like later at night. Never throw your disc if you might hit someone.

Please see the Course Guidelines for more information, and see the hole-by-hole guide below.

Background
The Unofficial UC Davis Frisbee Golf Course is an urban disc golf layout that runs through the UC Davis campus. Created in 2003 by Brian Dong and Andrew Ishak, the informal par-72 course is a great way to spend time with friends walking around your favorite university, passing by campus landmarks such as The Death Star, the eggheads, the Quad, and that one building where you had a lot of classes but forgot the name of.

The course design uses objects and structures that already exist on campus to walk players through a leisurely 18 holes that takes 60 to 90 minutes to play. It is designed to be played at night with a standard 175-gram “Frisbee” disc.

As you might know, part of the UC Davis experience is finding cheap, wholesome, creative ways to have fun with your friends. And that’s why we designed this course. But like many things we did in college, this isn’t “authorized” by UC Davis or the city of Davis. We’re just two guys from the Bay Area who became best friends with our dorm mates in Ryerson Hall and fell in love with the school.

Course Guidelines
Hi! There is only one rule for this course that we take seriously: it’s a college campus first, and frisbee golf course second. That means that you need to give way to all pedestrians and cyclists. No exceptions, no excuses. We’ve never come close to hitting someone in 17 years because we take this rule seriously.

You should also choose a time when the main part of campus is pretty empty, like after dark. Summer, breaks, and weekends are best. We used to play a lot at 10 pm in the summer (otherwise known as perfect Davis weather).

Other guidelines:

ONE DISC
You should play with one “frisbee”-type disc–a standard ultimate disc (175 g). Want to play with something else? Go for it. It’s your life. Live it to the fullest.

TWO STEPS
You can take two steps from when you touch the disc, either to position yourself better (like moving out of the way of an obstacle) or as a running start. You can do one or the other. Or do whatever. In the end, no one cares, but this rule is here so you can reference it when people go “what’s the rule about steps!?”

GOOD ENOUGH
If the disc comes to a rest with just one part touching a ground-based pin (like a bike circle), it’s good enough! It still counts! Just like many of the grades we earned in our classes. For a pin coming out of the ground (post, flag pole, etc.) all you have to do is make contact.

DON’T LOSE YOUR DISC!
We’ve lost plenty of discs on roofs and in trees (and some in the grass when it was really dark). From experience: try to avoid doing that! If you lose your disc, you’ll look kinda silly pretending to throw a disc the rest of the way while your friends have fun.

Watch the Video
Check out Shots in the Dark, the 9-minute short documentary about this course.
Tell Me How it Went!

I’d love to hear about your round when you’re done. You can fill out this form.

Walk NORTHWEST for 20 yards until you are in front of the Silo Market (not the Silo itself).

10th: In The Basket
This is the most flexible hole on the course. When we designed this in 2003, we said “throw from the pentagon of grass” (no longer there) to “the tractor in front of The Silo” (no longer there). So we’re a little loosey goosey on this one.

Now, there are two potential pins on this hole. If there are bikes present in front of The Silo, land your disc in a basket (this is a fun idea brought to you by the UCD Women’s Ultimate team). If there are no bikes present, or if you don’t want to use a basket, land your disc in the traffic circle on Hutchison & California.

And if some people want to do one and some people want to do another, it’s all good.

Par

START just north of The Silo Market. The Silo should be in front of you to your left, and the Bike Barn should in front of you to your right. Throw NORTH.
END by either (1) landing your disc in a bike basket, or (2) landing your disc in the traffic circle at Hutchison & California.
  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty (bike basket)
  • Birdie Opportunity
Walk EAST to the bike circle at California & Hutchison (unless you are already there).

11th: California

This is the hole. when all those trunk rotations and tricep extensions will pay off. At 640 feet, it’s the longest hole on the course.

It’s a pretty wide-open hole, but there are storm drains on the side. So be careful!

Modified start: If your arms are tired, or you’re not a fan of the distance holes, start at the next bike circle at California and Shield Ave, right in front of the east Haring Hall entrance. 

Par

START in the bike circle at California & Hutchison. Throw NORTH up California Ave.

END by landing in the bike circle at California and Storer Mall.

  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
Walk NORTH for about 30 yards, and then turn right to go EAST. You should be in between Kerr Hall and the sundial.

