For Those Who Play Both, What Do You Think is More Difficult, "Scratch" in Golf or Disc Golf?

[Treeplant]

I recently found out that a 1000 rating was officially labeled as "scratch" by the PDGA (see PDGA Player & Course Rating System.)

Doing some quick googling, it appears both sports are similar in that only 1-2% of players achieve scratch.

It made me wonder which one would be tougher to do if you're a middling player (900 rated / 15 handicap), getting down to a 0 handicap in ball golf, or up to a 1000 in disc golf?

I also wonder how many people there are out there that have achieved both? Can't be too many.

 

[biscoe]

Golf is way harder imo.

 

[Thomashasfun]

Golf is much harder and it's not even close.

 

[Skervoy]

With limited previous knowledge/sport skills I would say golf. Most people can swing their arm pretty fast as is and also grip and release a disc.

Most people have a hard time swinging golf club anywhere near speeds to even play for a double bogey without some pretty serious training

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Having grown up playing Golf, living on the course as a kid, playing in high school, then collegiately, and playing almost daily for 30 years and not starting disc golf till my late 30's and throwing with the opposite hand... It's Golf by far. lol Putting alone is a world separator.

The only real argument could be made against Golf having SSA against the course itself and Disc Golf being more dependent on "ratings" of other competitors based.

 

[lee76007]

20 plus years playing ball golf including tournament play, by far ball golf, and more difficult to reach goals. My best handicap was a 3, breaking par was far and few in between.

I'll take the flight of a disc over a golf ball every single time.

 

[Treeplant]

Having grown up playing Golf, living on the course as a kid, playing in high school, then collegiately, and playing almost daily for 30 years and not starting disc golf till my late 30's and throwing with the opposite hand... It's Golf by far. lol Putting alone is a world separator.

The only real argument could be made against Golf having SSA against the course itself and Disc Golf being more dependent on "ratings" of other competitors based.

Yeah I was wondering about that competitor-based ratings thing for us old guys in MA40+

With disc golf, I look at this new generation coming up and, as someone who picked up disc golf later in life and now plays MA40, the idea of climbing to 1000 when I'm competing against these kids launching 500' bombs seems insurmountable.

At least with golf its entirely in your hands, and you can tilt things in your favor if you become a member at a relatively easy course and put in the work. (I get that it's a ton of work though, and not guaranteed everyone's even capable of getting there even with the work.)

 

[zontar]

I grew up behind a 9 hole golf course, and it messed around on it occasionally. ball golf by far.

 

[sisyphus]

I've never been a golfer, but am comfortable saying that disc golf is probably somewhere between putt putt and 'par three' ball golf in difficulty, even for 'competition' level courses. But the benefits are 1/3rd the distances, 1/3rd the time (when played correctly), and 1/10th the cost (or less). And the beauty of a hyzer flex shot shaped through a tight, wooded, low ceiling lane, at 300 feet or so, is breathtaking.

 

[glassila]

Ball.

 

[ru4por]

Swat golf is simply a lot more difficult game.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Anyone who's played both will tell you golf is harder than disc golf. Anyone who says disc golf is harder, hasn't played both.

 

[DavidSauls]

I suspect that the 1-2% of players reach scratch notion is faulty. Without knowing how those calculations were done, it seems likely that the player pools those 1-2% figures came from are quite different.

 

[Steve West]

Having grown up playing Golf, living on the course as a kid, playing in high school, then collegiately, and playing almost daily for 30 years and not starting disc golf till my late 30's and throwing with the opposite hand... It's Golf by far. lol Putting alone is a world separator.

The only real argument could be made against Golf having SSA against the course itself and Disc Golf being more dependent on "ratings" of other competitors based.

Both are against the course itself - as it played that day. Golf does it with the little-known playing conditions calculation (PCC). From the USGA:

Q. What is the playing conditions calculation (PCC) and how does it work?



A. At the end of each day, the playing conditions calculation takes place automatically to determine if scores made at the course were significantly higher or lower than the expected scores of the players who made them, primarily due to weather and/or course set up.



If scores were abnormally low or high, a PCC adjustment between -1 and +3 will be applied in the calculation of Score Differentials™ of everyone who played that day. A negative (-) adjustment means the course played easier than expected and a positive (+) adjustment means the course played more difficult than expected. A PCC of 0 means the course played as expected, which will be the case on most days.

 

[Treeplant]

I suspect that the 1-2% of players reach scratch notion is faulty. Without knowing how those calculations were done, it seems likely that the player pools those 1-2% figures came from are quite different.

If you go to PDGA Player Statistics, there are 150,000 entries total and 26 pages (20 entries) of 1,000 rated players when sorted, so around 500-600 players, which is more like 0.3% of people with PDGA memberships. Maybe that 150k is active? I'm not sure.

Not sure what the best way to look up golf would be.

 

[Dave Feitl]

Being skilled to play scratch on a ball golf course is way harder, but way fairer. I have seen some irrational disc golf setups that defy golf logic. I recently played a course in MN where a hole was 610 feet long, uphill with trees, and a Par 3. So, absolutely no chance of scoring on that hole and most likely a bogey, because who can throw back to back throws 305' uphill? Or a hole where you have to throw through a line of trees that are less than 10' apart? Or a basket that is 15' feet away from a large body of water? Disc golf needs to have distance,fairway and baskets location standards before we even have a discussion about becoming a scratch golfer...

