RIVER FALLS – Disc golf has become a wildly popular activity over the past decade and the Sterling Hill Disc Golf Course was created in River Falls to accommodate that.

The course is free to play, consisting of 18 holes located on a hill in the woods at Sterling Ponds Park, making for an interesting course and a scenic walk.

Course designer and organizer Andrew P. Reese said he and 29 other volunteers completed 2,500 hours of work to get the course ready. While the course officially opened to the public June 10, Reese said there is still work to be done.

The team of volunteers cleared buckthorn from the area for two years before even being able to get started on much of the rest of the course. Overall, 13 tons of material were moved throughout the course, including lumber, sand and grass seed.

“This was one big, huge lemon, and I’ve turned it into sweet lemonade,” Reese said.

Designing the course was not a simple task either, as Reese had to balance the difficulty of the holes, maintain the walkability and generally make the course as entertaining as possible. It took Reese four different designs to land on the final layout.

Reese mentioned this course will bring in travelers from all over, bringing business to the community. In addition, Reese believes the beauty of the course and the friendliness of the community may lead them to live in the community in the future.

“This is kind of a destination type of course, like people are going to travel to come here,” Reese said. “And when they travel here they’re going to want to come into town and eat, drink.”

Reese fell in love with disc golf around 2014 while competing against his friends. The passion grew, with Reese eventually starting the River Falls Disc Golf Club and playing a primary role in Sterling Hill’s construction.

He believes so many people enjoy disc golf because of its ease of access and the kindness of the community.

“It’s typically free in most places, and if you have to pay it’s not very expensive,” Reese said. “It’s always welcoming. You don’t come onto a disc course and people are like, ‘Nope, you cannot play with us.’”

Another disc golf course is located at Hoffman Park in River Falls, but Reese said it is often overcrowded, and this course provides much different scenery.

The course was built on land that was not highly sought after, with the large hill and high quantity of brush creating limited options. Reese said the only real options to use this land were a hiking trail or a disc golf course. Due to the location, the course is not the easiest walk; however, Reese said the views are as beautiful as you will find on a course in the area.

“It’s not a walk in the park. It has steep terrain, there’s a lot of elevation changes. You’re going to want to wear good shoes and be prepared for a hike, but the hike is well worth it,” Reese said. “I don’t know if I’ve been to a course as beautiful as this. Not in this area.”

For more information email riverfallsdiscgolf@gmail.com or visit @sterlinghilldiscgolf on Facebook.