Night Disc Golf: Don’t Stop Playing Just Because the Sun Goes Down
It’s getting to that wonderful time of year when we go to work when it’s just getting light, and often leave when it’s to dark for a traditional round of disc golf. While that can put a crimp on disc golf play, it doesn’t have to. Glow rounds are a fun way to continue playing disc golf in the evening, even when the sun sets early. At Infinite Discs we have the discs and accessories to make sure you have a fun night round, and still find your discs. Let’s check out some of the things that will make your night round a fun time in the dark.
The most important part of a night round is being able to find your disc after you throw it. The best way to do that is to make sure the disc is illuminated. There are several ways to achieve this goal.
Glow Plastic Discs
Most manufacturers offer numerous molds in glow plastic, including many of the Infinite brand molds. While some players throw these discs because of the added stability of glow plastic, they are excellent for disc golf night rounds. The advantage of using glow discs is that there is a good chance that your go-to disc comes in glow plastic, with a grip and flight you’re used to. After charging the glow plastic with a light source, the disc remains illuminated for a short time, giving you a chance to find the disc after you throw it.
A simple way to find all the glow discs for sale is to go to our advanced search, and under the “extras” category check the “glow in the dark” checkbox. If you need help doing this, this video will explain how our advanced search works.
Glow Tape Rings
Related to glow plastic are the UFO Glow Rings. In a package of Glow Rings you get a sheet of glow rings and circles that can be applied directly to your disc. The discs glow when exposed to a light source, just like glow plastic. These add no weight to your disc, so it will fly the same. Plus, you could put tape on the top and bottom, making it easy to spot your disc no matter how it comes to rest.
UV Flashlights
One of the best ways to both charge your disc and find it after the glow fades is with a UV Flashlight. These charge glow plastic significantly faster than a regular flashlight, without the blinding effect of bright light associated with a regular flashlight. Plus, if you do take a little longer than expected to find the disc after you throw it, you can use the UV Flashlight to help in the search. Simply shine the light around the area you think the disc is and when the UV light flashes across the disc, it will give it a little charge, making it easier to find. This come in especially handy if your disc lands in some bushes that are hard to peer into.
Disc Lights
A step up in the illumination department is to get actual lights for your disc. You have a few options when it comes to discs with lights. The first is to purchase battery powered tape on lights. These come in a variety of colors, even color changing, and can last several rounds. The advantage is that it will give you a good light source to find your disc. By having players use different colors on their disc, it is easy to identify whose disc it is. The biggest advantage is that you can use your regular discs, so you know they all fly. There are a few downsides to the battery powered light. First, you need to tape it on to your disc, which means they might become detached from the disc after hitting something, making the disc hard to find. Taping the light on with clear packing tape in warmer temperatures makes the light stay on most of the time.
Another down side to the light is they are not waterproof. If you are playing a course where water may be a factor, make sure you completely cover the light with tape so water can’t reach it. One other potential downside is that if you are using a dark colored opaque disc and the disc lands light side down, you might not be able to see it. You could tape a light to the top and bottom to avoid that situation, if you don’t mind the weight. Visibility isn’t much of an issue with the more transparent discs. Infinite discs offers volume discounts on lights, so if you want to host a night round you can get the lights a little cheaper.
Nite Ize Discs
Another option for lighted discs is to purchase a disc with a built-in light. There are a few different discs for you to choose from. First, there is the NiteIze line of discs from Flashflight. They consist of three molds: a putter, a mid-range, and a driver. These discs are easily the brightest, most visible discs that you can buy. There is a single light source in the center of the disc, and fiber optic-like channels that carry the light all the way to the rim. And they look so cool in flight! The downside is that there are only those three discs, so if you don’t like the feel and flight, you don’t have a choice.
Viking Discs
One manufacturer added a line of discs that have a light built into the disc. Viking Discs offers their Fire Plastic line, which has an LED light on the bottom of the disc. The light is fairly bright. The nice thing about this option is that if you throw Viking discs, you could pick up a Fire Plastic version and be familiar with the flight. Viking has nice plastics, so even if you don’t throw them now, you could find some new discs to try. The light cover is removable to change the battery. Molds in Fire Plastic include the Rune, Nordic Warrior, Barbarian, Ragnarok, Thor.
So, there you have all of the information you need to have a great time hucking in the dark. Grab some buddies for a fun round. Or maybe host a glow tournament. Discover the fun of playing at night!
Night Disc Golf Products on Sale
To help you face the realities of the end of daylight savings time we have placed many night disc golf products including glow discs, lights, and UV Flashlights are on sale this week!
What tips do you have for playing disc golf after dark?
Do you like playing disc golf at the night? What discs glow best? What products help make your disc golf rounds after dark more enjoyable? Comment below for a chance to win a glow in the dark disc of your choice.
Ted Hegemann
Ted is the Chief Writer at Infinite Discs. He is responsible for the State of Disc Golf Survey articles and most of the "best discs" posts. Ted runs all kinds of local disc golf leagues and tournaments and tournaments in Northern Utah.
Kastaplast glows best!
I use a uv led designed for scorpion hunting. Have used several different glow brands all that work to varying degree. when I find a low level glow, I just throw a couple pieces of Glow duct tape and have no more issues. Gotta say that glow in light snow is my favorite round
The Duck Brand Glow in the dark duct tape also works really well on your non-glow plastic discs, if you plan on playing glow pretty consistently for a few months or more. It glows brighter and longer than glow plastic (I sometimes even apply a small amount to glow plastic discs as well) and I’ve never had a problem with it coming off on the course.
