IN THE PIPELINE:

This summer we learned something new about Huntington Beach, thanks to one of our friends, Daniel Boucher. For his 15th birthday, Daniel wanted to play disc golf with some of his pals at Central Park.

My son Charlie and I were there to help celebrate, and we were anxious to try the golf, too. Like so many other things, we’ve passed it a thousand times. We were intrigued, but never took the time to stop and give it a try.

Not being a golfer, the concept of the sport never quite hooked me. However, driving past Central Park and seeing the odd blue, yellow, red or white disc soaring by did bring back enough childhood Frisbee memories to spark a bit of nostalgia. As I’d soon learn, my circa-1974 lime-green Wham-O would have no place on the course. And forget the word “Frisbee.” These are “discs,” dude.

Some background: The disc golf course in Huntington Beach is the second oldest disc golf course in the world (the first is in Pasadena). Back in 1979, Tom Kennedy won $50,000 in a disc golf tournament played here that was broadcast for ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.”

The rules of disc golf relate to golf, but instead of hitting a ball with a club, you throw discs toward a metal target basket, which features a web of chains designed to deaden the impact of the disc and catch it. Each hole on the 18-hole course has a determined par (3 or 4 in Huntington Beach) and putters and drivers are used (differently shaped discs) in a similar manner to golf course play.

On the day we played with Daniel, it became clear this was not like throwing a regular Frisbee. The discs we rented were made of much harder plastic; they had sharper edges, and could be downright dangerous in the wrong hands (on several holes, mine). Traversing the course, it was amazing to me how many hardcore disc golfers were out playing seriously — very seriously.

Armed with carrying bags that were sort of like large CD holders, golfers toted as many as two dozen discs each. For every hole, for every shot, for every course quirk — there was the right disc. Colorful discs were flying past at alarming speeds and distances, but “Fore” was usually called, and there was a laid back atmosphere among the devoted that brought back memories of Grateful Dead concerts and Reggae Sunsplash shows. Once we got the semi-hang of how to achieve some distance + accuracy, the fun kicked in — along with the competition.

Jerry Davis runs the shop and course, and he’s not just knowledgeable — he’s a renowned disc golfer.

“I started playing casually back in 1990, and my first actual round of disc golf took place at H.B. disc golf course,” he said.

He started playing amateur tournaments in 1996 and was competing in professional events by 1999. He won his first pro-sanctioned event in Goleta/Santa Barbara at the 2001 Evergreen Open.

“(I had) several top 10 finishes and a fair share of bottom 10 finishes, admittedly,” he said.

As for our local course, David said, “It was designed by the late, great Ed Headrick in 1977. Huntington Beach has a long history of producing world-class disc golfers who are regularly ranked among the top 25 in the world. And here at the course, being able to rent discs and receive some free basic instruction makes this course attractive to new players. Most veteran disc golfers are more than willing to share tips with novice players. It’s cheap and fun.”

He’s not kidding. Prices range from $1 on weekdays to $2 on weekends. (That’s not a typo.) And drinks and snacks are available for less than $2. In terms of what you get, this may be the best dollar you may ever spend in your life.

Robert McIntee has helped run the pro shop for the last several years. Now 22, he’s among the top 40 disc golfers in the world.

“I first played in 2001,” he told me. “I grew up playing regular golf with my grandfather, but once I tried this I was hooked. It was so cheap to play; I could play all the time.”

McIntee is sponsored today by Discraft, and he’s traveled the world playing competitive disc golf, which both he and Jerry Davis believe should be an Olympic sport.

Charlie and I returned several times in the following weeks. We purchased our own discs and even made it over to play the course in La Mirada, which I liked, but not as much as the Huntington Beach course.

One quiet weekday, we saw a burly, late 20-ish guy tossing alone — practicing more than actually playing the course. His tosses were jaw dropping — the discs he threw seemed to explode off his steely arm, soaring missile-like for what looked to be about 150-175 yards. We asked him for a few tips and he gratefully obliged. This was John Gera, who quietly went about his business making mincemeat of the course — a born disc golfer — but not one who likes organized competition.

“I play for myself and not for anything else,” he told me. “It is therapeutic for me. Some people take it very serious, and I do as well when there are things on the line. I have been playing for 14 years. Started at 12 with my dad’s neighbors and loved it ever since. My dad played in Huntington Beach in the late ’70s, and he took me out in a stroller in ’84, so I guess its kind of ironic that two decades later I’m doing the same thing with my daughter.”

And his tips for beginners? “Just take your time and let the disc do the work — not you. Take your time and always have fun, because if you’re not having fun, what is the point?”

Gera seems to have the sort of Zen approach (as do Davis and McIntee) that makes for a great disc golfer.

But there is a huge range of players on the course most days, from first timers to weekday hackers to polished pros. Everyone seems to get along, it’s laid back and again, it’s an unrivaled bargain

There are leagues, lots of free help and tips available and amateur leagues — an entire disc golf sub-culture that is thoroughly cool and enjoyable.

I admit being very late to this game after living here almost 10 years — so thanks are in order to Daniel.

Huntington Beach Disc Golf Course is in Huntington Central Park, 18381 Golden West St. For more information, call (714) 425-9931.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 14 books, including the new “Huntington Beach Then & Now.” You can write him at chris@chrisepting.com.