Disc golf is coming to Hazel Park when the city hosts a grand opening of its first course Friday.

The event is set for 6 p.m. at  the city’s Green Acres Park, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd.

Green Acres is the largest park in Hazel Park and was selected as the location for the new nine-hole disc golf course.

The course was proposed, designed and developed by the Hazel Park Department of Public Works.

DPW workers installed nine disc baskets.

“It was not a significant cost to create the course,” said City Manager Ed Klobucher. “And the DPW did most of the work in-house.”

Klobucher added the city is happy to offer the new recreational activity and expects many people are looking forward to getting outside this summer to play after enduring the limits of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

“This is a sport that seems to be growing in popularity with a lot of players,” he said. “We’re glad we now have our own course in Hazel Park.

Worldwide, it is estimated 50 million rounds of disc golf were played last year, according to UDisc.com, which has an app for the sport. Those figures represent more than 140,000 disc golf rounds each day.

Most of the rounds played last year were in the U.S., which had between 35 and 37 million rounds. About 15 million rounds were played in all other countries that have embraced the sport.

The South Oakland Family YMCA will be among those attending the opening of Hazel Park’s course Friday.

As part of its SportPort equipment program, the YMCA will offer sporting equipment, including basketballs and soccer balls that will be available, along with obstacle courses for children during the grand opening event.

Disc golf was established and the first course designed in the 1970s, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association.

The game is similar to golf. In place of clubs and balls, players throw a flying disc or Frisbee from a tee area to a target instead of a hole.

Usually, disc golf targets are elevated metal baskets. As in traditional golf, the goal is to complete the game with the fewest number of throws as players make their way down a fairway.

Disc golf is designed to accommodate people of all ages and physical abilities.

“Disc golf provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and mental stimulation,” the PDGA says on its website. “Concentration skills increase by mastering shots and negotiating obstacles, and players of limited fitness levels can start slowly and gradually increase their level of play.”

There are more than 8,000 disc golf courses worldwide, and the number continues to grow, according to the PDGA.