A new disc golf course debuts in the Adirondacks

By Tony Limetree Forder

I love the Adirondacks, New York State's huge mountain playground, although I confess I haven't spent as much time there as I would like. When I flew from California with my new wife to visit her family in New Jersey, 1980 I believe, her brother took us on a camping trip up to Lake George. We had a little boat and we set up tent on an island, and nearly got blown away when a storm whipped up, hanging onto the tent poles and such.

Can't say I'm a 46er, but I did start – I have one of the 46 High Peaks under my belt and I've done some camping in the park. One time arrived at an Air BnB cabin near Tupper Lake to find a strong smell of propane. Someone had left the gas stove on – now that could have been disastrous.

What almost was disastrous was when my car hit a moose driving northwards of Lake George at night. The car was totaled, I was lucky, escaping with only minor scratches and bruises.

I revisited that area recently to play disc golf at the 1000 Acre Ranch Resort in Stony Creek, NY, near Lake George, 15 mins off the Northway. Actually I was there twice, once to help construction of the disc golf course and twice to participate in the inaugural tournament. The Resort, which offers horseback riding and other outdoor (and indoor) activities used to feature a 9-hole ball golf course on beautiful meadows beside the Hudson River.

The course closed in 2013 and became overgrown, but when a new ranch hand was hired, Mark Dami, he immediately saw the potential for disc golf, and reached out to disc golf course designer Dan Doyle. With help from Dan's compadres at the Skylands Disc Golf Club as well as input from DisCap, the Capital Region Disc Golf Club, the ball course was converted into an 18-hole disc golf course. "1000 Acres is as stunning a disc golf property as I have ever seen," said Dan.

The Resort offers full board and lodge and could potentially become the first disc golf resort of its kind in the Northeast.

1000 Acres

Time was when golf balls whizzed around 1000 Acres Ranch

Now flattened discs fly to give the land a chance

When Mark and Brandon invited Dan Doyle and his crew

To breathe new life, and make the course anew

Headwaters of the Hudson flow on by

As Adirondack spirit brings you nigh

The cry of an eagle you may hear

As you try to lure your birdies near

Disc golfers come from miles around

To play this course that has been found

A merry christening in the month of November

2021 will be an event to remember

To be sure disc golf is just one thing

But for 1000 Acres, a new beginning

A disc golf resort, can it really be true?

Some of us tried it, why don't you?