Tag: Night Disc Golf

Disc Golf at Night – Glow and Lighting Products

2 comments

There is a side to disc golf that many players enjoy immensely and that is the joy of playing the game at night. Yet there are still a number of players who haven’t tried it. I’d been playing glow disc golf for a few years before somebody finally convinced me that it would be worth visiting the course after dark. It was a true joy!

With the sun now going down much earlier each day (you’ll really notice the difference Sunday) it’s the perfect time to get ready for “glow season.”

Glow in the Dark Discs

There are a lot of discs made in glow plastic, and I never used to think much about them until that first night game. Not only did the discs seem like an unnecessary gimmick before my eyes were opened, but I thought it would be a burdensome expense to have to buy all my favorite discs in glow plastic merely to play at night.

But that is an option, and arguably the best one if you regularly play disc golf in the dark. With glow in the dark discs, your favorite discs aren’t encumbered by additional add-ons. If you get attached to the discs you can also use these discs for day time play.

Most of the most popular discs from the top disc golf retailers have glow in the dark versions available. There are usually a good number of glow-in-the-dark plastic blends for popular discs available at any given time.

There are now even glow varieties that glow in different colors than the traditional green glow hue. Clash Discs offers a Blue Glow Berry and Doomsday Discs has a variant that glows in the dark red! We have thousands of different glow in the dark disc golf discs for sale right now.

Glow in the Dark Disc golf DiscsWhat Disc Golf Brand GLOWS THE BEST?

Different disc golf manufacturers have different glow plastic blends, and here at Infinite Discs we’ve noticed that there can be a big difference between them. Some brands like Innova and Discraft have pretty good glow products, though it depends on the plastic type.

Specialty blends, and color glow variants just don’t glow quite as well as the traditional “glow color” discs.

The Innova Champion Glow varieties are good as well as their Glow DX. With Discraft, their Glo Z Line plastic works pretty well, but their Glo ESP blends tend to be very hit-and-miss when it comes to actually glowing in the dark.

Brands like Latitude 64 and Dynamic have not been known to have good premium glow plastic, which they usually call “Moonshine,” but their softer putter plastics glow great.

With MVP and Axiom, their glow plastic is usually called “Eclipse” but, but most often it is either the rim or the flight plate that glows, but not both. The new version of Axiom Disc flight paths glows REALLY well.

Best Glowing Disc Golf Plastic

The brand that consistently glows the best is the K1 Glow plastic by Kastaplast. There’s something magical about their glow-in-the-dark plastic because all you need to do is dim the lights to see those discs light up. They glow surprisingly bright and for a long time. Whenever Kastaplast runs their glow plastic, they sell out fast, so be ready to pull the trigger when you see them in stock, because it will be hard to find anything that glows as well.

Disc Golf Accessories to Make Discs Visible in Dark

Make your discs glow, and stay glowing with a UV Flashlight

Disc Golf UV FlashlightThe first time I saw one of these things in action, I was amazed. My brother pulled this awesome LED flashlight out of his bag and literally drew light across his disc. As soon as the flashlight hit the disc, it left a trail of glowing, green light. UV flashlights are a must for glow disc golf.

It only takes seconds to charge glowing discs or stickers, and they shine brightly for several minutes. Then, after you’ve thrown your disc, the UV flashlight makes finding them in the pitch black of night even easier than it is during the day!

You simply shine the UV flashlight around the fairway, and the moment the light hits your disc, it lights up again. And it does that without the “light noise” of a traditional flashlight…it doesn’t look like you’re actually casting a beam around. I played a glow round on a course that usually presents a lot of places for discs to hide in long grass, sagebrush, and trees, and it was honestly easier to find the discs at night than during the day.

You’ll probably want to start picking up discs in glow plastic eventually. But here is another option for night play that is quick and inexpensive.

How to Make Regular Discs Glow

I since discovered that a few little night round accessories that can get you playing disc golf after dark, even without a slew of discs in glowing plastic.

One of the quick ways to jump into the glow game is to pick up Glow Tape which are designed just for disc golf discs.

Glow Tape Vinyl $4.95 Per Sheet

These are basic sticker rings that can be peeled off and stuck onto any disc to make it into a glowing disc. You can get enough sticker action out of a sheet to light up three, four, or even five discs, depending on how many sticker rings you decide to apply to each disc. They are light enough not to mess up the weight or flight tendencies of your disc. They also charge instantly with UV light and glow brightly for several minutes.

Now, if you have glowing discs, or if you have glow tape, you can charge them with traditional light, which takes a bit longer, plus lights up your fairway, or you can pick up a UV Flashlight which makes a LOT of difference in your ability to quickly charge and throw your disc.

Flat LED Disc Lights

Flat LED Disc attachment Light

These little LED lights are easily affixed to the bottom or top of your disc with packaging tape to light them up at night. The light works better on certain colors of discs, and best on plastics that are somewhat translucent. They are inexpensive and last quite a while. They are small enough that they don’t effect the flight of your disc. You’ll have to avoid water hazards because once your LED light hits the water, it will die.

Shop for Flat LED Disc Lights

I found some photos on Tumblr.com that appear to be time exposures with LED lights on discs. Leave it to awesome artists to find a beautiful way to highlight disc golf at night.

So, with a few stickers, and the right flashlight, or a some flat LED lights you can immediately hit the course at night and have a lot of fun.

Disc Golf Basket Lights

Owning a luminous disc is beneficial, yet it only partially solves the visibility issue in disc golf after dark. For an optimal nocturnal playing experience, it is equally crucial to illuminate the target.
There are numerous methods for lighting up a disc golf basket. A popular and economical approach is to attach glow sticks to each basket on the course. Although cost-effective, opting for lights made specifically for disc golf baskets can enhance the experience even further.

