Disc golf in Finland
{{short description|Overview of disc golf practiced in Finland}}
{{Infobox sport overview
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| title = Disc golf in Finland
| image = Frisbee golf course by Haunisen allas reservoir in Raisio, Finland.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| image_alt =
| caption = Hole #18 at Hauninen DiscGolfPark in Raisio
| union = FDGA
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| registered = 2,815
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| national_list = European Open
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Disc golf (in {{langx|fi|frisbeegolf}}) is a popular sport in Finland played at the recreational, club, and international competition levels.{{cite web |title=Frisbeegolf-opas - Säännöt & Ohjeet Aloittelijalle |url=https://veikkausbonukset.com/artikkelit/frisbeegolf-opas |website=Veikkausbonukset.com |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi}}{{cite web |title=Disc Golf in Finland (2017) - The SpinTV |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7FnUJnVc50 |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
Disc golf in Finland is governed by the Finnish Disc Golf Association (FDGA, {{langx|fi|Suomen frisbeegolfliitto}}). Its mission is to promote the sport and to "organize disc golf activities in Finland together with its approximately 150 member organizations."{{cite web |title=Briefly in English |url=https://frisbeegolfliitto.fi/english/ |website=Suomen frisbeegolfliitto |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
Popularity
Disc golf is the fastest growing sport in Finland.{{cite web |last1=Dahlström |first1=Sebastian |title=Swish genom luften och klirr i kedjorna - frisbeegolf är Finlands snabbast växande idrottsgren |url=https://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2019/07/12/swish-genom-luften-och-klirr-i-kedjorna-frisbeegolf-ar-finlands-snabbast-vaxande |website=svenska.yle.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=sv-FI |date=12 July 2019}} According to the Finnish Research Institute for Olympic Sports (KIHU), it is more popular among Finns than ball golf, volleyball, basketball and tennis.{{cite web |last1=Toivonen |first1=Kari |title=Now it is Official – Disc Golf is Enormously Popular in Finland |url=https://parkeddiscgolf.org/2019/08/12/now-it-is-official-disc-golf-is-enormously-popular-in-finland/ |website=Parked |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en |date=12 August 2019}} The country is frequently called a model country for disc golf,{{cite web |title=Suomi – frisbeegolfin mallimaa |url=https://frisbeegolfradat.fi/blogit/kari_toivonen/suomi-frisbeegolfin-mallimaa/ |website=Frisbeegolfradat.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi |date=16 February 2015}} a Mecca,{{cite web |last1=Woods |first1=Josh |title=The Nordic Anomaly: Finland as a Disc Golf World Leader |url=https://parkeddiscgolf.org/2017/11/10/the-nordic-anomaly-finland-as-a-disc-golf-world-leader/ |website=Parked |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en |date=10 November 2017}} and a hot bed.{{cite web |last1=Öhberg |first1=Tony |title=Finland Is a Hotbed of Disc Golf |url=https://finlandtoday.fi/finland-is-the-hotbed-of-frisbee-golf/ |website=Finland Today {{!}} News in English {{!}} finlandtoday.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
In June 2020, there were 2,815 active PDGA members and 2,985 expired memberships,{{cite web |title=PDGA Player Search - Finland |url=https://www.pdga.com/players?FirstName=&LastName=&PDGANum=&Status=Current&Gender=All&Class=All&MemberType=All&City=&StateProv=All&Country=FI&Country_1=All&UpdateDate= |website=Professional Disc Golf Association |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en}} an increase from June 2015, when there were 1,434 and 686, respectively.{{cite web |last1=Parcell |first1=Zach |title=Want disc golf to grow? Follow Finland's lead |url=https://allthingsdiscgolf.com/want-disc-golf-to-grow-follow-finlands-lead/ |website=All Things Disc Golf |accessdate=16 June 2020 |date=16 June 2015}}
The popularity of disc golf in Finland has been variously attributed to Jussi Meresmaa’s marketing know-how,{{cite web |title=DiscGolfPark |url=https://www.spin18.com/discgolfpark/ |website=Spin18 |accessdate=16 June 2020}} the fact that disc golf is taught in gym class curriculums, and that municipalities build courses to attract new taxpayers. Finland's proximity to other disc golf hubs around the Baltic Sea, namely Estonia and Sweden, is also a factor.
