Our Disc Golf Courses
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We can’t claim full responsibility for every course on the following list, and we describe our involvement so you will understand our commitment and passion for disc golf, and how long we’ve been pushing hard for more disc golf.
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In chronological order, the disc golf courses we have been involved in are:
1) 1995 – Queenstown Gardens DGC
The first official DGC in New Zealand! Chris was 1 of a 4-man crew who designed and installed the course, which has seen well in excess of a million rounds, and which has propagated countless other courses around the world. For a long time it was true that more disc golf was played at the Queenstown Gardens course than in the rest of New Zealand combined. The course continues to evolve to this day.
2) 1997 - Twizel DGC
Martin was one of the core crew who designed and developed the second official course in NZ. Since the initial installation, Martin was the driving force who convinced the local club to upgrade to a full basket course, while retaining the iconic and beautiful G-minor tone hole.
3) 2011 - Lismore Park DGC, Wanaka
Again, it was Martin who helped form the Wanaka club, and Lismore DGC, a spectacular sloping course located almost downtown. Lismore Park DGC is now a famous disc golfing destination, and a fantastic beginner and intermediate course which has grown Wanakan disc golf to well beyond what its population would suggest.
4) 2015 – Jellie Park DGC, Christchurch
In the wake of the devastating earthquakes, Chris was approached by the combined Freemasons of Christchurch who offered to fund the installation of the city’s first course. This came as a direct result of their conference members greatly enjoying the Queenstown Gardens Disc Golf Course.
Chris designed and installed the course. Jellie Park is the hub of Christchurch disc golf, and a busy place year round.
5) 2016 – Caroline Bay DGC, Timaru
Martin was approached by Rotary, to offer advice on their design of a 9 hole disc golf course in Caroline Bay. He submitted various recommended tweaks to the existing design to improve safety and flow of the course. It is a mostly open type beginner/intermediate 9-basket course with some unique and lovely features.
6) 2017 – Eely Point, Wanaka
Martin was a key component of the Wanaka club crew who designed, installed and got permission for the 9 baskets at Eely Point; a very challenging and technical course where bogies are hiding everywhere.
7) 2017 – Queenspark DGC, Christchurch
Chris was contacted directly by the Parklands Residents Association and they subsequently funded the 9-basket community course in Queenspark Reserve. At just 300 x 100 metres, 3 hectares was more than sufficient for Chris to create a simple, yet challenging and interesting design with high replayability. It has become a real community treasure.
8) 2018 – Tekapo, South Canterbury
Vortica was approached by the Lake Tekapo Recreational Park Society with an idea for a DGC in the area. Martin and Chris subsequently designed and installed two 9-basket courses in close proximity on the lake shore adjacent the township. A short and technical “Family Nine” and a longer and more challenging “Advanced Nine”.
9) 2019 – Brooker Avenue, Christchurch
The Life In Vacant Spaces Trust contacted Chris asking him to submit a course design and proposal for the Red Zone encompassing Brooker Avenue, which they have leased for an initial 4-year period. Many local groups including Radio Controlled model racers, Drone racing, children’s pump track, and native flora plantings are sharing the space, and the disc golf 9-Basket course was completed in November.
It has become another busy Community Course, and has the longest average hole length in the city to date.
10) West End Park - Timaru
In early 2019 when South Canterbury Disc Golf were looking for a location for its next DGC, Chris was able to identify the perfect location for a 9-basket Community Course in the heart of residential Timaru. Chris & Martin produced a design for this interesting site, and the local club enacted it as planned. WEDGC is now a thriving course and a hub for disc golf in the city.
11) 2019 – Ascot DGC, Christchurch
Chris had long proposed a course at the now-destroyed/defunct Ascot Golf Park. He even tried to host the National Champs there in 2014, to no avail. Now a new design, which will challenge local golfers and newbies alike has seen a test installation of this 18-basket design. Currently, Tone Targets are installed there while the club finds funding for the basket. Ascot is the best kind of DGC possible – both a major Community Course as well as a major Destination Course!
... and counting...
Today, both Martin and Chris have several more course designs on the go, throughout New Zealand, but we can't talk about those just yet. You'll hear about them soon enough, however.