Disc golf is one of my favorite leisure sports to play when the weather is nice. It gives me the opportunity to get some sun, get out in nature, and exercise while walking the course. It is very approachable for beginner’s so I love to bring in people who have never played before as well. 

I have been playing disc golf since I was around 10 or 11 years old. I used to go out with my family and play at our local park in Charlotte. It was one of the activities we would do if it was a nice day out. We stopped playing it as frequently as I got older but every once in a while, we would still go out and enjoy a nice day tossing some frisbees. Then, when COVID hit and most activities were shut down, I started to play disc golf again. This time though, with my best friend from home. We started to play multiple times a week and it became one of our favorite pastimes that let us enjoy the outdoors during a time when that was hard to do.  

I graduated from high school in the middle of COVID and went to UNC Greensboro here in the Triad. I made sure to bring my discs in case I found some courses nearby the school. Luckily, I found the app uDisc and saw that there were plenty of disc golf courses near me. So, yet another chapter in my disc golf life started as I began to go play whenever I had the time and the weather was nice. It wasn’t super frequent but I made sure to go out a few times each semester. The disc golf courses that I frequented the most in the Triad were at Keeley Park, Barber Park, Sunrise, and Triad Park.  

My  disc golf outings are becoming more and more frequent.. During the most recent stretch I have been trying to diversify the courses that I have played at. The last course that I played at that I had never been to before was The Regulator at Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC. That course was home to the 2023 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, and it was very telling. It was an incredibly difficult course with a lot of woods and technical shots while also maintaining some length. At the same time, it is probably the most beautiful course that I have ever played. I completely recommend it to anyone, however, for people who are closer to a beginner/amateur level like myself then I recommend playing at either Cedarock or Wellspring which are also on the Cedarock property right next to the Regulator.

This course just motivated me more to get even better and play on more beautiful courses in the area. Some of the courses that I am looking to play soon include The Crossing in Kernersville, Garden Grove in Pleasant Garden, Davie Disc Golf Course in Mocksville, and Neatman Creek in Germanton. Using the website www.nctriadoutdoors.com and the app uDisc, I was able to find all of these courses and plan a visit.  

Another big thing to consider is where to get the discs from if you have never played. There are plenty of shops that are specifically geared towards the sport, however I find that going to Play It Again sports is the way to go. They have a wide selection especially for beginners who are just looking for some discs to throw. They have used discs that can range from $5-$20 each and they sometimes have a variety of new discs. Just make sure to write your name and number on your discs and you will be all set and ready to go. 

As I have recently been getting more and more into the sport of disc golf I have realized how vast the community truly is. Every time I have been out to play there have been groups of other people playing. Everyone is always kind and I have learned a lot from watching people play when I am out on the course. It seems like as long as I have played it this sport has only continued to grow and I can only expect it to keep doing so. Whether you have ever played or even thrown a frisbee I recommend giving it a shot in some nice weather, especially now in spring. I look forward to going out and playing with friends, having good conversations, and having a good time while playing a fun sport on beautiful land.

The Yadkin River has seen usage since the earliest settlements in the Americas, being utilized not only by the settlers in the early 18^th century but also before this time period by the indigenous peoples of North America. In fact, we can still see remnants of its use by these groups of people still today. Evidence of these early settlements are still able to be seen today in the form of weirs found all over the Yadkin River, however, it is important to remember not to damage or change the weirs if found. Historical information like this and more can be found in the Yadkin River State Blueways Trail. This Blueways guide was able to be made through the collaboration of NCTriad and YadkinRiverKeeper. Having all the information you could need about the Yadkin River from interesting historical facts to all of the paddling access points to the river. The goal of this guide was to provide people of the outdoors the accessibility to all of this information at their fingertips (not only in the form of a brochure but also a web guide available here ) , giving more people the ability to use the Yadkin River for recreational use. A constant goal of state parks is to give the population the opportunity to explore and experience new places and activities and this Blueways guide is an example of that. However, we mustn’t forget that with all of the use of the Yadkin River we must also keep it clean and safe so that people will be able to continue using the Yadkin River for centuries to come. Practicing Leave No Trace is a good way to ensure this and there are other safety protocols inside the guide itself. Practicing Leave No Trace looks like planning ahead and preparing, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and finally being considerate of others. These are the 7 principles of Leave No Trace and they are important to follow in order to keep our State Rivers and outdoors safe.

This trail is in the High Point area of Guilford County and is welcoming to dogs as long as they are leashed. Rates as an easier trail and is 1.8 miles of natural surface trail through the hardwood and pine forest. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of High Point Lake and make sure to bring binoculars as this is a popular place for bird watching.