Last year, Stevens Pass Mountain Resort added another great activity to their summer time operations. In addition to building and opening new bike park trails, they’ve also created an 18-hole disc golf course that begins near the top of the Hogsback Chairlift and ends down near the Ski School building in the base area. With the chairs turning on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, players can ride Hogsback Chairlift up to the top and play their way down ski runs including Hagen Hill, Promenade, and Tye Creek.
What a beautiful setting for a disc golf course?!
If you’ve never played disc golf, the concept is very similar to regular golf but you replace the balls with specialized Frisbee-like discs and the holes with large metal baskets called Targets. From tee-boxes, players throw their driver discs trying to land anywhere from a couple hundred to a thousand feet away in or near the baskets. Once closer, slightly differently shaped mid-range and putter discs are used to try to sink the shot in the metal basket. Scores are tallied in the same fashion as regular golf with birdies, pars, bogies, etc. and most holes are par 3’s for intermediate to advanced skill levels.
The yellow top helps identify basket #6 below the ski run “Rock Garden”
Stevens Pass has done a great job lying out the disc golf course (see a course map) and with the exception of a couple backtracking short uphill hikes, it’s not too strenuous considering you’re playing on the side of a mountain. A variety of discs and disc bags can be rented and purchased in the Granite Peaks Lodge in the base area, where you can also get a lift ticket for $12. While it takes a good 2-3 hours to play the entire 18-hole course, the lift ticket is good for the whole day so if you have the energy and time, you can continue playing and practicing until closing time.
These pictures were taken in early July over the course of three days and the snow was melting very quickly. My guess is that the course will be snow free easily by the last week of July. Whether or not there’s snow on the ground, you’ll definitely want to wear boots or hiking shoes since you’ll be walking over some rough terrain. This activity is fun for the whole family and combines time outdoors with beautiful views and exercise. Don’t forget some water and sunscreen, and possibly even a snack to keep your energy up. With several other disc golf courses in the area including one in East Wenatchee, one in Wenatchee, and one in Cle Elum, once you’ve caught the disc golf bug, you’ll have several course options to get your fix. Now, if only Leavenworth had a course… Until that happens, I’ll see you on the others!