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;Number of PDGA members at Year-End.{{cite web |title=PDGA and Disc Golf Demographics |url=https://www.pdga.com/demographics |website=Professional Disc Golf Association |date=11 February 2009 |accessdate=20 June 2020 |language=en}}
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;Number of Courses at Year-End.
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;Number of Events at Year-End.
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Courses
File:Meri-Toppila Park Oulu 20170307 06.jpg]]
{{Main|List of disc golf courses in Finland}}
Approximately 7% of the world's disc golf courses are located in Finland. Some of the most notable ones include Puijo DGP in Kuopio, Kaatis in Vihti, Pikkarala Frisbeegolf in Oulu.{{Cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Alex|url=https://udisc.com/blog/post/worlds-best-disc-golf-courses-1-100|title=World's Best Disc Golf Courses: #1-#100|date=|website=Release Point|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616151057/https://udisc.com/blog/post/worlds-best-disc-golf-courses-1-100 |archive-date=2020-06-16 |access-date=2020-02-08}} In 2019, Helsinki topped UDisc's list of Top 5 Disc Golf Cities outside the United States.{{cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Alex |title=Top 5 Disc Golf Cities — International: #1 Helsinki, Finland |url=https://udisc.com/blog/post/top-5-disc-golf-cities-international-1-helsinki-finland |website=Release Point - The UDisc Blog |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
Most courses in Finland are located in public parks or sporting areas and can be played for free. Commercial courses are generally found around sports complexes, ski resorts, spas and camping areas.{{cite web |title=Case Finland |url=https://www.discgolfpark.com/disc-golf/case-finland/ |website=DiscGolfPark |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
Market
Finland is the disc golf market share leader in Europe. In 2014, Spin18 estimated the total value of the European disc golf industry to 16 million Euros, with Finland accounting for more than half of it, at around 9 million Euros.
Budget Sport, a large Finnish sports equipment retailer, sponsored the 2015 European Open and features disc golf equipment prominently in its retail stores.{{cite web |title=Näin valitset frisbeegolfkiekon |url=https://www.budgetsport.fi/valintaoppaat/opas/frisbeegolf/ |website=Budget Sport |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi}}
= Manufacturers =
{{See also|List of disc golf brands and manufacturers}}
As a country, Finland has the second largest number of disc golf equipment manufacturers, second only to the United States. Major Finnish disc brands include Discmania, founded by Jussi Meresmaa in Tampere, Finland, Westside Discs, which is associated with Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64˚, Viking, Obsidian, and Prodiscus, which also manufacturers discs for Missouri-based Full Turn and Australian Fourth Circle Discs.
Tourism
File:Disc golf Yyteri.jpg beach course at sunset in Pori]]
Disc golf courses are marketed by Finnish municipalities and on tourism board websites.{{cite web |title=Frisbeegolf |url=https://www.salo.fi/vapaaaikajamatkailu/liikunta/liikuntapaikat/ulkoliikuntapaikat/frisbeegolf/ |website=www.salo.fi |accessdate=20 June 2020 |language=fi}}{{cite web |title=Frisbeegolf |url=https://www.ouka.fi/oulu/liikunta-ja-ulkoilu/frisbeegolf |website=Oulun kaupunki - www.ouka.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi-FI |date=20 April 2017}}{{cite web |title=Exercise benefits everyone in Finland |url=https://finland.fi/life-society/exercise-benefits-everyone-in-finland/ |website=thisisFINLAND |accessdate=16 June 2020 |date=23 January 2014}}
= Åland Islands =
In May 2020, Mats Adamczak [se], Åland’s Chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses, approached DiscGolfPark with the ambitious project of turning Åland into a "disc golf island" by building 16 new courses by the end of the summer, one for each municipality in the autonomous region. At the time of the press release, there were only two courses on Åland.
