A disc golf basket is pictured at Bergman Park in Jamestown. “It’s a blast,” said John Chapman of Westfield, who was playing the course recently. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

It’s a way to relax.

It’s also a way to stay or get into shape.

And it just takes a flying disc, patience, and some determination.

The disc golf course at Bergman Park, 487 Baker St. Ext., offers city and area residents a place to stretch out. By walking the course, one can get great exercise. Depending how good one is at throwing a disc, the 12-hole course can be walked quickly or not, and can be played alone or with more people.

There are no tee times or carts — just fun.

And it’s free.

“It’s a blast,” said John Chapman of Westfield, who was playing the course recently.

Bobby Hornberger, also of Westfield, echoed Chapman’s thoughts.

“It’s relaxing, and something you can get better at,” Hornberger said.

Disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is like traditional golf, with the exception that instead of using a ball and club, players use a flying disc. The objective of the game is to complete the course with the fewest number of throws of the disc, according to broadrungolf.com.

Disc golf is played on a course, which is typically an open area with scattered trees and bushes. There are usually nine or 18 holes on a course, and each hole has a designated throwing area, called the tee. Players must throw the disc from the tee toward the target, called the hole. The disc can be thrown in any direction; however, most players prefer to throw it using an underhand motion. Once the disc is thrown, it will land somewhere on the ground. The player then walks to where it landed and throws it again from that spot toward the hole. This process is repeated until the disc lands in the hole. If it lands outside of the hole, the player must add an extra stroke to his or her score. The game is typically played with a group of friends, and the player with the lowest score at the end of the game is the winner, according to broadrungolf.com.

“We play all over. You end (the game) looking in a lot of bushes,” Chapman said.

There is an application, udisc.com, for either an Android phone or an iPhone. According to udisc.com, there are many courses available. With the app, a player can discover new courses, follow course maps, score rounds, measure throws, and analyze games. And of Course, Bergman Park’s course is available.

Bergman Park is the city of Jamestown’s large city park that offers basketball, bicycling, along with picnic tables, pavilions and playgrounds. It’s home of the annual Labor Day celebration and the World Series of Cars Show, according to tourchautauqua.com.

The park is under the direction of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. The department is charged with providing recreational activities and recreational spaces for residents and visitors to the City of Jamestown. The Department also is charged with the maintenance of 500 acres of parkland and an urban forest of over 10,000 trees, according to jamestownny.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation.

Other area disc parks also are available. Here are some: Chainbiters at Brown’s Farm at 8999-8601 County Road 93, South Dayton, 716-720-0378; Shipwreck Bluff at Lake Erie State Park, 716-792-9214, nyparks.com/parks/129/details.aspx; Hawk’s Landing, Eden, tribalflyers.com; The Land (private course), Cattaraugus, facebook.com/TheLandDGC; Gargoyle Park Disc Golf Course, Olean, twintiersdiscgolf.org; The Griffin, Springville, 716-353-3850, Funkysapien86@gmail.com; Edinboro University DGC, Edinboro, Pa., edinboro.edu/directory/offices-services/campus-life/recreation/disc-golf.html; Wild Buck DGC at Evangola State Park, Irving; Creekside DGC, Lawson Park, 3559 Lawson Road, Jamestown (town of Busti), 716-490-2407, facebook.com/Jamestown-NY-Disc-Golf-Association-105922994485745; Blue Dog DGC, Derby, 716-359-5021, bluedogdiscgolf.com; and Tionesta Lake, 1 Tionesta Lake, Tionesta, Pa., deitzel@hotmail.com.

“It’s fun for the family,” said Lilian Hornberger of Westfield. “It’s totally cheaper than (regular) golf.”