Disc Golf Biathlon

Disc Golf Biathlon
(disc golf speed runs)

SUMMARY: Play disc golf for time. Start a stopwatch, and play a round as fast as you can. Keep of total over/under in your head. Try to beat your time and score. Example score: 18 holes @ Green Lake, 32:29 @ +10

Playing disc golf with friends is fun, but during the pandemic of 2020, I played a lot of solo rounds. At the end of November, to add a challenge and make it a little competitive I came up a way to "speed run" a course. I was inspired by the sport of Olympic Biathlon that combines cross country skiing (timed race) and target shooting (missing a target means an extra lap and adding time).

I picked my favorite 36-hole course (The Bear's Den and The O.G. in Kingsley, MI), and tried running it a couple times at an easy pace. I'd jogged a few spots before, but never the whole thing. It took me a little over an hour, so I set 60:00 as my target time to beat.

It seemed like scoring should be affected by how fast I finished. I tried scoring by total time, and adding time for every stroke over par, but I didn't like that. Then I tried regular scoring, and adding or subtracting strokes based on speed.

My score averaged about one shot every 30 seconds.
It made sense that if I rushed and missed a shot, the 30 seconds I saved could cost me an extra stroke.
It also made sense that if I went slower and shaved a few strokes, the extra time I used could take them back at the end.
It had good pressure, and some strategy. I liked it.

I made the rule that at the end, every 30 seconds over my target time I would add 1 stroke, and every 30 seconds under my target time I would subtract 1 stroke.

I tested the math. In my speed trials I had been shooting about +20 for the 36 holes. Par was 110, so I was getting 130. If I had 60 minutes as a target, ran hard and finished in 50 minutes, the bonus for being 10 minutes under would be –20. That would be "par", but in a different way. The scoring math seemed to work.

Disc Golf Biathlon was born!

The rules

Pick a course you know, and set your target time.

Time yourself playing a round at an easy jog; or...
Time yourself playing half a round while walking, and then use that half-round time for the full round; or...
If you just want to jump in, use 20 or 30 minutes for each 9 holes. For example, 9 holes = 20 or 30 min, 18 holes = 40 or 60 min, and 36 holes = 60 or 80 minutes.

I recommend picking a multiple of 10 minutes to start with. That makes it easier to figure your score at the end.

Now that you have your target time, you're ready for a round of Disc Golf Biathlon.

Try to find a time when there aren't a lot of other people playing. I've never had anyone who didn't immediately let me play through when they saw me running (disc golfers are a cool bunch), but you don't want to be rude.
Stand on the first tee, with your discs and stopwatch ready.
Start your stopwatch, and play the round as fast as you can. The timer never stops, even between holes or if you're looking for a lost disc.
Keep track of your +/- score in your head as you go.
Stop the time when you hit the chains on the last basket.

Compare your time against your target time.

If you were slower, add a stroke for every full 30 seconds over.
If you were faster, subtract a stroke for every full 30 seconds under.

Your final score is your regular stroke plus/minus, including your time penalty or bonus.

Adding up your score

Tallying your score can feel a little tricky, but not hard after the first couple times.

3:11, 3:17, and 3:29 OVER only counts as 3 min, not 3.5 min. That's a +6 penalty.
3:31, 3:47, and 3:59 UNDER only counts as 3-1/2 min, not 4 min. That's a –7 bonus.

Use the green and red tables to make it easier.

For example, your target time was 60:00, and you shot +5 in 56:47.

Since 57:00 would be 3 minutes under, and 56:30 would be 3.5 minutes under, you only get the bonus for being 3 minutes under because you weren't quite 3.5 under.
Multiply 3 minutes by 2, and you get a time bonus of –6 shots.
Or, in the green tables you can see 56:47 is between 56:31 and 57:00, and the bonus is –6.
Since you shot a +5, subtracting your –6 time bonus equals –1. You shot 1 under par!

Bonuses (under a 60:00 target time)
59:31–60:00 no stroke bonus
59:01–59:30 –1 stroke bonus
58:31–59:00 –2 stroke bonus
58:01–58:30 –3 stroke bonus
57:31–58:00 –4 stroke bonus
57:01–57:30 –5 stroke bonus
56:31–57:00 –6 stroke bonus
56:01–56:30 –7 stroke bonus
55:31–56:00 –8 stroke bonus
55:01–55:30 –9 stroke bonus
54:31–55:00 –10 stroke bonus
49:31–50:00 –20 stroke bonus

Penalties (over a 60:00 target time)
60:00–60:29 no stroke penalty
60:30–60:59 +1 stroke penalty
61:00–61:29 +2 stroke penalty
61:30–61:59 +3 stroke penalty
62:00–62:29 +4 stroke penalty
62:30–62:59 +5 stroke penalty
63:00–63:29 +6 stroke penalty
63:30–63:59 +7 stroke penalty
64:00–64:29 +8 stroke penalty
64:30–64:59 +9 stroke penalty
65:00–65:29 +10 stroke penalty
70:00–70:29 +20 stroke penalty

My results

I got more serious about this game after the championship-level Green Lake Disc Golf Park opened up just a few miles down the road. I also had a major canoe trip coming up and needed to ramp up my conditioning. With the new course being so close, I also figured if I could get my time down I could fit in more quick rounds here and there without a lot of planning. It's 18 holes totaling 10,280 feet (1.9 miles), and it took me an hour to jog and play. I set my goal time for this course at 50:00.

