If you’ve ever wandered across the street to La Mirada Regional Park, you have probably seen the strange looking metal contraptions that dot the grassy hills and rest under the spreading tree branches. Those short basketball-hoop-like objects do actually serve a purpose other than to be the cause of much bafflement and contemplation — they are integral components to the frustratingly fun game of disc golf.

I had played a game of disc golf at a summer camp years ago and remember not liking it very much, so when I encountered the metal devices, which serve as the holes of disc golf, I didn’t think much of them. However, between watching other people try their aim with a Frisbee between my nap and study time at the park (and almost getting hit) and the positive reactions of friends who have tried the course, I decided to revisit the game and give disc golf another chance.

I am a professed lover of ultimate Frisbee, so throwing the Frisbee at targets can perhaps improve my throwing accuracy and make me a better player. It was something important enough to make me endure even the supposedly dreaded game of disc golf.

The devoted disc golf players play with actual disc golf Frisbees, which are slightly different than the more common ultimate Frisbee discs. Since I was still not sure I even liked the game, I opted for using an already possessed ultimate disc. If you want to go pro your first time, you can buy discs that will make your game go smoother for about $20, but since this is a column for the broke I wouldn’t recommend it. If you do not own any Frisbees, ask around. There are more than enough people on Biola’s campus who own one (or several), so borrowing a disc should not be a problem.

Even on a Saturday morning, there were several groups out enjoying the course. I was amused and slightly intimidated by the intensity of some of the other players. They carried around the disc-golf equivalent of golf bags. They looked like they knew what they were doing as they wiped off their special putters and drivers.

There are two 18-hole courses on which you can test your Frisbee throwing skills at La Mirada Regional Park, each with a variety of pars and are clearly marked. The park spans more than 100 acres, so be prepared to do a lot of walking. Disc golf is not a fast paced game, as indicated by the word “golf” in its name, but there is something almost nostalgic about spending a few hours throwing around Frisbees with your friends and despite my prejudices of old, does not make for a bad way to spend an afternoon.

The park is close enough to Biola to walk there with little trouble, but you can also park by the community center. Although this is a walk from the first hole, it has a lot of available parking so you can bring all your necessary disc golf equipment and not have to carry it all the way.