It was all square heading to the last hole. This was an instant classic.

The 18th hole was an uphill par 3, with a creek about three feet wide running through the latter part of the fairway. David Stogsdill had a 15-foot birdie putt for the match. He drained it.

Sounds a lot like golf, doesn’t it? It’s not.

It’s disc golf, and there is a difference.

In disc golf, players throw a disc – closely resembling a Frisbee – at a target. The target, or hole, is a metal basket with hanging silver chains to catch the disk. The disk must rest in the basket in order to score.

In Lawrence, disc golf is becoming more popular, said Nathaniel Marshall, oversight director of his unaffiliated disc golf league in Lawrence. He said reasons for disc golf’s popularity were its affordability, proximity and quick pace of play.

“It’s really easy to come out and get in a good round of (disc) golf in an hour-and-a-half as opposed to going out with some sticks and balls and renting a cart,” Marshall, 28, said.

Stogsdill said $30 would be enough to get someone started with a set of discs.

Marshall’s group of five played ahead of the duo of Stogsdill and Sam Goodell on June 27 at Centennial Park, at Sixth and Rockledge streets.

The passion Stogsdill, 20, and Goodell, 18, have for the game was obvious from their demeanor on the course – they laughed at times, but they were competitive

They play the course in Lawrence six times a week during the summer.

Centennial Park, which opened for disc golf in 1991, contains 18 holes. All are par 3’s.

Just as in golf, there are tee boxes, fairways, holes, putters, drivers, birdies and bogeys in disc golf. The sport measures holes in feet, as opposed to yards. Holes ranged from 150-450 feet in length, equivalent to 50-150 yards.

Players carried bags containing several discs.

Stogsdill played with six discs, and Goodell competed with 10. There are varying types of discs – a driver, mid-range and a putter.

After six holes, Stogsdill had an early two-shot lead on Goodell. This was not usually how it went, said Goodell, who said he won about 60 percent of the time.

Friendly trash-talking ensued from Stogsdill, a junior at Kansas University, and Goodell, a sophomore at Missouri.

They both are natives of Lawrence.

“Uh oh, Sam,” Stogsdill said, after Goodell put one of his drives in the trees.

Goodell did not respond as he walked to his disc.

“I usually don’t like to talk and just lead by example,” Goodell said, jokingly.

Goodell established momentum and birdied the 10th hole. He actually led on the 16th hole, but Stogsdill nailed a 30-foot birdie putt on 17 to tie the match. On 18, Stogsdill won with his 15-foot putt.

The duo caught up to Marshall’s group of five by the 12th hole. Marshall let the duo pass his group, but not before he put on a demonstration for everyone to see.

“Hey, I’ve finally warmed up now. Want to check this out?” asked Marshall, who has played for 15 years.

Hole 12 was the most open on the course. Other holes had trees and creeks that served as obstacles. No. 12 was wide-open, flat and measured about 200 feet long.

Marshall stepped in the tee box with a red disc – a driver. He eyed the target, took four steps and heaved the disc down the fairway.

The disc released from his hand at such a rapid pace that it resembled a golf ball soaring into the air off the tee. It traveled with a draw, from right to left. But it wasn’t done flying. It came back again to the right, tracking the target. It missed only by two feet. Easy birdie.

Goodell stood still and looked down the fairway in amazement. His mouth was halfway open.

“That was just absurd,” Goodell said.

Marshall explained the towering, yet accurate, drive.

“You have to have a weight transfer. It’s like a tennis shot,” Marshall said. “You need a good flick of the wrist, but a lot of mistakes are made by amateurs trying to throw with their arms. The wrists provide more spin to your shot.”

Stogsdill and Goodell admitted they weren’t near Marshall’s skill level yet. They have played disc golf for three and five years, respectively.

Their desire to get better was obvious, though.

After getting through 18 holes around 8 p.m., they headed back to the start to begin another round.