The object of the game of disc golf is to complete a course in the fewest throws of the disc. A course typically consists of nine or eighteen holes, each of which is a separate unit for scoring.

Play on each hole begins at the tee and ends at the target. After the player has thrown from the tee, each successive throw is made from where the previous throw came to rest. On completing a hole, the player proceeds to the teeing area of the next hole, until all holes have been played.

Disc golf courses are normally laid out in and around wooded areas with diverse terrain to provide natural obstacles to the flight of the disc. The course must not be altered by the player in any way to decrease the difficulty of a hole. Players must play the course as they find it and play the disc where it lies unless otherwise allowed by these rules.