For those new to disc golf, let us introduce you to Rockridge Park in northeast Bend. Disc golf is played very much like traditional golf, replete with tees and fairways on 18-hole courses and shouts of “fore” when there’s an incoming projectile. Perhaps the biggest difference is that disc golf uses chain and metal baskets, aka pins, in lieu of holes.

Each hole can range from a couple to a few hundred yards long, and playing a full round entails a lot of walking. If the thought of learning to play on a full course — which only seems longer when throws go awry, which happens to beginners and more experienced players alike — seems intimidating, Rockridge’s compact, nine-hole putting course is the place to go and practice mid-range throws and putts.

The course is generally rocky — they don’t call it Rockridge for nothing — and populated with juniper trees. Each hole has two tee pads, allowing players to vary the length and difficulty, the perfect place to prepare for a round at the nearby 18-hole Pine Nursery Park or one of Central Oregon’s other disc golf courses.

Getting there: Rockridge Park is located at 20885 NE Egypt Drive, Bend. The disc golf course is at the west end of the parking lot.