[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend," we'll disc-over the state from Diavolo Disc Golf Course from the New Hope Church Trail head in Cary.

We'll learn how and where to play disc golf, build a trail in the Uwharries, and go paddling on the Nantahala.

Coming up next.

- [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier-island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

- [Announcer] Funding for the North Carolina Year of the Trail Series is provided by... - [Announcer] SECU Foundation, proving how contributions from SECU members can generate the support needed to make a difference across North Carolina in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services.

[upbeat banjo music] ♪ [upbeat banjo music continues] ♪ [upbeat banjo music fades] - Hi, everyone, welcome to "North Carolina Weekend."

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and this week we're at Diavolo Disc Golf Course in Cary.

This course is ranked as one of the top-25 disc golf courses in the world.

Disc golf has really taken off around the state, with over 400 courses from the mountains to the coast.

Now, I'm brand new to this sport, so I'm gonna take a few lessons from one of the co-designers of this course while I'm here.

But first, let's head to Wilkesboro, where Teresa Litschke found a disc golf course that offers tourism along with the fun.

- [Andrew] Well, if you look around, you see a lot of loblolly pines that are part of the main course.

- [Teresa] Hence the name.

It's a partnership between the town of Wilkesboro, its Tourism Development Authority, and the Wilkes County Disc Golf Club.

- The Build for Rolling Pines started in 2014.

- [Teresa] It was completed in 2015.

And the result, 40 beautiful acres, 24 challenging holes, with three tee pads to choose from.

- [Onlooker] Go, go, go.

- If you're brand new to the game, you play the red tees, the shortest ones.

You won't be intimidated by it.

You can see the basket for the most part.

You know right where you're going.

It's not too difficult.

You want a little bit more of a challenge, go back to the whites, and if you really wanna try, go back to the golds.

- In 2023, we were ranked 53rd best disc golf course in the world.

Of those 53, the majority are pay-to-play.

We are actually ranked 17th in the world for free-play format.

- [Teresa] That's right.

The privilege of playing on this beautiful course costs absolutely... - Zero.

[chuckles] - [Teresa] And it's perfect for any age, any skill level, and those with limited mobility.

- [Andrew] I think this course yields itself more accessible than most disc golf courses.

With the road network we have here, we took a lot of care in making sure the approaches and the transitions to the tee pads were as accessible as possible.

The new installation of the red tees is gonna provide a lot shorter of an approach to the goals.

- [Teresa] That's not to say Rolling Pines doesn't attract some of the most serious players.

- Yeah, I think you've got some really tough lines here as far as approaching the goals.

You've got a lot of length.

You've got options.

If you're kind of in between advanced, and, you know, middle of the road, you can choose to go to the gold tees and really test your arm and test your stamina because this course is a very long course.

To play all 24 holes, you're looking at about 2 1/2 to three hours.

So it's a good physical fitness activity, good active living.

- Fresh air, being outside and getting to do something together, can't beat it.

- It's great family fun.

It's wonderful exercise.

It's challenging.

It's just a great overall sport.

It's never the same.

[laughs] - [Teresa] That's helping the course game popularity with competitions.

- It's a pretty high-ranking course in our book.

I'd venture to guess we've probably played it at least 10 times, including playing a tournament here last year.

- It is our goal through working with the TDA and the Wilkes County Disc Golf Club to help them facilitate some A-level tier events.

We've had a couple of B-level tier events and C level over the past couple of years, so our goal is to get to the A level to bring more folks in from outside the community.

- [Teresa] Bringing players to the area isn't a tough sell.

- I would come back to Rolling Pines if it were three to five hours away.

Fortunately for me, it's only an hour.

- It's not uncommon to see people drive up from, I mean, even as far as Raleigh, to play, get a round in in the afternoon or the evening, and then drive back home.

- [Teresa] Wilkesboro has access to so many different outdoor adventures.

Most decide one day just isn't enough.

And Rolling Pines has information about some of these activities right on their tee signs.

- You know, you got Stone Mountain up the road.

You've got the Yadkin River, Kerr Scott.

You can really turn a day visit into a weekend trip if you put the research into it.

- [Teresa] It's obvious by the challenging holes, well-maintained property, and delighted disc golfers that Rolling Pines is one of North Carolina's premier courses.

- This is one of the best ones I've played.

