Kitimat’s rainforest disc golf course adds open-layout holes to help new players enjoy the game<\/p>\n
The Hirsch Creek Disc Golf Course has expanded with three new baskets aimed at making the sport more accessible for beginners while continuing to challenge seasoned players \u2014 all set in what may be the only course in the world located in a coastal old-growth rainforest.<\/p>\n
Jason Cathers, the Hirsch Creek Disc Golf Course Ambassador, said the upgrades were a direct response to the summer challenges faced by new players navigating thick underbrush and ferns that can easily hide errant discs.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially in the summer months, beginners can spend 10 or 15 minutes just searching for a disc,\u201d said Cathers. \u201cPeople that try disc golf for the first time in the summer can end up with a bad impression of the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cathers and his wife organized a local tournament earlier this year and tested three temporary holes in more open spaces. The positive response was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone who played in the tournament gave us great feedback on these new holes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The District of Kitimat, through its Leisure Services department, has now made those holes permanent, installing new baskets and tee areas to create holes 10, 11, and 12. Cathers added\u00a0the support of the department’s Todd Gesshe was instrumental in moving the project forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cKudos to the district for taking the initiative on these three new baskets, and doing the work to install them. It looks great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each of the new holes includes both red and blue tee pads \u2014 the red offering a shorter, beginner-friendly option, and the blue providing more challenge for experienced players.<\/p>\n
Hole 10 is tucked behind and to the left of the covered picnic area at Hirsch Creek Park, offering a fun and scenic par 3. It\u2019s close enough to group spaces that visitors can casually try out a shot without committing to a full round.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can socialize with their family as they want to do, but bring a disc and try a hole while they\u2019re there, have some fun,\u201d Cathers said.<\/p>\n
Hole 11 opens with a clean shot into the open forest behind the baseball backstop. The red tee is positioned near the forest line and plays as a par 3, while the blue tee stretches farther back and plays as a par 4.<\/p>\n
Hole 12 is located on the open Hirsch Creek field, where players can enjoy a wide variety of practice shots. A circular mulch area surrounds the basket, giving players a clear visual target and a true \u201cpark job\u201d if they land within the 11-foot ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where I bring classes to learn the basics,\u201d said Cathers. \u201cIt\u2019s very aesthetically pleasing and lets both beginners and veterans practice any throwing style they please, which people really like.\u201d<\/p>\n
The course, originally built in 2020, is free to play and open year-round. It remains uncrowded, making it an ideal setting for those curious about the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve played all around North America and I think we\u2019re so, so lucky to have this course in Kitimat,\u201d said Cathers. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of great courses out there, but to have such an amazing one in our small community is really something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cathers encourages beginners to try the course in the cooler months from October through April, when visibility is better and foliage less dense. For summer play, long pants are recommended, but he noted that the new holes are suitable even for a casual round in shorts and flip-flops.<\/p>\n
Disc golf discs can be rented or purchased at Riverlodge. A one-day introductory clinic will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., with registration available at Riverlodge.<\/p>\n
The course is also listed on the free UDisc app, which includes maps, hole descriptions, and scoring features.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kitimat’s rainforest disc golf course adds open-layout holes to help new players enjoy the game The Hirsch Creek…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214922,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-214921","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}