Gore Main School pupils are delighted with the four frisbee golf baskets installed in the reserve opposite the school.
Frisbee golf is played in a similar way to golf.
Players throw a frisbee from a starting place in the direction of a wire basket or net in much the same way as a golfer tees off aiming for a hole on a green.
Then they count the number of shots it takes for them to throw the frisbee into the basket.
Gore Main School pupil Hugo Morrison said it was very convenient having the baskets near the school.
‘‘You can come down after school and come and play frisbee golf or your class could come down.
‘‘It’s great to have it here.’’
The key to playing frisbee golf was technique.
‘‘You’ve got to flick your wrist quite hard if you want to get it straight.’’
Principal Glenn Puna said the pupils were ‘‘excited’’ to have the new baskets close by.
Every year as part of their leadership training year 5 pupils taught the year 3 pupils how to play the sport at Dolamore Park.
‘‘So now we have the four nets right across the road frisbee golf at Gore Main School is going to go to another level.’’
B&B Sports owner Paul Blondell started the process of getting frisbee golf baskets in the parks in the district.
His goal had been to provide an opportunity where four generations could take part in an activity together close to home, Mr Blondell said.
‘‘It’s about fitness, health and wellbeing,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve got [frisbee golf] at Dolamore Park but it’s just too far to go and too far to take kids.’’
It was out in the open so in these days when the Covid-19 virus was a concern frisbee golf was an activity that people could do together with ‘‘freedom’’.
While it was a relatively cheap sport it was also a ‘‘complicated game’’, he said.
People could play with the standard frisbee or could have a frisbee designed to fly different distances depending on how far they were from the basket.
It was also the second fastest growing sport in the world behind pickleball, he said.
After he approached Gore District Council staff for help, the youth council became involved in the planning.
Youth council deputy chairwoman Sophie Crawford (16), said councillors were glad to be part of the project.
Some of the councillors had played the game at Dolamore Park.
‘‘We thought why not make it a bit more accessible and have it closer into town.’’
The councillors were grateful to businesses which had also been involved in sponsoring the cost of the baskets, Olivia said.
There are plans to put more frisbee golf baskets in other places in the district.