12th: Class Time

Hey, things change. Time keeps on ticking. We used to throw to a tree in the middle of the path, but it was removed around 2010. So we threw to the diamond of dirt around it, but that was paved over in 2021 (look right before the new pin and you’ll see it).

But that’s okay! Roll with the changes. Now you have a new tree to throw at. No problem. Time moves forward and so do we.

Par

START on the path next to the sundial, between. the sundial and Kerr. Throw EAST between Kerr and Wellman. Watch out for the Wellman bushes.

By the way it’s always 4 o’clock if you play at night.

END by hitting the base of the tree in the middle of the path, or landing in the dirt around it.

  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
Go UP THE STAIRS outside Wellman Hall, to the second floor balcony.

13th: Welcome To The Quad
We love the elevated tees. If it’s daytime, you can see parts of the remaining six holes from here.

There used to be a fun-looking lamppost across the street on the Quad, and at one point there wasn’t a lamppost on the Wellman side. Who knows which lampposts will be there when you play. Just hit a lamppost on West Quad Road–whatever lamppost is actually there.

Par

START on the second story balcony of Wellman Hall. Throw EAST towards the Quad.
END by hitting the lamppost across the street on West Quad Road–or another lamppost that you and your group agree to.
  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity

Walk about 15 yards SOUTH down West Quad Road until the path is to your right.

14th: Friends ’04Ever
It’s tradition that everyone tees off together on this hole.

It’s also tradition that some of us accidentally throw into the storm drains. Watch out!

Par

START on West Quad Road next to the path between Hart and Wellman. Throw SOUTH.

END by landing in the bike circle at Shields Ave. & West Quad Rd.
  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
Stay here!

15th: Dead Day
Good chance for a birdie here, and also a nice place to hang out a little.

Par

START in the Shields/West Quad bike circle. Throw EAST, using Shields Ave. as the fairway.

END by hitting one of the three white benches on the right-hand side, in between Shields Library and Shields Ave.

  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
Walk NORTH to the Quad–just across Shields Ave.

16th: A Little Frizz on the Quad
This hole used to have a really narrow concrete path, and luckily it’s been widened (thanks UC Davis!). But it’s still challenging if you don’t stay in the middle of the fairway.

Par

START at the south end of the Quad, just north of Shields Ave. Throw NORTH, using. the path as a fairway.
END by hitting the flagpole at the north end of the Quad, just to the right of the path.
  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
Go NORTH up the stairs to the second floor patio of the Memorial Union.

16.5th: Redemption
Here is a chance to earn a stroke back on a bonus hole. If you get a hole-in-one, take a stroke off your overall score. If you miss, no worries, just head to 17. No penalty.

We think you have to use a lefty hammer or a righty curve to have any chance. And sometimes, we just hang out here and throw until at least one of us gets it in.

Par

START on the second floor patio of the MU, and throw EAST into the MU fountain.
END by landing the disc in the fountain itself. It’s probably not running now, but we used to clean off our frisbees here.
  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Bonus Opportunity
Go SOUTH back down the stairs to the flag pole.

17th: Lunchtime Lane
Second to last hole. Another decent chance for a birdie.

Par

START between the flagpole and the stairs. Throw WEST between the tables and the MU.

END by hitting the bench across the road that looks like it’s made out of clay, or maybe a dinosaur jaw? I don’t know.

  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity

Walk 80 yards NORTH on the road until you are near a fire hydrant near Freeborn Hall.

18th: Freeborn’s Bend

We love this last hole, but it used to be totally different. The original pin was the UC Davis seal on the ground in front of the Memorial Union. They removed it when they remodeled the MU in 2017.

But like I said before, time moves foward and so do we. We love the course because it’s a connection to our past, and also a way for us to keep up with the current campus. There will be more changes, and we’ll keep playing, and we hope you do, too!

Par

START behind the fire hydrant next to Freeborn. Throw EAST underneath the Freeborn awning. (Going left of Freeborn is out of bounds.)

Turn NORTH into the open area in front of Freeborn and the MU. 

END by hitting any of the four bollards with the UC Davis logo on the SOUTH side of North Quad Rd.

  • Distance
  • Openness
  • Creativity
  • Putting Difficulty
  • Birdie Opportunity
How Did it Go? Click Here and Let Me Know.