Ames residents and ISU students now have another location where they can enjoy Frisbee and disc golf.

ISU Recreation Services has opened a new course, located north of Frederiksen Court and east of Stange Road with the entrance on 13th Street.

Disc golf is played by throwing discs from a designated area — the tee — down a path — the fairway — and into a basket, located at the end of the hole. The fewer throws it takes to get the disc into the basket, the better the score.

The course provides participants with 18 holes that wind through a heavily wooded area. There are two levels of difficulty for each hole. The yellow level challenges the advanced player, but the red level is for the more novice participant.

There is no cost to play a round; however, there are no discs for rent, so players need to bring their own.

Mike Harvey, director of recreation services, said the department has been looking into opening the course for a couple of years.

An abundance of trees on the new course adds extra challenges, and the holes are straight for the most part, with only the occasional dogleg.

This new disc golf course also presents Ames residents and ISU students with a cost-effective way to get some exercise and have some fun in the process.

Patrick O’Donnell, junior in mechanical engineering, said he is an avid disc golf player but has not had the chance to make it out to the new course yet.

“Playing disc golf is a fun and exciting way to spend an afternoon and stay in shape,” O’Donnell said. “I can’t wait to get out there.”

According to the professional disc golf association’s Web site, there are 87 registered courses in the state of Iowa.

The entire country is also taking notice of this new leisure sport; there are 1,382 courses registered nationwide, and the number is growing.

“I started playing at home [in Omaha, Neb.], and I was worried that there wouldn’t be any courses when I got here,” O’Donnell said. “Now with this new course I can expand my game and become a better player.”