Two weeks remain to play the 9-hole disc golf course at Skyline Sports Complex before it closes for the season.

With time running out, my husband and I played a round of disc golf in beautiful, sunny 50-degree spring weather last weekend.

The course feels like being in the middle of the woods, despite its location next to Cascade Middle School and across the street from Lifty’s bar and restaurant. It maximizes the natural features in the northwest corner of the sports complex and is marked by old-growth ponderosas, sagebrush and thick desert grasses.

To access the course, park in one of the two lots across from the middle school, walk past the mixed-use softball and soccer fields and head up the hill along the paved path. The first tee is in the middle of the wooded area.

A technical course

I took a picture of the map, taped to an orange sandwich board propped up next to the first tee (a map is also available online at Udisc). It was helpful for finding the second tee, which requires backtracking from the first. Otherwise, the holes are positioned close to one another throughout the course, with baskets near subsequent tees.

Various natural objects pose as obstructions throughout the course, which winds up and down the hilly landscape. The first two holes are less intimidating, offering a straight shot to the basket and an opportunity to ease into the game. All holes are par 3s with a distance of about 200 feet, with the exception of the eighth hole, which measures the longest at 313 feet, according to UDisc.

Looming rocks and trees stand in front of the basket on the sixth hole. And on the seventh, there are so many ponderosas on the fairway that it seems more likely to hit one than to throw a clear shot. In an attempt to maneuver through the trees, my husband employed a tomahawk throw, gripping his fingers around the rim and throwing it overhand. I felt most confident using my backhand throw and although my disc hit a tree, it made it halfway to the basket.

Mental vs. physical

Disc golf is as much a mental game as a physical game. Last weekend, my putting worsened the more I thought about the shot. I had better success by throwing the putter before stopping to consider the shot and sabotaging my confidence.

My best shots were unintentional, curving toward the basket in a way I hadn’t planned. But more often, I was frustrated by the number of putts I missed. While my long-distance throws have improved, my short game was off.

My husband has been a regular player at Bevel Craft Brewing’s Wednesday evening Bevel Putting Mayhem, which is also wrapping up for the season at the end of the month. The bracket-style match-play game has allowed him to hone his disc golf short game, a complement to his powerful drives.

 

The varied terrain and easy access in southwest Bend are what I love most about the course at Skyline Park. But the end of the seasonal window for playing it is approaching on May 2. It will reopen in the fall on Oct. 28.

 

After May 2, there will still be disc golf options in Bend, including a nine-hole course a few miles up Century Drive at Seventh Mountain Resort. There are 18 holes at Pine Nursery Park and a nine-hole putting course at Rockridge Park, both located in Northeast Bend.

If you’re up for a longer drive, no pun intended, there are courses in Sisters (Hyzer Pines), Redmond (Dry Canyon) and Madras (Juniper Hills) as well.

If You Go

What: Skyline Sports Complex Seasonal Disc-Golf Course

When: Oct. 28-May 2

Where: 19617 Mountaineer Way, Bend

Cost: Free

Contact: bendparksandrec.org