Disc Golf Craze Offers a Great Escape From the COVID-19 Restrictions

Teller abounds with a variety of frisbee links for all level of players

~ by Trevor Phipps ~

During the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in sports and recreational activities has been greatly limited.

With all social gatherings being outlawed people have been forced to recreate by themselves or in small groups of people.

 Recently, golf courses across the state opened up as essential recreational areas with some restrictions. In addition, disc golf courses have remained open during the stay-at-home order, and this is one activity that can still take place during the social distancing restrictions.

Locally, the area offers a few free courses, but most disc golf enthusiasts agree that the two courses that sit in the mountains behind the Shining Mountain Golf Course are the most fun to play. For only $10 disc golfers get two choose which mountain course they wish to play. The golf venue also has a third disc golf course called “The Beast,” which is located on the regular golf course but it is currently closed down for maintenance.

According to Shining Mountain’s disc golf expert Joey Babin, many frisbee golfers enjoy playing on the two courses in the wooded mountains. “My best friend and I go about every other day as a way to get out and have fun and we enjoy the heck out of it,” Babin said. “I think it is a great location, it is a little more challenging because it is PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) certified and it is meant for the pros. But it is also a great time and I love the heck out of the course. And we are putting new signs up that will have a map of the course so it will be easier to find each hole.”

Babin also said that recently, the two-disc golf courses at Shining Mountain have seen a lot of traffic. He said that there are many days where the parking lot is full of cars and that he sees about four new cars in the parking lot every two hours. He said that he notices small groups as well as slightly bigger ones that range from five to eight people.

The Shining Mountain golf course is also offering a number of events for disc golfing including several tournaments for this summer. Ever since the disc course was built a few years ago, the venue has held a professional tournament every year.

Other Disc Golf Playgrounds

According to Babin, the Shining Mountain courses may be the most popular in town but there are other options in the area. Babin said that the next popular course probably is the one that sits in the foothills near Lake George.

Cripple Creek has a newly built disc golf course at their Mountain Adventure Park that also experiences  a fair share of disc golfers. Plus, their course is much more wide open and user-friendly for beginners, than the courses at Shining Mountain. Just outside of Divide, there is a course on the Camp Golden Bell property that is accessible, but Babin said that the course could use some maintenance.

Another popular course located in Woodland Park is the Soaring Eagles course that was built on the Woodland Park Middle School property by an Eagle Scout who passed away

Nick Naples’ Soaring Eagles Disc Golf Course

in a car accident after the course was built. Ever since then, the course has been maintained and kept up by Blackfoot Pavement Maintenance in order to keep the Eagle Scout’s dream alive.

The Soaring Eagles course only has nine holes instead of 18, but it is a good course for beginners. Pros also enjoy playing on the somewhat easier course because it is a good place to practice and improve their skills.

Those who wish to play only need a handful of discs and the desire to spend some time out in the outdoors. The best place to purchase discs locally without having to travel to Colorado Springs is at Colorado Gearlab in downtown Woodland Park.