BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Disc golf has become a growing sport in Bakersfield over the past few years. Maybe because the sport, which involves throwing a disc into a basket or target, is known for being fairly inexpensive. But now, thanks to thieves the free sport is costing one disc golf group.

At any time of the day you can find disc golfers practicing their game at the Kern River Parkway on Truxtun Extension.

Players aim to overcome obstacles to make it into each basket, but now there is one more obstacle standing in their way. A few weeks ago, one of the baskets came up missing.

"It definitely isn't cool for the people that want to come out and play that you steal a basket and we can't even play a complete game," said disc golfer Nicole Wiley. "Not to mention, I have to throw it between two trees now and I don't have the accuracy to do that so it's pretty crappy."

"What it comes down to is that it's going to come out of our pockets again," said disc golfer Matthew Billington.

The Kern County Disc Golf Club put in the nine basket course with money they raised through holding tournaments and fundraisers.

Club member Rocky Brown said because money is hard to come by, it could take them six to eight months to replace the stolen basket.

"This basket wasn't stolen from the city, which wouldn't be OK. It was stolen from other disc golfers that care enough about the game to take their own time to do this," said Brown.

Brown said each basket costs anywhere from $400 to $500 to replace. And with the basket weighing close to 100 pounds, Brown believes it was a two-person job.

"All this person would need to do is return it with no question asked," said Brown.