[relaxing music] Well, Mike, this place is really amazing.

How did it all come about?

- Well, Cary has one course already at Middle Creek Park, and in a bond referendum from 2012, the town spoke, and citizens wanted a new park.

And I had an opportunity to help try to design and build the course, and so we did.

We opened it up in October of 2020, and it has been super popular ever since.

- [Deborah] Well, Mike, what are some of the basics of disc golf?

- Any family or individual can go to any big-box retailer or online sporting goods store and buy a disc.

I'd recommend getting a putter to start with.

if you've never thrown before.

They will throw most like a Frisbee.

And you would play similar to the rules of ball golf.

So you would start on a tee pad and throw from there, throw a drive from there, and then go to that part where you landed and lay down a marker.

And then throw from there.

In as few throws as possible, try to get it into the basket or the hole.

After that, you move on to the next hole.

- [Deborah] Mike, what are some of the features and hidden gems on this course?

- Well, our course is set up with 22 holes on two 11-hole loops, and we also have some protective features on some of our trees called bad-shot bells to help protect some trees that may get more hits because they're closer to tee pads.

We also have a few signature holes on the course.

I think most of the public would say probably hole nine, which is kind of a picturesque hole elevated over a pond and into a clearing, and then probably one of our wooded holes, maybe number 14, where it's kind of quieted in the pines.

- [Deborah] How accessible is this in terms of age and cost?

- Oh, extremely accessible.

So a single disc can cost maybe $10, and you can bring your whole family out here and play, all skill levels.

Easy to pick up the sport and develop.

It's available all over the state, and anywhere you go on vacation, you can find a course locally.

And we invite all families and friends out to our courses as well.

- [Teresa] And is there a fee to get into the park?

- For our course, there is no fee.

Most courses in North Carolina and in the South are free to play.

- [Deborah] Well, I'm excited to try a lesson.

[laughs] - [Mike] All right.

- All right, Mike, for the beginner like myself, how do we get started?

What have you got there?

- Well, if you were just coming out for the first time, and you just had one disc, you'd probably wanna try to get a putter.

But if you were gonna try to get a set, you can buy sets at any retailer, and they'll consist of a putter, a kind of a mid-range, and a driver.

- [Deborah] And what's the difference?

- A putter will have kind of a rounded edge, a more rounded edge, and as you move towards the driver, the driver will have a very sharp edge to move through the air faster.

A driver will be harder to control for a beginner.

That's why usually you start with a putter.

- Yeah, that's for me.

- [Mike] Yeah.

So you'll come up to a disc golf course and come up to the first hole and try to find the signs.

The signs should show you where you're aiming.

Some baskets you may not be able to see off the tee.

- So Mike, you're gonna have to talk to me like a three-year-old.

- Okay.

- What's this number?

What's happening here, and what are these numbers?

- Okay, so hole number seven here, we are on the blue tee pad for us, and it is a par three.

So we'll use terminology just like ball golf.

Par three indicates you're trying to get it into the basket into the hole in three throws.

- That is so helpful.

Are we gonna throw some now?

Let's do it.

- Let's do it.

So Deb, this is how you make a basic throw from a tee if you're a beginner.

So most right-hand backhand throwers, so if you're right-handed, will release the disc high and to the left.

And so to try to fix that, we will try to maintain a level throw from shoulder to shoulder and try to release the disc as flat as possible.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- As flat as possible.

Wow.

All right, I'll give it a try.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- Not bad.

[Deborah laughs] So Deb, as you've made however many throws it's taken you to get close to the basket, you kind of switch to putting.

The person who is furthest away will go first.

- All right.

- And then you'll set your foot behind your lie, and then you'll attempt to toss it or spin it into the basket.

- All right.

- So I'm out at this point, so I'll try to put it in.

- Look at you.

- All right.

- Bingo.

- All right, and so now you're next.

- You're good.

- You put your foot behind the yellow.

- All right.

- And then try to toss it in.

[both laughing] - Diavolo at New Hope Disc Golf is at 2584 New Hope Church Road in Cary.

And it's free and open to the public every day.

For more information, go to carync.gov and look under recreation.