Abbey Gardens Aces the Fun Factor
New Disc Golf Course Attracts People of All Skills & Ages
The pandemic may have put a damper on countless activities in our lives, but disc golf has emerged and thrived. Across North America, here’s a sport that snuck under the ropes and captured the imagination of a restless populace because it allowed people of any age to gather and enjoy an activity surrounded by nature while staying social and developing some new skills. Yes, disc golf ticks a lot of boxes.
Last summer, Haliburton got its game on with the opening of Abbey Gardens Disc Golf course. The response has been enthusiastic from the get-go. It rallied a range of new players to discover the sport and served as a welcome antidote to the lockdowns and frustrations of pandemic fatigue.
With a layout designed and developed by Darrell Bankes, a local landscape architect and Innova disc golf representative who’s built a roster of courses, both new and veteran players enjoy a track that encompasses all of Abbey Gardens’ natural features. The holes present a mix of tight lines through the woods that reward accuracy, wide open areas for big-bomber shots, and a handful of manageable ‘ace-run’ type throws.
For those new to the sport, the principles of disc golf are the same as regular golf (or ‘ball golf’ in disc golfer parlance), only instead of clubs to hit a ball, you’re throwing discs that are designed specifically for the game and trying to throw into a chain-lined basket. 
What’s appealing about Abbey Garden Disc Golf is its split, short course-long course design. New players can easily get a handle on the game from shorter hole lengths while experienced disc golfers are offered a good test of their game.
Meanwhile, Abbey Gardens adds yet another inviting feature to its welcoming line-up of hiking paths, gardens, cafe, brewery, market and more, so families have the ease of choosing different pursuits when they come.
For those interested in trying disc golf, rental discs (including a driver, mid-range and putter disc) are available. For the more committed golfer, there’s also a range of discs and related accessories for sale. This year Abbey Gardens will be hosting a Thursday disc golf league and memberships are available through the Hub and online.
However you come to it, it’s a great way to spend some time with friends and family in the four season spectacle that is Haliburton’s spectacular outdoors. Or now, perhaps that’s Fore! season…
Location: 1012 Garden Gate Drive, Haliburton, ON
@abbeydiscgolf on Instagram 705-754-4769
