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More Fun than a Bucket of Sap

by Joan Wallen

Opened in August 2009, The Maples at Okemo is the resort’s latest addition to its menu of summer fun. The nine hole disc golf course is located at the base of the mountain behind the Jackson Gore Inn, providing scenic vistas as you play your way around the course.

Just what is disc golf? It’s a game for all ages and all abilities. If you can fling a flying disc, you can play disc golf. Disc golf is played in the same way as regular golf using a disc or set of discs similar to a Frisbee instead of clubs and ball. The object is to get the disc from tee (the starting area) to hole (a bucket) in the fewest number of throws.

Why disc golf at Okemo? According to K.C. Gandee, Recreation Facilities Manager at the Okemo, the sport is a good match in the resort’s plan to increase its four-season appeal and its range of activities in the summer. It gets people outdoors enjoying the open space and is a great activity for families. It can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of ability level, does not take too long to play a round, is inexpensive and does not require a lot of equipment. While skill does lower your score, you don’t have to be really skilled to play and enjoy it.

The name and the theme of Okemo’s course stems from a desire to truly set it apart from other courses while celebrating Vermont’s rich heritage of maple sugaring. At each tee, there is a sign with a map of the hole as you might find in traditional golf. But in addition, the sign includes interpretive information about Vermont maple products or the sugaring process. Some signs also include tips on how to play the hole. The “holes” are actually galvanized metal tubs mounted on a wooden post with a “roof” of chains hanging down. The chains deaden the impact of the disc and cause it to fall into the tub. At The Maples, the posts replicating maple tree trunks are topped with an authentic sap bucket - the kind hung from maple trees to collect the running sap in the spring - which serves as a hole number marker. It’s hoped that after a round of disc golf here players will become a little more knowledgeable about Vermont‘s maple industry and its products.

While the Okemo course is mostly in the open, there are differences to make each hole unique. The first four holes are located along the open area where winter ski trails converge and are fairly straightforward providing players a good warm-up and a chance to ease into the game. The #5 hole is uphill and a dogleg to the right. An errant throw too far to the right will send the disc into the woods and at the bottom of the hill, making the next shot an extremely difficult, steep throw, 35 to 40 feet to the top of the hill. Number 6 is the shortest at 132 feet. Hole #7 is the longest at 451 feet and goes downhill. Because of its downhill slope a straight throw will bring the disc farther away from the ground as it travels, causing it then to fade in either direction. The ideal is to aim low and skim the hill to keep the disc straight and parallel to the ground. Therefore the angle of throw must be carefully judged. This hole provides dramatic views looking toward the Jackson Gore Inn.  The Maples signature hole, #8, goes through the woods and over a creek. While it is relatively short and could be aced (that‘s golf speak for a hole in one), the trees and water make it challenging and fun, and reduce the possibility of that ace. The final hole arcs back toward the Inn, perhaps restoring any confidence lost previously and providing the impetus to return to play again.

Each hole has two tees - one for adults and one for kids. Adults playing 18 holes can use the kids’ tee for the back nine to get variety and gain a different perspective.

Discs used for disc golf are specific to the game and different from the Frisbees most people are used to flinging around. Most casual players use three discs - a driver, a midrange disc and a putter. The driver is the stiffest with a lower profile lip. It is designed to travel the farthest. The putter is heavier and softer with a deeper lip for shorter distances. It’s easier to steer and has more precision. The midrange, as its name implies, is in between the other two. Discs will also fly differently when thrown using different grips for forehand, backhand or sidearm shots. Tournament-level players may tote around a bag with 15 or 16 different discs designed for specific shots, but the average recreational player will do fine with just two or three.

Adam Ford, who works in graphics at Okemo’s sign shop and is a part-time snowboard instructor, is the course designer for The Maples. He played disc golf in college and later on while working in New Mexico. An avid player and promoter of the sport, he started talking it up when he came to Okemo in the fall of 2003 and got Gandee excited about it as well. In designing the course, he had to work with the existing terrain; mostly open slopes. He had to make it easy to transition from one hole to the next tee and eventually get back to the starting point. He added directional mix with some holes going right, some left and some straight for variety and to challenge good players and make it easier for novices.

Adam hones his skill by playing three or four times a week, often getting in a quick round on his lunch hour. He currently is the low scorer on the course. “The weather doesn’t have to be ideal,” he says. “Although humidity and air pressure will affect the discs, they will fly in a rain or drizzle.” Commenting on the course he says, “There are few trees, but as you play more often you realize it’s fairly challenging with all the various arcs and slopes. A bonus in late summer is a ton of wild blackberries all along the course!”

In its first season, last year, The Maples attracted many families with young children. According to Gandee, the course was used not only by resort guests who discovered it when they arrived, but also by others staying in the area as well as some who found the course online and traveled specifically to play here. All ages can have fun. “Even very young kids will have a good time provided expectations are not too high,” says Gandee. The ease of entry and low cost make it a wonderful family activity. The kids at Camp Gokemo, the resort’s day camp for ages 5-13, also enjoy the course as part of their regular camp activities. Some of the feedback received by the staff was interesting. Veteran disc golfers found the course relatively easy while new players seemed to find it quite difficult. But according to some newer players, after a few rounds it rapidly becomes less difficult and more fun.

Plans for this season at Okemo call for establishing a disc golf league. A possibility is a Friday evening league in conjunction with the resort’s Friday night music series at the Jackson Gore base area. Gandee says that this first year would be a very informal, mixed team league - an opportunity for all players to get out on a regular basis for fun and friendly competition. Plans currently call for a May 1 opening with hours of operation running from sun up to sun down, seven days a week. Waterproof shoes are highly recommended for early morning play. Rates this season are $5 for rental discs and greens fee payable at the Spring House. For those with their own discs, the greens fee is $2.

As well as fun and exercise, The Maples provides an educational experience for all. Disc golfers who are not resort guests may also find they want to take advantage of the other amenities offered - restaurants with great food, facilities at the Spring House, concerts and music festivals to name a few.

Disc golf provides fun, exercise and challenge on many levels and for all ages and abilities. It is a welcome addition to the numerous activities resort guests and casual visitors will find at Okemo. As K.C. Gandee says, “It’s easy to get started, but you can spend a whole lifetime mastering it.”