County Disc Golf

Course at Black Prince Winery combines fun and fitness

The most satisfying sound when playing disc golf is the jangle of chains that sounds when a player hits the target. A new disc golf course operated by Henry Schneider is now open at Black Prince Winery, and it’s a great way to have some fun and a bit of exercise in the outdoors. It’s akin to a regular game of golf, except that a player throws different types of discs from the tee-off point to the “hole”, which is a large pole-mounted basket with an arrangement of short metal chains the will stop the flight of the disc and let it fall into the basket. The discs themselves are a sophisticated cousin of the Frisbee. There are several different designs that have distinct flight characteristics, sometimes depending on how the disc is thrown. There are discs purely designed for distance throwing—equivalent to the drivers in regular golf—and there are discs designed to curve in flight as a means of getting around obstacles in the line of sight. “Disc golf has been around since the mid-seventies, starting with Frisbees and people trying to hit targets, and there’s been world championships going on since the ’80s, and in the last five years it’s been growing exponentially,” says Schneider. “There’s a PDGA, professional disc golf association, and there are over 8,000 courses in the States. There’s maybe 100 in Ontario, mostly to the west of Toronto. Some of the top players are getting $10 million endorsement deals.”

Henry Schneider gets ready to throw a disc at the new disc golf course at Black Prince Winery.

The course at Black Prince runs about 800 metres in length and comprises nine par-3 holes. While a professional player can throw a driving disk up to 500 feet, the course at Black Prince is geared to recreational players, and is family friendly. Schneider offers lessons and will show players how the throw a disc for distance, or the technique for getting a disc to curve around obstacles such as trees, or in this case, around rows of grape vines. “We’re the only course in this area and we have a fantastic property here at Black Prince. The proximity to Picton is ideal and there is a little bit of unused land, a kind of marshy area, a great little forest and tons of obstacles,” says Schneider. “There are some big open fields for beginners to practise, and it’s a sport for family and friends.”

Schneider approached Black Prince winemaker Geoff Webb about two months ago about the possibility of setting up a disc golf course, as was given the go-ahead. “Geoff used to play disc golf at Queen’s, so he was a bit familiar with it, and then I showed him how popular it was getting and asked why not be the first course in Prince Edward County? He was very excited about it, and I’m happy to introduce the sport to the tourists we get, and maybe set up leagues for locals, and once we get our larger professional course installed, to do some prize tournaments. That course will have some par-5s at about 800 feet in length, and we’ll have some great obstacles and raised baskets, which creates more of a challenge, and a water hazard.” Schneider says that having a disc golf course will provide an activity for people who need something to do when the beaches are full. He also envisions things such as bachelor or bachelorette parties, team-building exercises, and family outings. He says disc golf is a great way to get some exercise. “There’s the physical activity of walking, and you need to have good core strength, and then the challenge of learning something new is great for the mind and the body. Happy heart, happy body and happy mind.”

More details can be found on Facebook or Instagram at @countydiscgolf.