Mass media
Coverage of disc golf tournaments is mainstream in Finland. It is not uncommon for major tournaments and local competitions to get coverage.{{cite web |last1=Toivonen |first1=Timo |title=Suomeen voitto frisbeegolfin ammattilaiskiertueelta – nelinkertainen maailmanmestari kaatui Yhdysvalloissa |url=https://www.is.fi/muutlajit/art-2000006022451.html |website=Ilta Sanomat |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi |date=4 March 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Niemeläinen |first1=Jonne |title=Nyt tehtiin frisbeegolfin historiaa: Eveliina Salonen voitti ammattilaiskiertueen osakilpailun Yhdysvalloissa |url=https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-10672024 |website=yle.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi |date=4 March 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Manner |first1=Santtu |title=19-vuotias suomalaislupaus otti historiallisen voiton suuressa frisbeegolf-turnauksessa – kaatoi nelinkertaisen maailmanmestarin |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/19-vuotias-suomalaislupaus-otti-historiallisen-voiton-suuressa-frisbeegolf-turnauksessa-kaatoi-nelinkertaisen-maailmanmestarin/7308470 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi |date=3 March 2019}}
= Television =
Disc golf gets frequent coverage on national television since the 2005 European Championships.{{cite web |title=Disc Golf European 2015 - Finnish YLE TV2 National TV Broadcast (International simulcast) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH3Ogs5qwhU |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020}} In 2013, the final round of the European Open aired for 90 minutes nationwide on YLE.
= Podcasts =
- Frisbeegolf Keskustelu
= YouTube channels =
- Disc Golf Finland - 12,200 subscribers and 2,078,572 views{{cite web |title=Disc Golf Finland |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59Yn1FzyDWGpGARcV7G_fw/featured |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en}}
- lcgm8 - 10,100 subscribers and 3,981,505 views{{cite web |title=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/lcgm8/about |website=www.youtube.com |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi}}
- SkyBlue - 2,900 subscribers and 610,170 views{{cite web |title=SkyBlue Disc Golf |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/mylisauk/about |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en}}
- Natural Born Disc Golfer - 2,660 subscribers and 131,828 views{{cite web |title=Natural Born Disc Golfer |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrmSG6MHhU7aAwsq-ZhY8g/about |website=www.youtube.com |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=fi}}
- Frisbeegolf Ruka - 1,130 subscribers and 495,144 views{{cite web |title=Frisbeegolf Ruka |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqICOCYsq4Qar1EbOpcgBLA/featured |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en}}
- frisbeegolfradat - 1,630 subscribers and 538 375 views{{cite web |title=frisbeegolfradat |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/frisbeegolfradat/about |website=YouTube |accessdate=16 June 2020 |language=en}}
Competitions
File:David Feldberg at 2011 Disc Golf European Open.jpg practicing at hole 1]]
Notable Finnish disc golfers
- {{ill|Pasi Koivu|fi|Pasi Koivu}}
- {{ill|Jussi Meresmaa|fi|Jussi Meresmaa}}
- {{ill|Seppo Paju|fi|Seppo Paju}}
- {{ill|Leo Piironen|fi|Leo Piironen}}
- {{ill|Väinö Mäkelä (disc golfer)|fi|Väinö Mäkelä (frisbeegolfaaja)|lt=Väinö Mäkelä}}
- {{ill|Eveliina Salonen|fi|Eveliina Salonen}}
- {{ill|Jalle Stoor|fi|Jalle Stoor}}{{cite web |title=Players - Disc Golf Metrix |url=https://www.discgolfworldtour.com/players/ |website=Disc Golf World Tour |accessdate=16 June 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Alex |title=Solid Finnish: Salonen & Stoor Are Big News In Finland |url=https://udisc.com/blog/post/solid-finnish-salonen-stoor-are-big-news-in-finland |website=Release Point - The UDisc Blog |accessdate=16 June 2020 |date=6 March 2019}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://frisbeegolfliitto.fi/ Suomen frisbeegolfliitto], Finnish Disc Golf Association (FDGA)
- [http://www.frisbeegolfradat.fi/ Frisbeegolfradat.fi], Finnish disc golf course directory
{{World topic |title=Disc golf by country |prefix=Disc golf in |state=expanded |noredlinks=1}}
{{Disc golf|state=expanded}}