 

[DavidSauls]

Par has absolutely nothing to do with disc golf ratings.

And -- depending on the slope of the hill -- I know people who can throw 300' uphill, back-to-back. And they're not even "scratch" disc golfers.

 

[Sheep]

Golf is harder by leaps and bounds. We can identify this by the putting green alone, not the rest of the game whatsoever.

Putting in disc golf is easy, when compared to ball golf, its 1000 times easier.
Disc golf has nothing really to mess with you putting, its just up to you to have a consistent good stroke. The basket never moves, never changes unless the hole completely changes.
Approaching alone disc golf vs ball golf is so much easier. Ball golf requires so many different styles of approach, and you wanna get that bullseye close putt, disc golf. you should be good 30 feet and in and you're winning tournaments with ease.

Thats just putting.

Disc golf has no penalties for errant throws, but works on a ball golf system of rough area's and what not. While in ball golf hitting in the rough or anywhere else can limit your ability to navigate the course. Disc golf? You hit that first available on a 500 foot hole and are in 2 foot tall grass 450 out? no problem, you got a 3 without question.
Do that on ball golf, you're probably looking at a 5 or a 6 as you are not hitting the green from the rough where you shanked it just off the tee. Usually some sort of hit out shot with what distance you can manage because you need the loft to get the ball over the grass.

So thats another way that disc golf is soooo much easier than ball golf.


Touring as a whole in ball golf is a completely different game. I know we dont have the money in our beloved sport, but we could learn a bit with the pro-am category of players from ball golf.
Players shouldn't be forced to "pro" status by taking money for a tournament win. Thats just silliness. If I go play a ball golf tournament and take money, I don't become a "pro"... I just won the money.
If I want to make it a career, I join the pro-am circuit and have to "prove" myself.

Then you gotta earn those chances to tour and play majors. Disc golf.. nah.
Anyone is invited. Which... is hilarious when you run an A-Tier tour stop and you see 860 players sign up for MPO to play with ricky, paul and everyone else. (yes, this happened. and yes this is why 3 day tournaments need a cutoff, cause these guys shooting +25-30 every day really mucks things up)

oh ratings.

The idea that a 1000 rated disc golfer is scratch is silly.
This was written in the PDGA thing by some guy who honestly just was talking out his ass like he knew something.

Here is the thing, the ratings system doesn't work off a hard number like ball golf does. Ball golf can generate you a handicap over time and it gives everyone a good estimate +/- a few strokes of what your average round will be.

A scratch golfer in ball golf is someone who basically shoots par or better.

What Is A Scratch Golfer? Understanding The Term And Its Meaning

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Disc golf 900 rated players can shoot par or better.
860 rated players can shoot par or better.

Why? Because disc golf is easy!
Well, its not, but it is. The basics of the game overall are easy.

And on top of that, we set par's on courses for everyone to get birdies regardless of skill level. The amount of times I hear people say 400 foot holes need to be par 4's ... omfg I'm going to start slappin people.

Par = Average strokes to complete the hole for an average player.

Were all average players. a 400 foot hole without a weird dog leg or some sort of odd obstacle is going to be a par 3.
Same with a 450 foot hole.
Why?
Because the average golfer throws 250-300 feet.
2 to get to the green and 1 putt. that's a par 3.

It's not shots to the green with 2 putts, its shots to the green with 1 putt. This isn't ball golf, you dont get a free putt. Even then ball golf doesn't give you 2 putts on every par either. Basically on the longer holes, you can count on 2 putts, because your 3rd shot is usually a long approach for your average player, Then you essentially have an upshot putt to the pin.


I hate how people think par's should be in disc golf, it bothers me to no end.
Everyone wants a reward for average play. that's not how it works.
Birdies are for Good play, eagles are for exceptional play.

Sorry dude/dudette, your mediocre.


And A quick reminder, cause this seems to be forgotten now days.
Exceptions are not the rule.

 

[Dcinmd]

Disc golf has nothing really to mess with you putting, its just up to you to have a consistent good stroke. The basket never moves, never changes unless the hole completely changes.

While I agree with your post this portion is a bit silly. I have never had a golf ball roll 100 feet off the green. I also have never had a golf ball roll out of bounds off the green for a penalty stroke. And I also have never had to straddle putt around a tree on a ball golf green. Wind does not have the same effect in ball golf that it does on disc golf green.

And some courses have multiple pins positions as well. But that being said it still more difficult to putt in ball golf.

 

[DavidSauls]

It's more difficult to putt the same distances in golf, but it's more difficult to drive 600' in disc golf. Hey, they're different sports. Also, I'm willing to bet disc golfers spend more time trying to get out of dense woods than golfers do.

That said, of course golf is more difficult. For all sorts of other reasons, not the least of which is in intervening golf club between the hand and the projected object. It's easier to throw something accurately, than direct it with a lever.

Whether it's more difficult to either reach scratch level, or shoot scratch level (one round, or one event) depends entirely on how "scratch" is defined in both sports. 1000 rating is a standard in disc golf, but whether it's equivalent to scratch in golf is questionable.