Thanks to some incredible volunteers, the amazingly fun and gorgeous disc golf course at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch near Red Feather Lakes, CO has been expanded to 28 holes. As if it weren't beautiful enough, now the western side has been increased by seven new baskets that work into two new loops, affording all disc golfers even more amazing views. It is a pay-to-play course for $5 per day at the drop box near the big map near the parking lot. Contact the ranch for food and lodging anytime there is not a tournament happening at www.sundancetrail.com There are three PeaceJames Co disc golf tournaments at Sundance this year with the Solstice Soirée selling out in an hour and half. Regular registration opens Tuesday, May 24 for Inside The Chains +WGE Powered by Innova is an official Women's Global Event and a PDGA sanctioned B-tier for professionals and C-tier for amateurs. In case that tournament fills up there is another chance, the very first ever Autumn Chill which is also a PDGA B-Tier October 1-2, 2022. Because of the two new separate loops it is very easy to skip one or the other or even both loops. The new holes make the course very modular for different kinds of events and add a ton of new mountain disc golf fun. Here is the new holes section of a new map for Solstice Soirée Powered by Innova. As you can see it adjusts the old front nine, so that old hole 7 on top of the rocks is now 14. The old course then continues on from there without any change, at least for the Solstice Soirée. Thinking about skipping old hole 17/ new hole 24 because even though it is a signature hole, it is always a huge backup for events. Instead I would play 24's tee to 25's basket with a mando to keep discs up the hill from 23. Check out the new updated map on the Solstice Soirée page of this same website and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
2020 was a heck of a year. Not only a pandemic that's killed millions of people but Colorado set new records we really didn't want to record. Draught and years of beetle kill has produced a lot of dry fuel in northern Colorado and it burned over 200,000 acres last year and got really close to the Sundance Trail Guest Ranch near Red Feather Lakes. So close in fact that they had to get into emergency mode a few times and drastically cut down some of their trees. Thankfully the ranch owners son works for the U.S. Forest Service so he knows exactly how to manage their forest around the ranch.
Wow what a year that was. The above map is a course that was incredibly awesome and exciting with lots of elevation changes on 15 of 18 holes that had me smiling for many months. I was literally gitty to share it with everyone because you could really watch them fly almost every hole! Well, that tournament had to be cancelled 8 days before the event because of new property ownership. Thought I'd learned most lessons in running a tournament but ran into a new wall that I couldn't get around. Especially within a week still in the middle of state, county and local virus restrictions and closures. Nevertheless the past is the past and I'd like to look forward with new anticipation and enthusiasm. I'm really hoping that we continue on the upward trend for covid cases as folks get vaccinated and we can gather again this summer. I've been crossing my fingers for 2021 for a while now. At least since I sanctioned the Solstice Soirée in December 2020. It's such a fun event, it really helps me get a smile on my face to think of all the joy everyone has at such a gorgeous place. In fact I recently finished the logo and ordered the custom stamped discs. Still some to be determined but as with 2019 there will be on-site camping and bed & breakfast lodging in addition to extra fun events with half of the entry fees being donated to charity; Putting Competition, Accuracy Challenge, 9-Hole Mini Disc Golf, Glow Round. I'm also running the Shades of Gray MASTERS again as a PDGA sanctioned B-Tier on September 25-26, 2021. Location announcement hopefully coming soon after confirmation. Everyone in the masters event is over 40 so a lot comes into consideration in those specific events. I'm also planning on adding some more PJC tournaments in 2022 which of course those projects need to be started this year in advance. It takes a lot of work to produce an incredible weekend of fun for all kinds of people. But I get just as much fun out it as I do playing. Here's a virtual high-five to a great 2021 and beyond!
CDSA Blog post about their focus changing and PJC taking over their events.
