What’s the latest, greatest thing when it comes to outdoor activities? Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw discs at a target (typically a metal cage), very much like traditional golf players aim for a hole.
A disc golf course usually has 9 or 18 holes and is played with rules just like golf.
If you want to try it for yourself, the Susquehanna Greenway is home to many of these courses.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a curious beginner, these courses offer a place for all skill levels to enjoy this fascinating up-and-coming sport.
Berwick: Test Track Park Disc Golf Course
The Test Track Park Disc Golf Course, in Berwick, Columbia County, was established in 2016 along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. This 18-hole course has a nice mix of open and wooded holes to create a fun, yet challenging track.
Additionally, the Berwick course has concrete tees with Mach X targets. These are the most advanced and innovative disc golf baskets on the market, making them perfect for use by players of all skill levels.
Test Track Park itself is a dog-friendly, public park with walking trails, a boat launch, and a very interesting history as a site for testing tanks during World War II. There are restrooms available but no drinking water.
Bloomsburg Town Park is a large, well-used community park in Bloomsburg, Columbia County. This park is home to a Mach III target-type disc golf course, which means the baskets are heavy-duty, championship level, and made for the outdoors.
With a flat elevation and a concrete tee-type, this course is great for all levels.
The scattered foliage provides ample shade, and you can’t beat the scenery right along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River.
In fact, four of the course’s 18 holes are riverside!
Why is this course great for beginners? All hole lengths are under 300 feet. The park also offers restrooms and drinking water until the winter months.
Montoursville: Indian Park Disc Golf Course
The Indian Park Disc Golf Course, established in 2021 by local disc golf players, Thomas Smith and Ryan Nittinger, is located in Montoursville, Lycoming County.
This 18-hole course is surrounded by the park’s beautiful, scenic foliage, further enhancing a disc golfer’s experience.
The layout is designed to accommodate any player, from beginner to more advanced, with turf tees and Competition MVP Black Hole Pro HD targets.
Additionally, this course is dog-friendly!
Note that public restrooms are available but drinking water is not.
Hughesville: Lime Bluff Recreation Area
The Lime Bluff Recreation Area is in Hughesville, Lycoming County. This park is home to an 18-hole disc golf course that uses concrete tees and rubber mats.
The course, established in 2005, is spread out in an open field, perfect for beginners!
Each hole has two baskets: silver baskets are for short and green baskets are for long. The long basket at hole 15 is red, white, and blue, however.
According to the UDisc website, most holes have a short rubber tee. Additionally, the mound can be used as an alternative tee for holes 13 and 15.
This park is dog and stroller friendly with restrooms available for the public.
Lewisburg: Bucknell University Course
Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Union County is home to a 12-hole disc golf course.
This course stretches across the university’s expansive landscape, weaving between academic halls and dorm buildings, as well as open fields and a wooded area known as ‘The Grove.’
This course utilizes concrete tees and DISCatcher Pro (original) Targets. An alternative layout was designed to allow users to play it as a 12-hole or 18-hole using the same baskets several times at different angles. This course was established in 2017.
Selinsgrove Area School District Disc Golf Course
Selinsgrove Area School District in Snyder County is home to a disc golf course built in 2011. This course is permanent and offers 18 holes.
This disc golf course has a target type of Mach V, with a natural tee type (grass/dirt vs. turf or concrete). There is sparse foliage, with a flat elevation.
This 5,255-foot course is beginner friendly, as each hole is spread out throughout the campus of Selinsgrove Area School District. There are 11 holes under 300 feet, 6 holes in between 300-400 feet, and 1 hole over 400 feet.
The Freeburg Disc Golf Course is a 9-hole, grass tee course near Susquehecka Creek in Freeburg, Snyder County, just five miles from Selinsgrove.
This course uses 9Hill PRO Basket Targets, which is a Championship Level type basket.
The course is relatively open with very few obstacles, consisting of grassy fields and a few trees. Because of this, the Freeburg course is perfect for new players! Here, you can practice developing your disc golf skills before visiting more advanced courses.
Please note, the course is unavailable during spring baseball games and the Freeburg Carnival week. It is also important to note that no drinking water or restrooms are available at this course.
Bonus Courses Not In Susquehanna Greenway
-- Beaver Springs: Faylor Lake Disc Golf Park: Though it is located outside of the Susquehanna Greenway, you can’t talk about disc golf in Pennsylvania without mentioning the Faylor Lake Disc Golf Park, established in 2021.
Located next to Faylor Lake in Beaver Springs, Snyder County, this course has some of the most stunning scenery of the courses and is top-rated in the state because of it.
This 11,000-ft, 18-hole course is also the largest and can be played several different ways for different difficulty levels via color-coded baskets, making it truly unique.
Pro level tournaments are even slated to come here in the near future, as early as 2026.
The course uses turf tees and is dog-friendly. However, there are no restrooms or drinking water available. Additionally, previous users recommend bringing bug spray due to the location being near water.
-- Berwick: Briar Creek Lake Park (Coming Fall 2024): Briar Creek Lake Park is a 173-acre park located in Berwick, Columbia County.
The stunning 53-acre lake was built in the 1970s to mitigate flooding, and today serves as a hub for fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities.
Paired with a charming covered bridge and several pavilions for picnicking, the features of this park offer fantastic opportunities for a unique and interesting disc golf course.
In fact, a professional level 18-hole course is currently being designed and is expected to be ready for the public to play as early as Fall 2024.
Find More Disc Golf Courses
This list features just a few of the many disc golf courses in Pennsylvania. Check out the interactive online UDisc Map to explore more courses near you, OR, to find upcoming tournaments and/or leagues, visit the DiscGolfScene and UDisc websites.
You may also download the DiscGolfScene and UDisc apps for additional resources.
Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo Aug. 3
If you would like more of a hands-on introduction to the sport, stop by the Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo on August 3, at the Shikellamy State Park Marina in Northumberland County from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In addition to 50 booths of outdoor gear and information, food trucks, a beer garden, family friendly activities, and so much more, a representative from Faylor Lake Disc Golf will be on site to demonstrate how to play and allow a chance for visitors to try their hand at putting a disc to a target.
Visit the Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo webpage or the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Facebook page to learn more.
The Susquehanna Greenway is a corridor of connected trails, parks, river access points, and communities, linking people to the natural and cultural treasures of the Susquehanna River within Pennsylvania.
The mission of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is to continue to grow the Greenway by building connections along the Susquehanna River, inspiring people to engage with the outdoors, and transforming communities into places where people want to live, work, and explore.
(Photos: Top- Hughesville Course; Faylor Lake Course; Bottom- Anyone Can Play!, Selinsgrove Course.)
Sienna Dunkleberger is the Media & Communications Intern for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. A recent graduate of Warrior Run High School in Northumberland County, her work with the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is focused on promoting trails and communities within our vibrant and connected Susquehanna Greenway, so that the public can enjoy opportunities to engage with the outdoors. Sienna can be reached at sdunkleberger@susquehannagreenway.org.
[Posted: July 9, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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