Proving that you can do more with a frisbee than just toss it to your dog, a disc golf course is now open in Ames thanks to the rapidly gaining popularity of the new sport.

Although the course and the game appear to look like golf, the differences are obvious.

Instead of hitting a golf ball with a club, a disc is thrown. Instead of a hole as a target, there is a basket.

The game, which is also called “frisbee golf,” is relatively easy. It is played on an 18 hole course, with the player standing in one place and trying to throw the disc into the basket.

Once the disc reaches the basket, the player moves on to the next hole.

As in golf, the person with the least amount of throws wins the game.

Although any number of people can play, the game becomes more enjoyable with a group of people playing.

Nancy Carroll, director of Ames Park and Recreation, is excited about the sport.

She said the city feels the course is a good addition to the town because it is a “very positive recreational activity which can be played by those of all ages and abilities.”

Possibly the biggest advantage for college students is the extremely low cost to play the sport.

There is no cover charge to play on the course, and the only equipment needed is a disc, which can be purchased for $8.

Brian Nordmann, a sophomore in finance and accounting, points out that it costs nothing to use the course and a regular frisbee can be used instead of purchasing a disc.

Although he has not played the new course in Ames, he said he has heard good things about it.

Ames’ disc golf course has been open since the first week of September and so far has proven to be very popular among a variety of ages.

The idea to build the course came from a variety of different sources who had seen disc golf courses being built nationwide and thought of Ames as a great new location for the sport.

The trend is expected to grow in Ames, as the sport has quickly become widely popular across the nation.

Right now, the course has a total of 13 holes, but Carroll said plans are in the works to build a footbridge over the creek and to add five holes very soon.

Disc golf can be played Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Ames Park and Recreation Department, 1500 Gateway Hills Park Drive, directly south of the Towers Residence Halls.