Disc golf proponents call for Olympic Games inclusion

The inclusion of five new sports at next year's Olympic Games shows the IOCs intent to put more focus on innovation, flexibility and youth in the Olympic Program.

More sports are sure to be added and one that could be on the horizon is disc golf.

It's a sport that we're sure to be good at, with throwing a frisbee a much-loved New Zealand pastime.

What is it exactly? It's exactly like normal golf but without the clubs and the ball. You throw a disc (essentially a Frisbee) into a basket.

"All the terms are pretty well the same like we have a tee box and we drive and say nice shot and fore, birdies, bogeys." Paddy Robinson, Australia's number one disc golfer told Newshub.

They also have caddies and in their bags, they have different discs for different shots like you would have in your golf bag.

The sport is massive overseas. There are professional tours in Australia and Europe. The biggest one is in America.

"In America, the number one player in the world just signed a four-year one-million-dollar contract," Brady Kuech, Wellington Disk Golf President told Newshub.

That’s right, $250,000 a year.

"Over there the tournaments are so big they might get 600 people at a tournament," Robinson added.

Here in New Zealand, this year's national championships had 98 entries at the picturesque McLaren Falls in Tauranga. It’s the most they’ve ever had in its 41 years of competition.

Despite that, four-time women's champion Gemma Sullivan thinks it’s still a sport on the rise.

“Overseas playing internationally everyone knows what disc golf is they know what you're throwing they're like that's a chain basket and that's a Frisbee," Sullivan told Newshub.

"But here it's like what are you doing what’s that you're throwing?"

But it might not be long before that changes with disc golf tipped to become an Olympic sport in the near future.

"The world disc federation was recognised by the Olympic committee about four years ago now so the idea that ultimate Frisbee and disc golf will be Olympic competitions is coming up in the next couple," Kuech said.

New Zealand's already made its mark on the International stage. They've medalled twice at the team world championships and its popularity is soaring.

Playing numbers have doubled in this country in the past three-four years and so too has the number of courses.

Kuech thinks the sport has plenty going for it.

"For any of the doubters out there honestly if you like throwing things - which is nearly everybody - if you like going for a walk in beautiful countryside, then there’s no reason why you won't love this sport."

Newshub.