The “Blind Gulley” Frisbee golf course at Von Baer Park is a 9 hole disc golf course in Providence, Utah. Built in 2011, and improved in 2012, it is the only full disc golf course in Cache Valley (there used to be a course on campus near the dorms at USU, but too many windows got broken, so they shut it down). Eight of the holes treated as a par 3’s, and one is considered a par 4 due to a combination of distance and skillshots which much be placed at exactly the right angle as to weave directly through a distant narrow clearing of trees. This is arguably one of the most technical and challenging Frisbee golf courses in Cache Valley.
This park offers a unique twist and challenge to disc golf enthusiasts as the course feels neither like a park or a traditional disc golf course. Kudos to the designer for having the vision of basket placement and course design. Of the nine basket, only three are not on the hillside. Many of these baskets also require not just power on your throws, but also skillful placement as you will encounter many shots which require straight as an arrow throws to weave through narrow corridors of trees, or the basket lies within a grove of trees only easily accessible form one angle.
Because of the plant and tree growth of this park, which has long been unmaintained, prepare to search for your disc for more than just a few minutes if you throw it off course. This makes for both a skilled game play, and a potentially very frustrating one.
The latter part of the course, baskets 8 and 9, feature an extremely steep hill-side which is treated as no-mans-land. (See images below) On basket 8, finding a perfect balance of staying away from the precariously steep hillside to the left and the precarious roadway to the right can be very difficult. For this reason, nearby residents have asked that disc golfers leave their profanity at home, as this baskets will certainly tempt the worst to come out in you. Basket 9 can be equally difficult but with little risk of hitting the roadway, but more risk of finding yourself trapped on the hillside.
Photos of Vons Park
View Vons Bear Park, Providence UT in a larger map
Directions to The Providence Disc Golf Course
The address of Von Baer Park is 350 East and Center street. Coming from Logan, drive up 100 North (the main through road in Providence that goes past Macey’s and the Elementary School) until you hit 200 East. Turn right (South) at 300 North, then East on Center Street until you see the sign that says “Von Baer Park.” There will be a Narrow Parking lot/road. The tee box to the first hole will be about 100 feet directly East of the Southern portion of the parking lot. You will have to do some climbing to get to it, but that will only get you warmed up for the rest of this great course.
Best Discs to Use at Von Baer Park
Von Baer is a rough and rugged course with a variety of difficult shots and obstacles. It has many rocky areas that will beat up your lower grade plastic discs quickly. We recommend using higher grade discs made of Innova Champion or Star plastics. These discs are durable, and won’t get huge gashes after each and every throw. If you don’t have total control of your throws, you might not want to throw your good discs on holes 8 or 9 as the disc graveyard waits below to eat any erroneously thrown Frisbees.
There aren’t a lot of shots where you are going to really test your driving abilities. For this reason mid range and fairway drivers you can throw straight will be your best bet. On this course, short and straight will lead to a much better score than long but faded. My favorite disc for this course is the Innova Roc.
Rate Von Baer Park
Played it……. how would you rate the disc golf course at Von Baer Park? Select the appropriate number of stars below, then leave your review in the comment fields.
The disc golf course is getting really crowded during the evenings. This course is a great addition to the community and provides good family recreation. Love it.
I’d give it eight instead of seven if the pads were concrete. Of course, I hear that’s in the works for 2013, so we’ll see.
Thanks for the rating Caleb. You ought to join the local disc golf league http://hddga.com. We’re playing Saturday at USU old main hill.