HONOLULU (KHON2) — Disc golf is growing in popularity around the country and here in Hawaii. It’s a popular sport that doesn’t require a lot of equipment and can be played all year-round.
Disc golf is very similar to golf: You have your par three, your par four, your par five, and you are always in search of birdies.
The objective of the game is to throw your disc, and wherever that disc lands, that’s where you’d throw your next disc until you get it in the basket.
Like golf, there are different discs to use: There’s distance drivers, fairway drivers, midrange and putters.
Jason Kozlik, the founder of Oahu Disc Golf, said he has been playing for years and his business really took off during the pandemic.
Kozlik’s first love is surfing. He said before investing in disc golf, he would teach surf lessons on Oahu.
However, when the pandemic hit, and he didn’t have as many clients, he looked for other ways to stay fit and have fun.
“During COVID, we didn’t have a lot of surf lessons due to everything shutting down,” said Kozlik. “We were all trapped in the house trying to figure out how to not go crazy.”
Kozlik said he noticed a disc golf course near Waipahu and wanted to give it a try. When he visited the course, he met other disc golfers and quickly fell in love with the game.
“That was the only course on the island, and it’s only a nine course in Waipahu,” said Kozlik. “Everybody loved going there and playing, but it got repetitive after a while.”
He said once he found his community of disc golfers on Oahu, a lightbulb went off and he went straight to Amazon and bought 18 baskets that can be broken down and placed anywhere.
“I started a little friends league where we would come together and set up our baskets and play,” said Kozlik. “It’s kind of just took off like wildfire. I was just in the right place at the right time and had the right idea to get it going.”
Courtesy: Jason Kozlik
They eventually started to run out of Oahu parks to use, and he quickly started working with the City and County of Honolulu to get more parks in the ground.
“So, I went to Hawaii Country Club — the one off of Kunia Road — and noticed the parking lot was always empty, and I stopped in and pitched the idea of expanding to disc golf at their course,” said Kozlik.
He said in October 2021, they started offering disc gold at the country club Mondays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. He said disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and the country club was pleasantly surprised with the overwhelming amount of people interested in playing the game on their course.
“Two weeks ago, we put in Oahu’s first ever 18-hole championship disc golf course at the country club,” said Kozlik. “The thing we are all chasing is that infamous hole in one. It’s one of those lifetime achievements that not a lot of people can say they have done. “
For those interested in getting involved with Oahu Disc Golf, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
Kozlik said they still hold pop-up courses for the community, and they love meeting, playing and teaching new people.
“It’s throwing a frisbee. It’s a very approachable sport. Anyone can do it, and it’s very family friendly,” said Kozlik.