Check out our selection of disc golf basket lights here.

Be sure to get out there and try a round of glow-in-the-dark disc golf! You’ll be glad you did! Let us know what you recommend for night rounds in the comments. We’d love to know!

 

Night Disc Golf: Don’t Stop Playing Just Because the Sun Goes Down

20 comments
Glow in the Dark Disc golf Discs

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.

 

Tips for Applying LED Lights to Disc Golf Discs

66 comments
Disc Golf Disc with Light

Throwing at night with LED disc golf lights attached to your discs is a fun and amazing experience. We sometimes joke that during these “night rounds” of disc golf, that the authorities will be called due to sightings of UFO’s in the area. There’s really nothing quite like it. So get your warm clothes out, and keep playing at night!

With an LED light attached to your disc in the dark, we find that it is easier to find your disc during the night than during the day. However, LED’s attached to your disc can have a few drawbacks. So we’ve put together some “best practices” to make your night round as enjoyable as possible.

Need some disc lights? We’ve got a few! Buy Disc Lights Here!

Disc Golf Light Best Practices:

1: Use plenty of quality tape

We actually use the same packaging tape which we send your orders out with to secure lights to the dis.. This is the Scotch packaging tape made by 3M, and it works perfectly. This is transparent tape. We have seen others use duct tape to secure the light to the disc; duct tape works very well, but will sometimes leave a sticky residue afterwards.

2: Apply tape to clean discs

If you have a dirt or oil on your disc, the tape will stick to that instead of the disc plastic. This will cause your light to fall of your disc when it comes in contact with another object. You can clean your disc off by rinsing and rubbing it, or you can actually clean it off with some dish soap like you’re doing the dishes. Do not use anything abrasive, unless you hate the stock stamp that came on your disc and you like scuffs. A gentle wash should clean your disc nicely.

3: Apply tape when it is warm

This is where advanced preparation is incredibly important. We suggest doing this a day in advance. If that is not realistic, at least a few hours in advanced. Take your discs inside and let them come to room temperature. Once warm, apply the tape (which should also be room temperature) to the disc golf lights and discs, and let the tape settle in and adhere for a couple hours.

4: Place Light Correctly, Use Transparent Discs

Some people will place the light on the top of the disc, or they’ll place it on the bottom with the light facing towards the ground. This is not the best way to place your light. The best way is to tape the light to the bottom of your disc, with the light shining through the plastic. This gives the light some additional protection, decreases drag above the disc, and gives you the most visibility.

5: Package the disc golf light in clear tape, prior to applying disc light to disc

This serves two purposes:

  1. It may waterproof the disc light.
  2. Prevents damage to the light when removing the light from the disc (you’ll thank us later!)

6: Two Lights is Better than One

Two lights flying look amazing, just like a UFO. We admit, we haven’t seen a UFO, but we’ve heard from others who have that this is what they look like. Also, two lights will decrease your chance of losing the disc, if one light comes lose.

If you do so, understand that these lights are 2.9 grams (roughly 3.1g if you have taped them over), and will affect flight. You will not have the truest flight to what you are use to with that disc. However, to keep flight consistent, place the lights on opposite ends.

7: Attach disc golf lights to targets or obstacles

It’s great that your disc is now visible, but unless you light up your target, you may be out of luck.

8: Buy from Infinite Discs

Our pricing is the best. The higher the quantity package you order, the better pricing that you will receive (on both shipping and cost per item). Our prices are so excellent that even larger stores purchase their lights from us at the 20 quantity pricing.

If you’re serious about disc golf after dark, you may also want to consider purchasing glow in the dark discs. Not all discs glow as well as others (most trilogy discs in terms of glow-ability, are almost worthless). These discs work best when you use a UV black light flashlight, and also worked great when a disc light is also attached to them for maximum visibility.

9: Not PDGA Approved (Somewhat True)

Every time we say something about playing in the night with disc lights, somebody will point out that lights are not PDGA approved. We use to think this was true, until Dan R. chimed in below:

Q: Are players allowed to tape LED lights on discs for night or winter play?

A glow stick or LED light may be attached/taped to any PDGA Approved disc for use in sanctioned events where play occurs after sunset in that time zone. In addition, these lights may be attached to PDGA Approved discs for use during sanctioned play in daylight, specifically when there is sufficient snow cover on the course where the lights might make discs easier to locate. Non-PDGA Approved discs such as those with built-in LED lights cannot be used at any time during sanctioned play.

So when the self-proclaimed PDGA police come out after sunset, you can grimly point them to PDGA FAQ.

10: If Playing at Night Public Parks, Inform Local Law Enforcement

Many public parks have a curfew, or will not allow citizens to be at them after dark. However, if you inform your local law enforcement in advance that you are organizing an event they will more-than-likely be happy to let you hold your event after dark.

11: Do not use flashlights or phones

Over time, your eyes will adjust to the dark. If you use a flashlight or whip out your phone to check Facebook, it will make finding your discs more difficult; especially if you have a buddy who is using glow discs. If you are going to use a bright light, give your fellow players a warning so they can shield their eyes. It’s much easier to see disc golf lights when your eyes are adjusted to the darkness.

Check out this article for more disc golf in the dark tips.

We want to know:

What is your favorite course to play in the dark (don’t forget to tell us which state!).
Are there any other “best practices which you would like to add?
How often do you disc golf at night through the cooler months?