- Love it, we love it.

It's one of my husband's favorites.

- We heard that it was one of the best in the world.

- We're very proud of the comments and the reviews that the public gives us based on the quality of the course.

I think out here, you know, the setting, the location, and all the other experiences you can have within a close proximity really give Rolling Pines the appeal it has.

- Rolling Pines Disc Golf Course is at 1011 Old US 421 Road in Wilkesboro, and it's free and open to the public daily.

To find out more, go to wilkesboronc.org and find their parks and recreation page.

Check out these bands here that were installed to help protect the trees from frequent oncoming discs.

And when you hit 'em, [poll rings] it makes a really cool chiming sound.

Well, now that spring is here, it is time for big adventures.

And if you're west of Asheville, look no further than the Nantahala Outdoor Center, which was founded over 50 years ago, but still delivers big fun.

[relaxing music] - Nantahala Outdoor Center is the leader in outdoor adventure since 1972.

We've been offering whitewater rafting, zip-lining, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and a plethora of other adventures for over 50 years.

Our most visited location is our Bryson City location, which is at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nantahala River.

And here we offer over 100 itineraries of adventure.

We also have on-site lodging.

We have dining and really just everything for everyone.

[relaxing music] - What I love most about this campus in particular is that we're not just a whitewater rafting and zip-lining company, and we do so much more.

Our world-renowned paddling school for whitewater canoe and kayak instruction will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

So we do kayak and canoe instruction for beginners up to advanced boaters.

We do swift-water rescue training and ACA kayak instructor training.

In addition to that, we have our SOLO Southeast Wilderness Medicine School for up to people that are just wanting to explore the outdoors on their own and just wanna know that they have the right training to take care of situations, from wilderness first aid classes up to wilderness emergency medical technician classes.

- River's End Restaurant is open year round.

Anytime of the year, they serve lunch and dinner.

You can drop by after a day on the river, or if you're just passing through enjoying the Nantahala Gorge, the scenery, you can stop in anytime for a great meal.

- Today I'm having the Best Dam Chicken Sandwich named after the Nantahala Dam at the top of the river.

It's really good.

It's got sriracha and honey and some other sauces in there too, so it's definitely good.

- My favorite experience here at NOC is taking my first trip down the Nantahala in a ducky, which is an inflatable kayak.

It's a little more of an exciting trip, and you learn a a lot about the river, the flora and fauna, and you just feel so empowered when you do something like that.

- NOC's main campus on the Nantahala River has been host to many different national and international races and events.

In 2013, we held the Freestyle World Championships, where we had paddlers from all across the world come and visit the wave that we have built specifically for that event.

We've worked with the Nantahala Racing Club to do several downriver and slalom events, and I think it just speaks to how priceless and how timeless the venue here on the Nantahala is.

[intriguing music] - You know, coming to NOC, I just love that everything's right here by the river, that you can watch some of the best kayakers in the world.

You can watch people rafting.

You can go ahead and watch people coming off the trail and then have a beer by the restaurant.

You know, everything is so close to the water here that it's really a fantastic, magical place.

- We have visitors come from all over to our Bryson City campus, but there's so much more to Nantahala Outdoor Center.

We offer whitewater rafting on six different rivers over four states in the southeast, as well as other activities internationally and domestically.

- NOC is definitely for anybody.

We have a product that is age-appropriate, that is skill-appropriate, for anybody who's looking to get outdoors, whether that's a walk on a trail, if it's going on a rental trip, whether on flat water or maybe some whitewater.

And you feel like you've got the skillset to go out there or you wanna develop that skillset, we've got those products.

There's no judgment.

You're gonna have the same experience that anybody else might have.

They're gonna see the same wilderness.

They're gonna see the same resources.

So opening those up for anybody really is a key thing.

- [Kristin] NOC is the perfect spot for a North Carolina summer vacation or weekend away because there is so much to do here.

The views are spectacular, and there's just a magic of this place.

It brings people from all over.

And we see a lot of people that come year after year to share family memories all the way from when they were a child to now bringing their grandkids.

- I think that the Nantahala Gorge is a magical place, and that once somebody visits here, it just holds a place in their heart, and it's someplace that they wanna visit again and again.

Whether they're here just driving through for the day on a Sunday afternoon drive on their way to another vacation destination, or this is their vacation destination, I would say that the majority of people that come through this area, this is not the last time that they will ever come back.

