What has to be one of the most beautiful disc golf courses in the province is tucked away in our own backyard.
The Organic Sports Ranch, located in Parson just 10 minutes from the highway, has 51 holes spread out over acres of hilly terrain amongst the trees, with a breathtaking mountain view as the backdrop.
I had the privilege of playing some tennis and a few holes of disc golf on the 60-acre ranch with owner and operator Infinity Solstice – Bright Wizard of Destiny.
“Look at the view from here. This is probably my favourite tennis court in the whole world,” said Infinity, who bought the raw piece of land 34 years ago.
Since then, with his wife Rhonda Smith, he has developed the land to include his home, a barn for the goats, a separate two-storey structure that includes an art gallery on the top floor, 51 holes of disc golf, a tennis court, a volleyball court, a ping-pong table (which is made of cement), and a very large garden.
“There was nothing when I first got here. I keep adding things. Building the tennis court was quite a huge project, I didn’t know anything about it. But it worked out really well,” said Infinity.
After rallying the tennis ball back and forth, we walked along the property, and into the trees towards the disc golf course. I made the rookie mistake of showing up in flip-flops… not recommended.
“There’s 38 holes on the course that are marked, and those are self-guided. And then there’s a secret 13. Sometimes I’ll come down after a group has played a round and I’ll turn them onto the secret 13, it’s kinda fun.”
Infinity has a stock of discs in the clubhouse, some drivers and some putters. The goal is to stand on the tea box, just like in regular golf, and try to hit the target/hole.
“That’s the traditional hole,” he said pointing to a metal basket. “Normally that’s what you see, you go to a course and see 25 of those. Well I have one. I have 50 targets instead.”
Over the years the targets have been donated or acquired through various means, and each one is different. During my short time at the Organic Sports Ranch, I threw my disc at a large dreamcatcher, some wind chimes, an old tire, some old oil drums, a shopping cart, and the old wooden sign from Packers Place (now called the Rockwater).
The ranch sees quite a few tourists come out (there is space to camp on the property), but there are countless groups from Golden who make the disc golf course a must-do activity during the summer.
“Every year there’s a new little cluster of addicted people who come out. It’s fantastic to see,” said Infinity.
For more information about the ranch, or to book a time to play a round of golf (not always necessary, but can be helpful during busy days), go to www.organicsportsranch.com.
