Friday, July 25, 2008

Course: Pioneer Park, Billings, MT


The first time I ever saw anyone folfing (here's the first time I ever folfed), it was at Pioneer Park in Billings, MT. I didn't know what they were doing (possibly, they didn't either). My buddies David and Derek and I were maybe 10 or 11 and hanging out/playing on the playground and trying to figure out what they were doing. I think they were trying to drop them inside hoola-hoops laying on the ground, but maybe they had baskets back then and I didn't understand them.

So, when I figured out I was going on vacation to my home state and visiting my folks in Billings, I looked up the courses on the local club site and found that Pioneer Park had a short course (curiously, it's 12 holes). It was a crowded evening, while I played and waited my folks watched the kids I had with me.


I really liked this course. There are a lot of old ash trees on top and grass below. There is a small stream going through and each hole seemed fairly unique, not impossibly hard but hard enough. It's a very inviting course and would be challenging to play regularly, but not intimidating to bring a friend to try disc golf for the first time. I doubt you'd be able to lose a disc here and there was little OB (the stream, I guess and a few streets if you are really wild). My folks said that the editorials in the local paper had a lot of sniping from park neighbors about the low-life that played there, but the groups around me were just a bunch of high-school or college kids in flip flops enjoying things. I didn't smell any pot (or even a cigarette), didn't see a 32 oz. anything. The group right in front of me was three young girls (maybe high school). Looked like your neighbor's kids on the JV volleyball team. Sheesh, those folks complaining in the paper ought to go to the bad side of town sometime, if they want to see real low-life. Most disc golfers just don't qualify.

Anyway, I played this one even, had a good time, though I had to rush off after 10 to change my daughter's "accident". I came back on my last day in town to take a few pictures.


A downhill basket near a stream with some tree cover. Pretty easy shot if you are good, not impossible if you aren't. Pioneer would be good to play with a group at various stages of progress in disc golf.



I birdied this hole, a short uphill shot (tee box is down on the right, out of picture).

I think I like these kinds of tee boxes. They are better footing (especially after rain) and yet you can uproot them and move them if you change the course. I know a guy who slipped in a dirt tee box and ended up breaking his leg in several places. Cement is great, but what if you want to move around the course? Not a huge deal, but I've seen these in a couple of places and think it would be nice here in Corpus Christi, where the clay mud is slick and it rains often.

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