MEEKER | Local outdoor activity enthusiast Carly Anderson has a vision to bring a new recreational adventure to the Town Of Meeker: disc golf. Having first been introduced to the sport during his college years in Flagstaff, Arizona, Anderson now advocates for disc golf (also known as Frisbee golf) in multiple contexts, including as an activity that is relatively approachable for newcomers that is fun and casual while also offering opportunities for in-depth technical gameplay, development of advanced game-based skills and even amateur/professional competitive play in tournaments and leagues.
Similar to golf, disc golf players’ main goal is to complete a course in as few throws as possible. Instead of using clubs and golf balls, players throw specialized discs to navigate the course and reach the target. Disc golf course “holes” are actually “baskets,” typically made of metal and resembling baskets with hanging chains. Players begin each hole from a starting position called a “tee,” aiming for the basket.
“When you really get your throw down, you can kind of make discs do like S’s and you can make them turn real sharp left or real sharp right,” said Anderson, describing some more advanced disc-throwing techniques for the game which has grown in popularity since its inception in the 1960s.
After moving to Meeker for his job at Pioneers Medical Center, Anderson noticed the absence of courses, so he made an effort to find alternative options, first meeting some fellow disc golf players in town. “We started traveling around Colorado and I started meeting a lot of people who are in leagues and things like that,” he said.
Seeing the enthusiasm for the sport in the region, Anderson began scouting locations for Meeker to have a course of its own. Through his involvement with the Meeker Area Mountain Biking Association (MAMBA) he became familiar with Ute Park, home of the annual Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials, which he determined would be a perfect location for a course for several reasons. For one, the layout of the course would be up against the hillside, relatively out of the way of the main open fields of the park. He said the out-of-the-way layout would make sense given the nature of the game. He also noted that it would cause minimal disruption for other events in the area, if any, since equipment would be out of the way and could even be temporarily moved if necessary.
Anderson also highlighted the fact that disc golf shares a core target audience for events such as the Meeker Classic, and could be an additional draw to the town both before and after the trials through competitive events like tournaments.
That is the best case scenario for how Anderson hopes disc golf could play a role in the community in the same way that it has in his personal life, providing an outlet for social interaction, sportsmans’ camaraderie and bonding with family. “I shared it with my dad who is in his 60s or 50s. And he really liked it. So it turned into something that we shared when we’d get together,” said Anderson.
The exact future of disc golf in Meeker is undetermined as yet, pending further discussion of Ute Park as a prime location. The park has been the subject of many lengthy conversations by Meeker’s board of trustees. After meeting with Meeker trustees, Anderson is now utilizing a course developed on private land as proof of concept for those looking to learn about the sport, or anyone who already played and wants to try out a new course.
For more information about disc golf in Meeker, you can join the White River Area Disc Golf Facebook group or explore details of the proposed course at https://udisc.com/courses/ute-park-disc-golf-course-uv9V
