Daylight saving time just began and it’s time to start planning out your disc golf year. How many tournaments are you going to make this year? Hopefully, along with a few majors, maybe you’ll hit up a new course or two? Maybe this will be the year you finally get to play Idlewild, or get out to Pasadena and play disc golf’s very first course (Hahamonga). Wouldn’t it be nice to tour like the pros do and play 45 weeks a year; traveling around the globe playing all the best courses? Sure it would, but let’s be honest, only the blessed few will ever get to know that life. And if you have a day job, kids, a spouse who doesn’t play disc golf (or appreciate your interest in it), or if you’re still in school then long disc golf vacations are next to impossible. Alas, maybe next year.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and live some of your disc golf dreams right now. You may not be able to make every NT event on the schedule or take four months off to tour and play, but you can still take a disc golf vacation or two and here are a few options if you need to take the family along.

The Disc Golf Vacation

If you’re looking for a place to go with your family and it’s important to have a “vacation” feel, here are a few ideas:

Selah Ranch – Talco, Texas

Located two hours north and east of Dallas, this privately owned property can boast two incredible disc golf courses designed by John Houck. Swimming, fishing, and a beautiful setting ideal for wooing a disagreeable spouse.

Learn more: SelahRanch.com

Sandy Point – Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin

Located in the northern woods of Wisconsin two and half hours east of Duluth, MN, this disc golf experience has private state of the art cabins and a 27-hole course. Swimming, fishing, hiking and lots and lots of disc golf. Highbridge Hills disc golf complex is just an hour away.

Learn more: SandyPt.com

Horning’s Hideout – North Plains, Oregon

Located an hour West of Portland, Oregon, this complex has three very challenging courses. You’ll also find frequent live concerts, hiking, fishing, swimming, a massive ostentation of peacocks, which wander the complex freely, and whatever other mischief you can muster.

Learn more: HorningsHideout.com

Seven Springs Mountain Resort – Seven Springs, Pennsylvania

Located one hour east of Pittsburgh, this resort is built for the vacation enthusiast. The course is fair and fun and there are enough activities for everyone in the family.

Learn more: 7Springs.com

Cape Henlopen Disc Golf – Cape Henlopen, Delaware

Located two hours south of Philadelphia or two hours east of Washington, DC on the eastern Delaware coast, this destination is perfect for the family that needs a beach. The course isn’t the hardest to play but it’s on the beach! It’s one of the few courses in the world that can brag that it’s on the beach AND can offer non-tent housing. If the family wants the beach and you want disc golf, this is perfect compromise.

Learn more: DeStateParks.com/park/cape-henlopen/

Smuggler’s Notch – Jeffersonville, Vermont

Located two hours east of Burlington, Vermont. This resort is opened year round with activities ranging from first class downhill sking (winter), hiking and, of course, disc golf. The course is beautiful and a great way to spend a weekend. Don’t forget to stop at Ben and Jerry’s factory on the way there.

Learn more: Smuggs.com

Sipapu – Vadito, New Mexico

Located an hour north of Santa Fe on a ski hill. The course plays up and down a mountain. It’s rustic and beautiful. The resort doesn’t offer much for the kids unless your kids are big fans of hiking and fishing, but it’s still a destination vacation.

Learn more: SipapuNM.com

Honorable Mention: Hiekkasarkat – Kalajoki, Finland

It’s in Finland, so if you can make it here, your financial problems are probably slight. This course plays through a complex of vacationing Fins. It’s also on a beach and is incredible challenging. The resort offers every entertainment distraction you can imagine. The up side… during the summer the sun doesn’t go down allowing for 24 hours of disc golf and sunbathing.

Learn more: KalajokiResort.fi/en/

The Disc Golf Camping Trip

If you can do your thing without needing a hotel room and you’re willing to camp out, here are some excellent camping disc golf destinations:

Farragut – Athol, Idaho

Located twenty minutes north of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, this camping hot spot offers three challenging courses.

Learn more: ParksAndRecreation.Idaho.gov/parks/farragut

International Disc Golf Center – Appling, Georgia

Located an hour northwest of Augusta, Georgia, it is the nerve center of the PDGA with the Hall of Fame, and the executive offices for the “business” end of the PDGA. But it also hosts three of the very best courses in America. Camping is available in the park but not AT the courses. Home to the PDGA Championships.

Learn more: ColumbiaCountyGA.gov/index.aspx?page=2680

The Lodge – Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Located an hour and a half north of Tulsa, Oklahoma this privately owned destination boasts two awesome courses and the friendliest hosts in disc golf. (Just ask Avery Jenkins what he thinks) The courses have hosted an NT and are used for the Dynamic Disc Tour Finale every year.

Learn more: TheLodgeAtTaylorRanch.com

Flip City – Shelby, MI

Located 45 minutes north of Musekegon, Michigan. This course is another privately owned destination with another amazing course which has to be seen in person. It is ranked among the best courses in the world and if that course doesn’t offer you enough challenges, there are ten more super challenging courses within an hours drive.

Learn more: FlipCityGolf.com

The Blockhouse – Spotsylvania, Virginia

Located an hour north of Richmond, Virginia, this destination has two great courses and by far the most laidback camping you will ever experience. Great golf, great hospitality and the very best of the mellow laid back chill you want in a disc golf camping experience. Please note, at the time of publishing, the Blockhouse is currently closed.

Learn more: BlockHouseDiscGolf.com

The “High End” Disc Golf Vacation

If you have larger dreams and you are willing to put forth the effort and money. And if you can get an invitation, this is by far the best disc golf vacation available:

Fly Boy Aviation – Whitesburg, Georgia

Located an hour southwest of Atlanta, Georgia this private course is almost as hard to get permission to play it as it is to play the course under par. The course is located in an incredibly private upper class housing development and the residents appreciate their personal space.

How private is it? Well, let’s just say that everyone who lives there has their own plane in their garage. You MUST have permission to play this course. Walking on is not allowed.

If possible, stay at the bed and breakfast run by the owner’s parents (who live onsite). The aesthetic of this experience is second to none and it’s a perennial contender for one of the best courses in the world. But again, you must get permission!

How do you get permission? You have to know someone who knows someone. It’s that awesome of an experience.

Other Must Play Courses

To celebrate other disc golf destinations, which have gone out of their way to create worthy disc golf vacations for it’s visitors, here is a list of other worthy places to visit.

Twin Parks Country Club, Austin, TX. Location of the Vibram’s Player’s Cup.

Blue Ribbon Pines, Minneapolis, MN. One third of the Minnesota Majestic.

Jarva Disc Golf, Stockholm, Sweden. Home of the Stockholm Open and the European Masters.

Maple Hill/Pyramids, Leicester, MA. Home of the Vibram Open.These courses are a half-mile apart so they’re really one full experience.

Crystal City Disc Golf. St. Louis, MO. Disc golf in a cave. Two courses. WITH water! Courses are rough but hey… you’re playing underground.

Woodland Valley, Limerick, ME. Two courses in rural Maine just north of Portland.

Angel Fire, Angel Fire, NM Another mountain course north of Santa Fe. If playing ski hills is your thing, this play is for you.

Phantom Falls, Pine, CO Listed as one of the best courses in America. You must get permission to play. It’s a tough course (remember, the higher the elevation, the more stable your discs will be).

Nantucket Disc Golf, Nantucket, MA. It takes patience to work out the details, but once you’re there, the course is wonderful. And if you’re going to make the effort, you might as well camp out and play it again in the morning.

May all your disc golf dreams come true.