Fun for the Family: Ponca City Disc Golf

Eighteen opportunities. Eighteen five-by-twelve concrete rectangles. Eighteen metal and chain structures that make passersby go: “What is that strange-looking grill in the park out there?”

You’ve probably seen them out next to the high school, out by the lake, heck, even out where the old archery course used to be (that’s a deep cut for the long-term Poncans around here.)

It goes by many names: frisbee golf, frolf and, most accurately, disc golf. It’s the game you see the people playing when you’re driving down 5th Street in Ponca City, or the loud chain rattle you hear on your walk by the lake. The hooting and hollering of people throwing a kid’s toy—the Frisbee—but don’t dare call it a Frisbee or Wham-O’s lawyers will want a word.

Beyond the clatter of chains and the casual weekend hobbyists lies a landscape of genuine challenge. Ponca City has found itself as a regional destination home to a four-course circuit that offers everything from claustrophobic forest tunnels to wide-open, wind-swept gauntlets. Whether you're a seasoned pro or someone who just bought their first starter pack, here is how our local courses stack up when the wind starts whipping.

Bois D’Arc

Rating: 10/10 (Difficulty) // 10/10 (Scenery)

This is Ponca City’s claim to fame in the disc golf world. Some of the best players in the world have come to Ponca City to take on this course, and just like the locals, they are humbled every time. Bois D’Arc, along with its sister lake course, is home to two tournaments a year—the Ponca City Open and the PCO Winter Edition, hosted by our very own Ponca City Disc Golf Club (PCDGC).

At Bois D’Arc, you’ll find the tightest tunnels in Oklahoma, the meanest roughs and a par so humbling you’ll wonder why you ever picked up a Frisbee—I mean, disc—in the first place. It’s brutal, it will make you cry, and I highly suggest you find a local before tackling it yourself. If you’re not one to play, you can find coverage of the professionals playing this course on the GoThrow channel on YouTube under ‘Ponca City Open.’

The Lake

Rating: 8/10 (Difficulty) // 10/10 (Scenery)

The sister course to Bois D’Arc, this is the course you’ve probably seen if you’ve ever spent a day on a jet ski or just gone for a stroll out by the docks. This course is almost always played in tandem with Bois D’Arc, such as the PCO tournaments, and offers an entirely different challenge.

Where the woods are tight and brutally unforgiving, The Lake offers a massive distance hurdle, which is only made harder by the unrelenting winds coming off the water. The PCDGC does an incredible job keeping The Lake maintained, and it recently underwent a redesign for this year’s tournament run. It is a beautiful, yet calorie-burning, walk.

Pro-Tip: Download the UDisc app before you step onto the first tee. It’s free, and with the recent layout changes, the GPS guidance is the only thing standing between you and a very long, confused walk in the grass.

Willow Springs

Rating: 6/10 (Difficulty) // 8/10 (Scenery)

This track sits on the far side of town near the refinery. While it might not carry the same clout as The Lake courses, it’s the perfect graduation for the player who has mastered 5th Street and is looking for a new challenge.

Willow doesn’t rely on brutal tightness or sheer distance; it wins through variety. While Bois D’Arc demands a scalpel and The Lake demands a cannon, Willow runs the gamut. You’ll need every disc in your bag, every shot in your arsenal, to navigate these rolling hills and wind-swept gulleys. The round caps off with the best mind-game in town: a final, pulse-pounding shot over the pond. It’s the perfect place to lose a disc, test your resolve and get your feelings hurt. It’s never dull, and it will forge you into a better player.

Note: Watch out for the loose dog—he talks a big game, but he’s a sweetheart. The geese, however, are the local enforcers. Give them a wide berth.

5th Street (AKA Bunny Hills and/or War Memorial)

Rating: 5/10 (Difficulty) // 5/10 (Scenery)

Located right across the way from the high school, this is the course any Ponca City denizen has seen, and it’s also the heartbeat of the local scene. From tag matches to friendly doubles, high-scoring rounds to the guy with one disc and a pair of sneakers, this is the place to get your feet wet.

Affectionately known as “Bunny Hills” due to its rolling, gentle mounds, this course is the polar opposite of The Lake treks. It’s short, it’s sweet and it’s arguably the most frisbee-like experience you can have in town. You don’t need a specialized bag or a 400-foot arm here; a single disc and a pair of sneakers will do just fine. Just stay out of the drainage ditches that run the length of the front five holes, and you’ll be fine. If this article convinces you to finally pick up a disc, start your journey right here on 5th Street.

Honorable Mentions: The “Mando” Course and Coon Creek

Rating: 4/10 (Difficulty) // 8/10 (Speed)

There are two more “courses” set in Ponca City. The “Mando” Course is a short, albeit out-of-love course at Johnson Park. It’s a nine-hole track with a missing basket on hole five. It’s home to Marksman baskets, which are significantly smaller targets than your standard baskets. The park is full of “Mandos,” or mandatories, which are signs that tell you which side of a tree your disc must pass. This is a fun run course, and fast, if you’re looking for something to do on your lunch break.

Coon Creek is a private, six-hole course with restricted hours. This is a fun one, but unless you’re already out there, there are better places in Ponca City to play. If you’re short on time but need to burn off some steam, these courses will likely be empty and ready for you to speed through them.

In a world where most hobbies come with a subscription fee or a membership hurdle, disc golf remains refreshingly defiant. There are no tee times here, no expensive polo shirts required and, most importantly, zero greens fees. For about $20, you can grab a starter pack online and gain permanent access to every fairway in town.

So, grab a disc, head to 5th Street and find out for yourself why the rattle of chains is becoming the definitive sound of a Ponca City afternoon.