“Colorado’s Hidden Gems” is a column exploring places around town that are little-known to CU students.
Frisbee golfing, or “Frolfing,” is one of the most laid-back, user-friendly sports around.
The skill set required to participate in a round of Frisbee golf is minimal and hardly physically demanding. All you need is a Frisbee (or disc) and a solid course to go to. But some company is definitely preferable with a sport that has so little going on. The lack of action Frisbee golfing entails allows for plenty of conversation, making the whole experience feel less like a sport and more like a leisurely walk with a purpose. Boulder has an array of courses to chose from, and Valmont Disc Park stands out among them.
Valmont Disc Park is in North Boulder, right off US 36 onto Valmont Road. This lightly wooded area, surrounded by an exceptional view of the Front Range, makes for a wonderful setting to walk around, chat and play a slow-moving round of Frisbee golf. There’s an abundance of prairie dogs inhabiting an underground system of tunnels throughout the course, and they’re bound to make your day.
This course offers eighteen holes that allow anyone to participate while also testing the skills of those who are not so new to the sport. The real beauty of the Valmont course is how spread out it is.
The first seven holes are on top of and around a cactus hill. These holes are all relatively close to one another and are good for getting warmed up.
Holes 8 through 11 require you go through a gate beyond what appear to be the boundaries of the course, only to take you to a huge, open-sky prairie. The obstructions are scarce on these holes, but the distance is vast. You get to test your driving skills (and your Frisbee-searching skills).
Holes 12 through 16 occupy a ridge where the depth of the terrain can easily deceive your aim, easily entrapping your disc in a ditch, puddle or thick brush.
Holes 17 and 18 also require you to exit another gate lining the prairie, where you are funneled into the outskirts of an athletic field with tended grass. They’re less intense than the previous holes.
The Valmont course is a perfect place to go to enjoy the day, relax with friends and — most importantly — partake in the great sport of Frolf.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Wyatt Carlson at Wyatt.Carlson@Colorado.edu.
