Another free outdoor activity is available in the heart of Okotoks.
Over a dozen volunteers combined with Town of Okotoks staff in the summer of 2020 to construct the new nine-hole disc golf course in the forested area in the picturesque river valley.
“The community’s that I’m a part of are all centred around me as a teacher so you get those core families and get those people that are just energized by everything,” said Graham Campbell, outdoor-education teacher at Westmount School and the spearhead of the project. “They’re just all in, they’re excited about being a part of something and this was just a great turnout.
“Without the volunteers this wouldn’t be possible at all.”
The course is located near the banks of the Sheep River with parking available in the lot just east of Rich’s Playground in Sheep River Park.
Campbell, who designed the course, said there was another potential location bandied about in the Cimarron area by the mountain bike trails.
“This site worked better for the Town and it flows really nicely at this course,” he said. “I think we’ve got some really nice holes and good variety, some short, some long, some hard, some easy and this is a nice little site.”
The activity follows many of the same rules as golf with flying discs used in lieu of clubs and balls. One stroke is counted per throw with each hole finished by throwing the disc into an elevated metal basket. Rather than a 300-yard drive on a long fairway, disc golf enthusiasts will have to use precision to navigate through the nine holes at the Okotoks course ranging from 55 to 140 metres in distance.
Campbell said disc golf is an activity everyone can enjoy, regardless of age or experience.
“My son, who’s three plays, my father-in-law who is somewhere north of 60 plays and it’s a game for everybody,” Campbell said. “It’s so simple, it’s so affordable, you don’t need a tee time, you don’t need fancy clothes, you just come down and throw stuff at stuff.
“I think with the way people get out and recreate in their own town, there couldn’t be a better year for this to happen.”
For more information go to Okotoks.ca/discgolf
This content was produced by our Okotoks newsroom for Western Wheel & the Great West Media Hot Summer Guide.
