If you want to lower your scores on the disc golf course, the fastest way to do it is to improve your putting. You can crush drives all day, but if you’re missing short putts, your scorecard will show it.
The problem? Putting practice can get boring if you’re just standing in the same spot, tossing putt after putt. That’s why I love disc golf putting games. They make practice fun, give you pressure situations like you’ll face on the course, and keep you and your friends engaged as a fun activity.
You can play these games with a buddy, a group of friends, or at a league putting night. If you have two baskets, you can even set them up like cornhole boards or horseshoe pits for more variety.
Here are five of my favorite disc golf putting games. With a portable disc golf basket, you can play these in the backyard, at a park, at the beach, or even indoors in a large indoor space during cold winter days where you’d rather not go out to play disc golf.
1. P-U-T-T
This one’s just like the basketball game “HORSE,” but for disc golf. One player picks a spot—behind a tree, straddle putt, knee putt, turbo putt, you name it—and takes a shot. If they make it, everyone else has to make it from the same spot and using the same style. Miss, and you get a letter. First player to spell “P-U-T-T” loses.
2. 7 on the Line
This game works best with a group of at least four players, all putting from the same distance. Everyone starts with 7 points. On your turn, make a putt and you add 1 point to “the line”. If the line was at 3 points before your turn, it’s now at 4.
The next player steps up—if they make it, the line keeps growing. If they miss, they lose the points that were on the line and their score drops. The line then resets to 1 point for the next shooter.
The game keeps cycling through players until only one person still has points left. The tension builds as the line climbs higher and higher, especially when you’re about to shoot with 6 or 7 points on the line and everyone’s watching.
3. Around the World
Place mini markers in a circle around the basket—every few feet, all the way around. Start at the first station and make a putt before moving to the next. If you miss, you have to stay at that station until you sink it.
Variation: On the second lap, you must make two in a row before moving on. Miss, and you’re stuck there until you pull it off.
4. 21
Set two baskets about 30 feet apart (or just one basket with everyone shooting from the same distance). Divide into two teams of two players, each with three putters.
Scoring:
- 3 points for a made putt
- 1 point for hitting metal (chains or cage)
- 0 points for a complete miss
Here’s the twist—you must land exactly on 21 points. Go over, and your score drops back to 11. Just like cornhole, the back-and-forth battles can get intense.
5. Bank and Roll
Set up five stations around your practice basket. The goal is to make a putt from each station before anyone else.
After you make a putt, you can either:
- Bank: Lock in your progress and pass the turn to your opponent.
- Roll: Move straight to the next station and keep shooting.
The risk? If you roll and miss, you go back to your last banked station—or all the way to the start if you’ve never banked. This one is all about risk versus reward.
6. Ring of Fire
This one’s a putting free-for-all. Gather all players in a big circle around the basket, each with a putter in hand. On a countdown—“3, 2, 1, putt!”—everyone throws at the same time. Any made putts are retrieved quickly, and the circle repeats the countdown and putt again. Players who miss are out, and the circle tightens as the game goes on. The last person still making putts wins. It’s chaotic, fast-paced, and perfect for a big group.
Make Your Practice Fun and Convenient
You don’t have to wait for league night to enjoy these games. With a portable Divergent Discs basket in your yard and a Nuno Putter Pack, you can turn any free moment into a fun putting challenge. Whether it’s just you and a buddy or a whole group of friends, these games will make you a better putter without feeling like “practice.”
So grab a basket, some mini markers, a stack of putters, and turn your backyard, park, or beach into the most fun putting green in town.
