When I arrived in Queenstown, there was quite a bit of chatter that disc golf is one of the favorite past times of the locals. To be honest, I’ve never heard this “sport” before. Disc golf is self-explanatory, it is a mix of frisbee and golf. There are 18 “holes” (or metal baskets in this case) in the golf course and you take turns throwing frisbees. The person who requires the least throws to complete the course wins. Sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it?
Verdict: A good time filler if you have additional time in Queenstown. In particular, a good warm down activity after some adrenaline filled activities in Queenstown. Preferably played with a couple of beers.
Bucket list rating: 1/5
Cost: 0/5
In Queenstown, there is a 18 hole disc golf course right in the middle of Queenstown Gardens. You don’t need anything for this game, except, you guessed it … frisbees. I borrowed one from the hotel I was staying at before I went to play.
The game is simple. You take turns throwing the frisbee at each hole and try to end up with the least throws. The hole is like a cage with metal chains. If you hit the chains cleanly with the frisbee, then your frisbee should theoretically land in the cage. Otherwise, there’s a possibility that your frisbee will bounce out of the cage and you will have to throw again. For a newbie like me, it took me around three to four throws for each hole at my first go.
The sport sounds relatively straight forward and easy so far. The only slight twist with the Queenstown Gardens course is that there are progressively more trees acting as obstacles. At one point, I tried to curl the frisbee around a big tree but ended up hitting its leaves instead. It took me a whole 45 minute to find the frisbee in the tree – so aim properly! Another tricky aspect you’ll notice is that Queenstown Gardens is slightly sloping. A bad throw can mean that you have to run downhill to fetch your frisbee so that you can throw again. So even with disc golf, you might have to read the lines of a slope when you throw!
Generally speaking, Queenstown Gardens isn’t very crowded. You can easily be the only one on the disc golf course during daytime in weekdays. In summer weekends, especially late afternoon, the locals are off work and more people will play on the course.
If you’re feeling invincible, you may want to join a tournament against the locals. According to the disc golf website, on the first Sunday of every month, at 3.30pm, we have a trophy round. With a gold coin entry you can join us to play for the trophy, with the winner taking all. Non members are always welcome and encouraged to join in.
Additional information
When to do it? | Anytime with good weather |
How to book? | No need to reserve |
How much does it cost? | Free |
How to get there? | Short walk to Queenstown Gardens from Queenstown |
How long does it take? | Around 1 to 1.5 hours |
Is it difficult/safe? | Not difficult |
What to wear? | No dress code. Anything comfortable. |
Language | N/A |