WHERE TO PLAY: Rocanville Trail Disc Golf Course

The beautifully terrifying tunnels of Rocanville Trail DGC.
 

Disc golfers of all levels will, at some point, be humbled by the challenge presented by the Rocanville Trail Disc Golf Course's 18-hole track.

But once you get on it, you will be back to defeat it.

Tight lines through narrow fairways lined with thick bush will bring your game to its knees. It's 18-holes of delicate driving and finesse approaches. Your short-game will improve here.

Rocanville Trail is located about two kilometres south of Rocanville, Sask. along Range Road 1314 (Webster Cemetery Road). The course runs through a substantial part of the Rocanville Cross Country Ski Club's system of ski trails. Disc golf arrived at the facility in 2013 with the help of the Parkland Association of Disc Golf out of Yorkton, Sask.

A few adjustments were made to the course through the following four years under the guidance of course director Chris Istace. One advancement - set to arrive in 2023 - is an alternate, par-2 tee-off route that allows for single-disc or beginner play.

The par-61 course runs at 5128 feet. We open at Hole 1 with a relatively easy hyzer to the pin through Rocanville Trail's renowned alleys. The tunnels do not take long to intimidate, however. Hole 2 is a snaky 284-foot, par 3 with an anhyzer to hyzer route that takes substantial play to figure out. Players will encounter the same challenge on Hole 7.

But this is the theme of the Front Nine, with the narrow fairways particularly harrowing on Holes 4 (The Hook), 5 (FindaWindow), 8 (Gottalayup) and 9 (The Cane). Numbers 3, 7, 8 and 9 are par-fours, less due to their distances (430, 367, 394, 338-feet respectively), but the seeming impossibility of either skying a route to the hole or threading a needle for a long putt for eagle.

An even narrower tunnel meets players at Hole 10, but the back-nine provides several holes to make up any bogeys on the front-nine. Holes 11 through 15, ranging from 154 to 250 feet, are back in open meadows, providing an opportunity for a birdie train. Hole 16 has our first chance to rip a distance drive, but we head back into the bush to reach the pin.

Then it's tunnel time again. Numbers 17 and 18 measure only 364 and 295 feet, but until you've played them a few times, the old-growth poplar forest imposes itself upon your game to finish up the round.

Angles, windows and luck will ultimately lead to victory.

Rocanville Trail truly needs to be played to be appreciated. This is why those who have been defeated by the course keep coming back; there's always a chance to slay this dragon.

The course's difficulty proves perfect for the facility's lone annual tournament, the World Bush Disc Golf Championships of the Universe. The doubles, best-disc tournament is held in the autumn and allows teams from throughout the Prairies the chance to hold the cherished WBDGCU Belts. Current title holders, Ian and Gage McKay, are two-time victors of the meet, which is known widely for its fun "trash-talkin'" theme and great lunch. The 2022 smoked brisket disappeared in minutes.

Regardless of how you play, Rocanville Trail is jaunt into nature unlike any other course in the region. The private property is protected from development, allowing the course to host a wide variety of wildlife and rare natural vegetation. It's a true vacation of the mind and body, where you may encounter anything from a coyote, deer or moose to a grouse or rabbit.

If you want more information about Rocanville Trail Disc Golf Course click the hyper link or email Chris Istace at christace@icloud.com. Rocanville Trail can be found on UDisc.

– Mangy Coyote

 

WBDGCU title holders Gage and Ian McKay with Tournament Director Chris Istace (centre).


 


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