BBQ Cover becomes Disc Golf Basket

Disc Golf Course from Recycled Materials

This summer, our family discovered disc golf. Each person throws a disc from a tee towards a basket. Wherever the disc lands, you walk there, pick it up and throw it towards the basket again. There are different kinds of discs just like there are different type of golf clubs – for example, one for driving, one for mid-length throws and one for “putting” or short throws.

This is a great activity for our family because it’s hike with short-term goals. We have many fun conversations about the course and the wildlife we see. My daughter is especially great at throwing – I would say the best in our family. We don’t keep score. Today for example we saw a herd a deer sprinting across the course at full speed, which was beautiful.

So far, we have visited a disc golf course at Burke Lake Park in Virginia and Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland. Both courses were wonderful. You can find disc golf courses near you through the Professional Disc Golf Association website.

Krop’s Crops Disc Golf Baskets from Recycled Materials

Today we visited one at Krop’s Crops, which is a nursery close to our home. It is only an 8 hole course and much rougher than the others because it is maintained by an individual instead of the park. But I was delighted to find that all the baskets were made from recycled materials!

All the baskets had a catching area made from a tire. The variable components were the poles, bases and the part at the top that holds the chains. The chains slow down your disc when you throw it in the basket.

There was a basket made from a stop sign:

Stop Sign becomes Disc Golf Basket
Stop Sign becomes Disc Golf Basket

One from a metal Halloween decoration of a skeleton:

Metal Skeleton Becomes Disc Golf Basket
Metal Skeleton Becomes Disc Golf Basket

One from half a rotating fan enclosure:

Electric Fan becomes Disc Golf Basket
Electric Fan becomes Disc Golf Basket

One from a metal Christmas tree stand:

Christmas Tree Stand becomes Disc Golf Basket
Christmas Tree Stand becomes Disc Golf Basket

The rest were from metal garbage can lids or BBQ covers (see the featured photo at the top, for example).

It was impressive to see the creative recycling that went into making this disc golf course!

The Cicada Story

Here’s a cute story from our walk. At one point, a cicada buzzed around in the bushes which frightened Russell. I told him it’s just a cicada – they don’t sting – but they are very loud. I noted the many cicadas that were loudly chirping all around us. I told him a story about when Nora was a toddler and we went camping in August. The cicadas were so loud into the night – it actually made it difficult to sleep. Russell, not wanting to be left out of the story, said, “Yes I remember hearing the cicadas when I was sleeping inside your belly.” Of course you did, buddy.