Stony Kill Disc Golf Course

CHATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Dozens of disc golf players flocked to the Stonykill Disc Golf Course in Chatham Sunday for the second annual Stonykill Wipeout. The tournament, which is the first of several of this season hosted by Capital Discs, enjoyed spring-like weather to wrap up the weekend mildly.

“It’s a great start, we couldn’t ask for better weather. Last year the Stonykill Wipeout was 20° with 20 miles an hour winds and the course was solid frozen. This is definitely a step up,” said Jeremy Whitaker, the owner of Capital Discs.

With the weather warming up, disc golfers from across the Capital Region are looking forward to the season ahead.

“I think it’s just a great excuse to get outside, get into the woods. It’s a really good way to see different areas of the country, to travel, these things are popping up all over the place,” said Tyler Calzada, who plays for Team Capital Discs.

“Some courses are really cool. It’s kind of like a hike with an incentive like you can just hike without thinking about hiking. Can throw a disc and then pick it up, throw another disc and pick it up,” Karly Daly, another member of Team Capital Discs, added.

Like hitting the links, the sport is described as golfing with a frisbee. Disc golf even uses some of the same terminologies, but instead of sinking a putt into a hole, you sling a disc into a basket.

Organizers say the sport can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skillsets. Whitaker mentioned his father and niece and nephews all enjoy getting outside and taking to the course.

“Anybody can get into this sport at any time. It’s all about getting out there, having fun, throwing some discs, having a good time with your friends, and just enjoying the outside and the beautiful nature,” Whitaker explained.

Players and organizers say the sport has continued to grow in popularity, especially over these past few years, with people looking for fun ways to get out of the house during the pandemic.

“So people started buying discs off of websites, manufacturers got crazy backed up because of how many people got into the sport and it’s just growing and growing,” said Whitaker.