My first round was on May 20, 2021, and I shot +14 in a hard-breathing 51:11. That's 1:11 over, so 1 full minute over (but not 1.5). Multiply by 2, and that's a +2 penalty, for a total score of +16.

I went out for a round every 3-5 days.

My running form improved a lot.
My conditioning improved a lot.
I figured out how to take less time with my throwing setups.
I figured out that 10 seconds faster per hole is 3 minutes faster overall (10 secs x 18 holes = 180 seconds). That's worth 6 bonus strokes off the score!

A little over a month later (June 25) I played my 12th game. I shot a +21 in 36:44. Compared to my first round, even though it took 7 shots more, it was 14.5 minutes faster! That gave me a bonus of –26, and a total score of -5. Way better than my first +16.

I don't know if I can run much faster (I'm 55, and not really a runner). I'll keep at it, and should know by the end of the summer. But I know my shooting can improve.

The new dynamic

The speed element really changes things:

Should you go faster but make more bad shots? Maybe. Faster times will knock off points at the end, but you'll probably miss some easy putts and hit more trees.
Should you slow down and be more careful? Maybe. You could take fewer shots, but then tack on penalty strokes at the end for every additional 30 seconds.
If you throw far in a hurry to save time and strokes, you might throw wild and burn time looking for a disc.
If you throw short but straight, you'll take more shots but won't add time looking for a disc.
Trying to throw far and putt straight when you're breathing hard is interesting.

This is what I do to get better scores:

I only carry what I need - no water, no disc bag, no chalk bag. Just my car keys, phone for stopwatch, and a few discs.
I bring 4 discs - a putter, a midrange, and two drivers.
I carry two drivers so if I need to throw long again after my drive (likely), I can throw my second driver. Otherwise I'd have to stop, pick up my first driver from the ground, back up, and then throw it again. That burns time.
I throw right handed, so I carry the stack of discs in my left hand. I keep them tucked up tight near my chest. I like having the mid or putter on top, and the drivers on the bottom. The grip on the stack seems better that way.
I throw and start running before the disc hits the ground.
I get the next disc ready before I reach the one I just threw.
When I get close to the disc on the ground, I slow down, take my steps, throw, and then pick up the last disc without stopping. I only look down for a second to grab the disc, and then look back up to follow the disc I just threw.
Try hard to not lose a disc. It really destroys your time.
When I get to a tee, I slow down, check the sign to remind me of par, take my steps, throw, and start running again. I don't stop.
To remember my score, I say my current plus/minus out loud at least at every tee and every basket.

The other benefits

Playing a regular disc golf round with friends? Yeah, that's awesome. You can't beat a chill walk in the woods tossing discs with good people. Playing competitively and improving your score is awesome too.

Disc Golf Biathlon is different though. It's really a solo game, and it has different benefits.

It takes less than an hour, so you can get in more rounds per month. You can fit in rounds when you wouldn't otherwise have time.
You don't overthink your disc choice or shots. You learn to make decisions faster, and let bad shots go without dwelling on them. No time to waste, because you can make up for a couple bad shots with a minute or two faster time.
Because you're trying to beat your last score, you're motivated to push yourself. I don't like running (I get bored), but I seem to love "speed running" a disc golf course.
You can ramp up your conditioning pretty fast. It's not like a slow jog. It's more like a series of sprints. You run faster than normal between tosses, and then slow down for a mini rest right before every throw (or if you have to look for a disc).
Trail running is way easier on the joints than running on pavement.
Being in the woods is good for you - forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity.
When you're "speed running" a course, you don't have any head space to think about your work or other problems. You're very much "in the moment". It's like moving meditation.
Getting sweaty by working hard outside clears out stress and anxiety faster than anything I know.

What's next?

I'm having a great time with Disc Golf Biathlon. I get out on the course early in the morning when the temperature is still cooler and no other players are there yet. I can head out, play 18 holes, get home, and shower in under an hour.

My scoring method is holding pretty steady. The faster I run, the harder my breathing, the more errors I make, and the higher my score. But then I get in better shape, I stop breathing so hard, I calm myself in just a few breaths before shots, and I manage to keep the faster pace but drop my score a bit.

I'm lowering my Green Lake target time from 50 to 45 min. That would recalibrate my best score to +2. Then I could try to shoot "par" again. I'll likely never shoot a true par at this pro course, but this gives me a way to play hard for my own version.

UPDATES against new target of 45:00 - is it better balanced for me?
7/2/21 - I shot +19 in 36:51. That's a -16 time bonus, for a DGB score of +3.
7/6/21 - I shot +15 in 37:11. That's a -15 time bonus, for a DGB par!
7/23/21 - I shot +19 in 32:25. That's a -25 time bonus, for a DGB score of -6!

I'm keeping the "30 seconds equals 1 shot" rule. My first tests in November 2020 averaged about 28 seconds per shot. My current average is 26 seconds per shot. I'm throwing a little farther but also running a little faster, so it's averaging out. I'm guessing the hole length doesn't matter much since I'm moving about the same pace the whole time.

I've set my own target times for these three courses, and I'm looking forward to adding more.

Deuces Wild in Blair, MI is 9 holes with my target of 15:00.
The Bear's Den and The O.G. in Kingsley, MI (played back-to-back) is 36 holes with my target of 60:00.
Green Lake in Interlochen, MI is 18 holes with my target of 45:00.

Disc Golf Biathlon is not for everyone, but if you play solo rounds and are looking for a challenge, I highly recommend it!