Field Of Dreams: Peterborough Man Building Epic 18 Hole Disc Golf Course Near Keene

Peterborough's Darrell Bankes is a huge fan of disc golf—aka frisbee golf. So much so that this landscape architect is constructing an 18-hole pay to play course southeast of town near Keene on 38 acres of land he purchased.

Fields being plowed for the course

When the course is ready, Bankes hopes that disc golf players young and old—and new—will not only come from Peterborough and the Kawarthas but from all over to play, including day trips from the GTA area.

Disc golf, for the uninitiated, is a flying disc game—a precision and accuracy sport, where individual players throw a flying disc at a target. The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.

This once counter-culture sport has grown up and is becoming more mainstream cool.

Darrell Bankes has a dream and is making it happen

Bankes hard at work

Construction on the 18 hole course, TinLid Disc Golf, started earlier in July. "It's a private pay to play course near, with similar offerings of a ball golf course," Bankes tells PTBOCanada. "The course is still being built—it's not accessible full time yet—but the plan is to have open access in the fall."

The course design—a schematic layout plan made from aerial photos and topographical maps—is evolving daily as Bankes gets used to the property and its nuances, but looks like this..

Like a golf course, there is even a driving range to practise on...

TinLid Golf Disc Driving Range

Rather than holes, baskets are used in disc golf...

So if you build it, will they come? Time will tell. But this is a burgeoning sport: there is "massive growth Stateside," Bankes says, not to mention an existing local Peterborough disc golf club to mine from. 

Also, it's affordable, accessible, good casual exercise, easy to learn and much faster to play than golf, he says.

And no tee times.

Bankes has a pro shop being operated out of 302 Park Street north in Peterborough until a shop on the course is built this fall.

Learn more about Darrell's venture on his Facebook page or email him here for more info.

Watch this awesome documentary video to learn more about the history of the sport...

Visit discgolfmatters.com for more info! I believe that the sport of disc golf matters. This is the story of four players in the Southern California region who believe this also and are making an impact with the way that they are involved in their community through the sport.

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Ribfest Is This Weekend at Millennium Park

Millennium Park will once again be filled with the smell of barbeque and the sound of live music with the return of Rotary Ribfest this weekend (July 10th to 12th).

Ribfest file photo by Evan Holt

You can take your pick from a selection of professional ribbers or one of Peterborough's downtown restaurants, including Dr. J’s BBQ and Brews, The Nutty Chocolatier, Brickhouse Grill and Bar, Shish-Kabob Hut, Island Cream Caribbean Cuisine, Ariyana, Silver Bean Café and Kettle Drums.

Musical entertainment includes -> The Hogtown Allstars, Rikki Nicks (tribute to Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac), Irene and the Sugar Devils, Lindsay Barr, Western Avenue, 4 Front and more.

***Ribfest runs from Friday, July 10th through Sunday, July 12th, and admission is free.

Hours:
Friday, July 10: 4 – 10 pm
Satuday, July 11: noon – 10pm
Sunday, July 12: noon – 5 pm

Click here for the full line-up.

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Peterborough Woman Spots Bear On Railway Tracks During Morning Commute

A commute into Peterborough from the country often involves seeing turtles, deer and other wildlife. But not too often do you spot a bear.

Tracey Townsend saw exactly that recently at a railway crossing near town...

photo courtesy Tracey Townsend

"I was going to clean a client's house (I run Without a Trace Cleaning)," Tracey Townsend tells PTBOCanada, "and I had turned into the 5th line in Norwood. There are tracks there with no lights or arms so you have to stop. It was about 8:30 a.m. I looked one way for the train and when I looked the other way, he was right there in front of my car!"

Adds Townsend: "I couldn't get to my phone quick enough so I called to him. (Stupid I know.) He turned. But then kept trotting down the tracks. It was pretty cool to see one so close, but on the other hand there were houses and pets just on the other side of those tracks!"

No word on whether the bear covered its tracks.

@thewolfca this is him! Took me awhile to fumble with my camera! #morningcommute. #lovemyjob pic.twitter.com/HxCo3T6a5w

— Tracey Townsend (@Tracey_TLC) July 7, 2015

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Turning Left Onto the Causeway Will Be A Little Trickier For A While

According to a County release, due to technical difficulties with the traffic signal controls located at the intersection of Ward Street and James A. Gifford Causeway in Bridgenorth, drivers will experience longer than usual delays when turning left from Ward Street onto the Causeway for the next week.

The County Of Peterborough Public Works department says it is aware of the problem and is working to resolve it.

For now, left turns won't be easy. But life will return to normal eventually.

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