Service: The Mobile Disc Golf Experience
Event: Plattepalooza
City: Roxbury, NY
Status: Complete

Design Overview

The Big Idea for The Mobile Disc Golf Experience at Plattepalooza and The Come Up Music Festival was to provide an alternate on-site activity for the patrons at the gorgeous Plattekill Mountain ski resort. A 3-hole course was setup, moving users throughout the triangular layout that offered a variety of shots, glimpses into some of the relics of the bike park, and gorgeous viewsheds of the Catskill mountains. The course was well-used, but an interest was struck immediately by the staff at Plattekill Mountain, as this fast-growing sport provides not only a continued source of revenue and a critical mass for the resort, but can be enjoyed by users of all ages and skill levels, something that doesn’t necessarily hold true for their world class bike park that is consistently used by athletically built males in their mid 20′s.

The area utilized for the 3-hole disc golf course was a combination of two ski trails and a half pipe, featuring vantage points of the mountain range, and up close looks at some of the bike park’s structures, relics and users. Hole and wayfinding signage were located at all the holes, including several Innova Disc Golf banners that were strategically place to catch one’s eye, ultimately moving them to the desired tee location. Our vending booth was situated in close proximity to the main stage, where patrons could familiarize themselves with the sport through our portable basket, while users that wanted to play the course could grab FREE DISC RENTALS in addition to the ability to purchase a slew of makes and models of Innova Discs. Each basket was placed in such a fashion that not only was it a challenging hole on the course, but a visible promotion of the sport/course from throughout the main stage area, camping area and resort deck.

The 1st hole was the toughest test on the course, as the short 165′ hole played 35′ uphill to a basket that laid along the woodline. Birdies were a welcomed change to the standard par or bogey as beginners had a tough time adjusting to the elevation change on this hole. We needed to include at least one uphill hole on the course, as it is a shot any disc golfer must have in their bag, in addition to ensuring that there would be two downhill holes on the course. We try and create beginner-friendly courses that are still challenging for advanced players, and one of the best ways to do that is through downhill shots to strategically placed baskets on varying degrees of landform — and this was the case for the 2nd and 3rd holes. The 2nd hole, with the tee perched on a flat ski jump, was a 240′ downhill hole that was a slot shot down a half pipe. Errant shots always made their way down to the fairway, while shots to the pin must be precise as the basket was located at the base of a severe slope that would kick any errant discs further down the hill. Views from the top of the half pipe down into the forest that separated the 1st and 2nd holes provided players with a beautiful look at the withering bike park bridge that had begun to show its age. The 3rd hole was a 255′ hole that was 20′ downhill to a basket that was perched on a plateau tucked next to the woodline. Shooting into the backdrop of one of the mountain’s largest set of trails, a perfect flick would need to travel all the way to the top of the plateau to ensure a legitimate attempt for birdie. Any shots that landed into the face of the slope would turn up and roll out about 30′ down the hill. This pin location forced players to get their shot on the right level as it rewarded great shots, while punishing any errant throws. A pin high approach would allow players to walk through the woods by the bike park bridge for a glimpse into some of the structures and toys that laid throughout the 60-mile trail system. The short walk not only provided a reprieve from the day’s sun, but cross promotion with some of the other on-site activities offered at Plattekill Mountain.

The reception of this Mobile Disc Golf Experience from the patrons was wonderful, while staff at Plattekill Mountain welcomed a follow-up site visit to begin the process of a permanent course at their facility. The 3-hole course could be completed in 10 minutes, and moved users to strategic locations on the property that offered that beautiful views over the festival grounds, the mountain range in the distance, and the infrastructure of the bike park trail system. You can look for Explore Disc Golf’s Mobile Disc Golf Experience at several more music festivals this summer, but please contact us at info@explorediscgolf.com if you’d like to bring disc golf to your next event!