You might think golf season is winding down, but if you play disc golf, the course is open year-round and now you can play at Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay, Ont.
“Members of the public were reaching out, asking us to consider putting in a disc golf course,” said conservations area technician Melissa Creasy-Alexander.
“It provides guests with a fun and exciting experience here when they come out to the conservation area, but it is also very passive and low maintenance for us,” she said.
Now she said the course, named Nature’s Edge, has attracted new visitors to the conservation area.
“We’ve been experiencing a lot of guests who may not have come to Ken Reid previously, coming to enjoy the disc golf course and with that, they are also finding other features of the conservation area.”
The course is nine holes and was made possible through a federal tourism grant. Creasy-Alexander said they worked with a disc golf course designer to limit the impact on the environment and incorporate the natural landscape into the course.
“We really wanted it to fit seamlessly into the area,” she said, adding there is also an educational aspect.
“Each tee is dedicated to an animal that you might find here at Ken Reid Conservation Area,” she said.
“We have done our best to design the tees to match either features of those animals or the habitats that they are in.”
For example, hole number two is named for the white-tailed deer and the hole features a curved path, reminiscent of an antler.
If you haven’t played, the rules are simple enough: start with the designated “drive disc,” and count your shots as you make your way to the basket at the end of each hole.
And there is no need to worry if you don’t have the proper equipment. Creasy-Alexander said the conservation area has kits you can use at no charge. You just need to call ahead and reserve.
“Inside of our kits, we have six discs, two sets in each. You get a map of the course and an area to keep score,” she said, noting the course is also free to play, but there is a charge for day parking.
And regardless of your score in the end, she said the real victory is spending time in nature.
“Even if you don’t do well at the game, you still get a beautiful walk through the woods.”
For more information on Nature’s Edge Disc Golf, you can visit the Ken Reid Conservation Area website.