Press Release
August 04, 2014
Randy Simons
Dan Keefe
(518) 486-1868
New Disc Golf Course to Open at Mine Kill State Park
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and "Ace Race" mark opening of Region's first disc golf course on August 9
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today announced that its first permanent disc golf course in the Saratoga-Capital Region will open at Mine Kill State Park in North Blenheim. The course opening will take place on Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 9AM just outside the Mine Kill pool complex, featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony, an Ace Race and other great disc golf games.
"We are thrilled to welcome the first disc golf course to a State Park in the Capital Region," State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said. "Disc golf is a fun and easy way to get outside with friends and family at New York State Parks. The Mine Kill Disc Golf Course will be a magnificent new destination for one of the fastest growing sports in the Catskills and Capital Region."
Disc Golf is played similar to traditional golf with tees, holes and strokes per hole, but with plastic flying discs used instead of a ball and clubs. A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to an elevated basket, which is the "hole." As players make their way down the fairway, they take each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. The player with the fewest throws wins.
Mine Kill is the ninth State Park to host permanent facilities for the increasingly popular sport. Disc golf courses are available at Beaver Island, Darien Lakes, Evangola, Joseph Davis, Lakeside and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks in Western New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Lower Hudson Valley, and Green Lakes and Gilbert Lake State Parks in Central New York. More information is available on State Parks' website.
The Ace Race tournament at Mine Kill State Park will make a great introduction to disc golf for players new to the sport. An Ace Race is like a hole-in-one contest with a bit of a twist; all players must throw the same type of disc on every hole. Players only count holes in one (Aces) or when their disc strikes a part of the target basket. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers at the MKDGC Ace Race. Players will also receive 2 prototype discs, a towel, baseball cap, a mini-marker disc and other great items upon registering. Admission to the Ace Race is just $25 per player.
Players interested in exploring the new Mine Kill disc golf course on their own can borrow a disc at the park or pool office. There is a $10 deposit per disc required for using a disc for the day. Disc purchases may also be made at the park for $10 per disc. Admission to the park from late-June to Labor Day is $3 per vehicle from 9am to 5pm.
For more information on the Mine Kill Disc Golf Course Ace Race event, or to learn more about the terrific sport of disc golf, please contact the park office at (518) 827-8690.
Mine Kill State Park is located in the scenic Schoharie Valley overlooking the Power Authority's Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. The reservoir provides excellent fishing and boating opportunities. The eight miles of trails, including trails from the Park to the NYPA Visitor Center such as the nationally designated Long Path, are great for hiking, biking and birding. Cascading 80 feet through a narrow gorge is the picturesque Mine Kill Falls for which the Park is named.
For those who would like to extend their visit, nearby Max V. Shaul State Park is a small, quiet camping area with 30 wooded tent and trailer sites, picnic grounds, a state of the art playground and boat access along the Schoharie Creek. In addition to the Max V. Shaul trails and fishing opportunities, campers have free access to Mine Kill State Park and receive discounts at a variety of local tourist attractions and businesses.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
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