You didn’t mention lighting the baskets, but friends and I usually just carry a handful of small bike lights that we latch to the top of the basket shining down on the pole/chains. EL wire can also be fun, wrapping the pole, but takes more time to attach, so only worth the effort for a small tournament or larger get together, IMO.
I personally like the all glow discs for the purpose of having something to throw when the sun starts to set relatively sooner than normal. When this happens, usually there is a chance that you might not get to finish your round in time, but as usual, you want to keep on playing to finish your round. If you’re smart… you have a glow disc and a flashlight in your backpack, you’re able to finish your round with a smile on your face 🙂
Also, given the extra stability for most of the glow plastics, you know its going to take a little extra longer to beat in. This makes for a longer life span of a disc, so you know it is going to be a “glowing” staple in your bag for years to come.
So many benefits that throwing glow plastics! Plus things that glow are naturally captivating 🙂
I haven’t played many glow rounds yet, but I felt my glow Chariot stood out in keeping it’s charge during my first round this weekend. Would like to try other favorite molds in glow- like a Warden or Explorer.
Night golf is fun but I also found that it is good for my game. When you can’t see the obstacles, you aren’t afraid to throw lines that seem tighter in the day time. I’ve also found that it helps with the mental aspect of the game as well. I prefer no flashlights and maybe a small light on the basket, the less light pollution, the easier it is to find your discs. I just ordered some Infinite molds in the sparkle glow c-blend, they glow so well and look so good!
MVP lights are the best for night golf! I’ve been playin night golf for about 5 years and at least 50% of my rounds are at night. The thin mvp disc lights are the best method of seeing your discs at night. As long as you do a good job of taping (2 strips of thin packing tape) the flight pattern won’t change much (slightly more understable). If the tape comes loose just retape or the disc will get very understable. Have to retape in the winter more frequently, but I tape ribbon in the deep snow weather anyway. If the light is fading just buy new ones. They’re basically the cost of the battery anyway. I blew up a battery in my face trying to sodder a new battery in once lol.
The colour changing basket lights by MVP are awesome too, but it sucks you need to use the remote. I guess it’s to keep them water proof. The MVP basket ring lights are garbage, if you want to cheap out just use the little closet lights that stick to things. They come in packs of 9 and use watch batteries. Headlamps or flashlights work too but take up more packing volume.
I never really use the UV/glow method anymore, but I hear Kastaplast has good glow plastic. Never been impressed by any glow plastic, they always seem to disappear after 5 mins, but combining them with a light works good. I would like to try the glow Berg!
You’re giving away glow discs at the same time you do a kastaplast glow restock!? Couldn’t be more perfect, I’ve been eyeing a glow Gote and Falk for weeks! Pick meeee!
First off, thank you for all the great data on available gear for playing at night. I’m new to the sport and recently discovered we have a night tourney every other Thursday at my home course. I just started my glow collection and currently only have a P2. It stays charged for long periods of time, has great grip, straight flying and stable. My favorite driver is a Wraith and favorite mids are Emac Truth and Buzzz. Any suggestions on glow discs with similar flight as these? Thank you in advance for your replies.
I love playing glow round, many companies have decent glow offerings, Kastaplast is insanely bright and long lasting.
I wish Discraft would redo the Superglow discs. Their recent offerings have been subpar at best.
Innova has a solid and consistent glow as does almost every other company. Gateway is above average.
If you don’t want to buy new discs the UFO tape works excellent but is slick when wet. Glow duct tape is excellent!
End of season sales on solar lighting can yield some solar lights to put on top of your baskets, I wired mine on and they work great.
Where solar lighting doesn’t work well the old school glow sticks work well, and I love the look of weaving glow necklaces into several of the chains and putting a chem light on top and in the basket.
Glow golf is a ton of fun. Marking prominent trees with glow sticks and ensuring the paths and intended lines are marked where not well visible is both aesthetically pleasing and increases safety.
Get out and have some fun! The season doesn’t have to die this time of year.
I wish that there was a larger variety of putters produced in glow plastic. I might have to look into the glow burg. I’ve been waiting for another run of glow Banger GT’s since I missed out on the last batch. I’ve never seen the glow tape rings before, they seem interesting.
Definitely looking to try glow rounds this Winter. Already got a couple of Kastaplast Kaxe Z’s and would love to add a Falk!
I believe the best method is the tape on led lights, it’s just a more enjoyable round, they are easier to see, look cooler in flight and don’t fade. you have to carry less gear too. the absolute best tape to use is 3M Transpore medical tape, it’s super flexible, sticky and waterproof.
You do however have to deal with the ambient light snobs that say it messes with their night vision.
DON”T look at then for cryin out loud. They are also the ones that after you walk right up and find your disc you end up looking for theirs for the next 15min with flashlights lol
Kastaplast glows best!
I’ve only played at night a couple of times. Not having many glow discs make it a challenge. Disc Lights come in handy for people like me without many glow discs.
New to disc golf this summer. I haven’t played a night round yet. I would love to win one of the NiteIze to see how they throw.
Please make a color glow, metal flake firebird!
Done! Check out the Metal Flake Color Glow Scepter
There are Champion glow Wraiths and Moonshine Emac Truths available. Wraiths might be tour series of I recall
I really enjoy moonshine plastic, although some glow brighter than others. Most of my favorite discs don’t come in glow plastic so we have glow tape and lights, when we remember haha