Blackhawk Disc Golf Course gets an upgrade

SEELEY LAKE - The Blackhawk Disc Golf Course near Seeley-Swan High School received a string of renovations this past year. SSHS teacher Trace Stone said while he has done some work on the course in the past, this year is the most they have done at one time.

Stone said former teacher Brian Bennion was enthusiastic about the project and helped him organize with the student council to work on redoing the course, installing posts and putting in dirt tee pads. Much of the work dealt with reviving and relocating holes on the latter half of the course which had experienced overgrowth over the past several years.

"You would not [be able to find the back nine] unless you were me, or this group of 10 or 15 kids ... that like to play," he said. "Some holes used to work but now things have just grown into the path to where they were just unreasonable."

The course's overall layout was constructed in 2009. It features 18 holes and is around 4,392 feet long. Its par is 54.

"Some courses use quite a bit of resources and it just didn't seem to fit that environment so we tried to keep it rustic," he said. "And because of that, it just deteriorated."

Stone said he planned to begin renovations last year but because of COVID-19 he put it off until last September. He hopes to have improvements done before this year's school year but he estimates that it will likely be finished by September.

Stone and other teachers will soon finalize sign designs that will make the course more navigable.

"One issue that I've seen over the years, when you show up at a course that you're not familiar with, you don't know where the heck you're going to find the next hole," Stone said. "So we really wanted to make that more obvious. The first nine is great for people who are bringing small kids or don't really know what this sport is all about and just want to check it out."

In the meantime, Stone created a QR code that leads users to the mobile app UDisc which can help people map out the route and find out other information about the course. This can be found on posters around town or with this article. 

Currently Stone is hoping the course can receive some funding so they can install baskets with chains to the back nine. They did receive a donation from former Clearwater Montana Properties Agent Carey Kanavel as part of CMP's Charitable Giving Program to help fund the new signage.

"I think once that's done, I think it's gonna be a destination ... for enthusiasts," he said. "We'll pull people from Missoula who are looking for a change of pace from their courses. ... [It's] just an obvious, low cost way to get kids out there and check it out. That's what's kind of cool about disc golf altogether is it doesn't cost much and it increases the likelihood that people will wander around the woods."

Information on the course can be found on https://udisc.com/courses/blackhawk-SDmf or use the code below to get the uDisc App. Search for Blackhawks