'People were intrigued by this': Disc golf catching on in Riverview, N.B.

There's nothing quite like hitting the links for a round when the temperature is a bone-chilling -19 degrees.

CDT Disc Golf members Trevor MacDougall and Blake Reynolds were more than ready for a few rounds despite the cold.

The disc golf course is located in the woods next to Claude D. Taylor School in Riverview, N.B., and has been in operation for about a year and a half.

Its popularity is soaring right now. Close to 11,000 people played a round on the 18-hole course in its first year of operation.

“I think the appeal is it's not a super long course,” said Reynolds, the club’s president. “It's about a mile-and-a-half loop. Anyone can enjoy it and it takes about an hour and a half to play a full round. I think that, plus the low barrier for entry, makes it accessible to everyone.”

Reynolds, MacDougall and other community members noticed the 25-acres of land adjacent to the school wasn't really being used for anything so they partnered with the Anglophone East School District to build the course.

It took a lot of man hours to carve the course out of the wooded area, but the golfers knew they had a smash hit from the get go.

“People were intrigued by this,” said MacDougall, the club’s secretary. “We have a very strong committee that introduced it to a lot of people. A lot of community groups, teachers, schools, physical education. It just kept exploding.”

The group is very proud of what they’ve created.

The 18 holes, each with a metal basket to catch the discs, wind their way through the trees, paths and brook in the beautiful wooded area.

Both men believe the best part of the sport is it can be played by anyone no matter their athletic abilities.

“Early on when we started doing teach and plays throughout the community, we noticed there was a very wide variety of ages and parents bringing their kids out as young as five to six-years-old, to grandparents and 75-year-olds that are just out to enjoy a walk in the woods,” said Reynolds.

MacDougall likes the physical and mental health aspect of the game.

“It's just a really wonderful reason to get out into the forest and stay active, and you get to throw around kids toys,” said MacDougall. “It's a very unique sport. It's brand new for this area, but it's been around for decades.”

The course will be the host venue for an upcoming Atlantic Canadian junior disc golf championship in May.

The group in Riverview is hoping to build another course in Moncton in the near future.