With nearly 8,000 courses worldwide and more going in the ground every day, disc golf continues to assert its position as one of the globe’s fastest growing sports.

A mainstay in regional parks and open spaces, disc golf courses offer a way for players not only to compete with themselves, but to interact with their local communities. Opportunities abound, then, for course designers to work with landscape architects and city planners to best chart a course for the sport’s continued sustainability.

With that in mind, prominent disc golf stakeholders will converge at the 15th annual Architecture + the City festival, presented by the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco (AIASF) and the Center for Architecture + Design, in San Francisco, Calif., to plot their vision for a more viable future for the sport.

The Future of Landscape Architecture + Disc Golf Course Design, a two-hour presentation on Thurs., Sept. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at AIASF, 130 Sutter Street, San Francisco, Calif., aims to open up the conversation about the need for higher collaboration among architects, landscape architects, and various technical teams as the sport moves out of the woods and into the city. Headlined by Disc Golf Hall of Fame Member and PDGA Course Design Committee Chair Chuck Kennedy, who will focus on disc golf’s upward trend the importance of proper course design to maintain its maturation, the presentation is open to the public.

"I'm honored to represent the PDGA at the AIASF festival to share information about the steady growth in our sport and expanding opportunities for architects to work with our designers to build and enhance our courses for a sustainable future," Kennedy said.

Stalwarts of the Bay Area disc golf community will also lend their expertise to the event. Sean Jack is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for the Disc Golf Pro Tour, an emerging professional circuit with 10 tournaments – including Jack’s own successful run at this year’s inaugural San Francisco Open. Jack will outline the history of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Disc Golf Course and how it led to the newly installed layout at Gleaneagles Golf Course in McLaren Park.

"I am honored and thrilled to join the team behind the presentation,” Jack said. “It's my goal to be a voice of the San Francisco disc golf community by telling the story of how our courses and culture developed.”

Rounding out the disc golf leadership is John Heaton, founder of disc golf accessory brand Whirld Sports and event chair at two iterations of the St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational, a tournament that saw the disc golfers donate more than $400,000 to the children’s hospital. Katrina Majewski, the incoming president of the American Society of Landscape Architects Northern California chapter, will also join the group to discuss the synergy between her profession and this emerging outdoor activity.

To purchase tickets, please visit the program’s Eventbrite page. For additional information, contact PDGA Marketing Manager Mary Sicard at (864) 674-7823.

About Disc Golf

Disc Golf, or Frisbee™ Golf as it is more commonly known, is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, with over 7,000 courses in existence and two professional-level tours. The sport is played using the same general rules, terminology, and etiquette as traditional golf, but with different equipment; the player throws a high-tech flying disc into a standardized target. The objective, just as in traditional golf, is to play in as few throws of the disc as possible.

About the Professional Disc Golf Association

Based in Appling, Ga., the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. As part of its mission, the organization sanctioned more than 3,500 competitive tournaments worldwide in 2017 for its more than 40,000 active members.

About the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco (AIASF)

Serving the Bay Area for over a century, the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco (AIASF) strives to improve the quality of life in the Bay Area by promoting architecture and design. AIASF represents over 2,300 members practicing architecture, as well as 4,000 allied community professionals in San Francisco and Marin counties. Each month, AIASF offers professional development and networking opportunities as well as public forums, tours, lectures, and gallery exhibitions that provide architects and design enthusiasts with many opportunities to explore the local built environment. For more information visit www.aiasf.org

About American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States, representing more than 15,000 members.  The Society’s mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. Sustainability has been part of ASLA’s mission since its founding and is an overarching value that informs all of the Society’s programs and operations. ASLA has been a leader in demonstrating the benefits of green infrastructure and resilient development practices through the creation of its own green roof, co-development of the SITES® Rating System, and the creation of publicly-accessible sustainable design resources.