It's some place that, you know, just feels like home.

- The Nantahala Outdoor Center is at 13077 Highway 19 West in Bryson City, and it's open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

To book your adventure, give them a call at 828-785-5082, or check them out online at noc.com.

[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.

Chelsea Goodnight was on a quest to find disc golf and some really good craft beer, and she found both at Good Hops Brewing at Carolina Beach.

- Hello, I'm Chelsea Goodnight with "North Carolina Weekend," and today our story brings us to Carolina Beach.

We're at Good Hops Brewing, the only brewery in North Carolina with its very own disc golf course.

Let's check it out.

[surfing music] [patrons chattering] - Good morning, Fuzz.

- [Richard] Good morning.

- All right, what's going on here today?

- So we're getting ready to do our dippel.

Our water's heated up.

We will be putting the grain into the mash tun, where we're pulling our sugars.

And then we'll end up transferring it over to the boil and start doing our hop additions.

- Dippel, smelling it all ready.

- [Chelsea] While Fuzz puts the finishing touches on the new brew, I'll be getting my downward dog on with his better half, Trish, in the beer garden.

- [Patricia] Good.

We're gonna plant the palms down to the earth, tuck the left one under.

Lift that left side away from you.

And then we'll come off of the fingertips, walk the hands about six inches in front of that right foot.

See if you can lift your left leg off the ground.

- Good Hops, when we came, we knew that we wanted to surround ourselves with people and give people opportunities to work and be a part of their community.

Every Thursday morning, we get up early, and we have a yoga class because right now our yoga studios are not open.

But people want the energy that you get from practicing together that art.

One of the things that Good Hops will tell you over and over and over again, it's not about us.

It's about you.

You don't have to defend who you are when you come here.

You get to come here and be yourself and be your good self.

- With a wide range of weekly events, you won't have a hard time being your good self at Good Hops.

Next, head brewer John Sawyer takes me on a tour of the taps.

All right, Sawyer, so you just delivered these flights.

Where should I start?

- I think we should start with the Donna Golden Ale.

- All right, this one right here.

- [Chris] It's one of our flagship beers.

- Cheers.

- Nice and easy to drink on a hot day.

- Mm, seems like it could be a good partner on the disc golf course.

- Got a little surprise here.

- Yay.

- Georgia on My Mind Peach Jalapeno.

- Fantastic.

- Thank you.

- [Richard] Oh yeah.

- All right.

Ooh, you taste the sweetness right off.

That's delicious.

But I'm gonna have to grab a line from the UNC-TV OG Bob Garner and say it's a bit kicky.

You get the Jalapeno at the end.

It's great.

I mean, right away you're like, "Oh, this is a sweet beer.

This is really nice and really light."

And then at the end, you feel the spice.

It's great - Yeah.

- Yeah, you get that heat, yep.

- I guess this is one of the favorites.

I guess it probably sells out pretty quickly.

- Yeah, had a little stash hidden.

- Thank you.

- Fantastic.

- This special reserve.

- Cheers.

- [Chelsea] There are only a few essential elements to disc golf: discs, baskets, and beer.

Now it's time to rattle some chains.

On paper, Good Hops might just be a brewery, but the truth is it's so much more than that.

It's a place to connect, unwind, find new friends, and discover why the locals call this area Pleasure Island.

But don't take my word for it.

I've been drinking all day.

Come see for yourself.

- Good Hops Brewing is at 811 Harper Avenue in Carolina Beach, and they're open daily at 1:00 pm.

For more information, you can call them at 706-713-1594 or go online to goodhopsbrewing.com.

2023 marks the Year of the Trail in our state, so we're gonna be bringing you all kinds of trail stories in the months ahead.

But have you ever wondered who does the hard work of building and maintaining the trails?

Let's meet the dedicated workers and volunteers of the Uwharrie Trailblazers.

[tranquil music] [water flowing] - I like that the Uwharries are within an hour drive of a lot of us that live in the Piedmont or even in the western part of the state.

For me personally, I like the hiking.

It's beautiful.

It's also a good place for people that are new to backpacking to kind of get their feet wet.

[gentle upbeat music] - I did the Three Rivers Land Trust Thru Hike last April.

Some of the trail crew were there working, and it was like, oh, like, this isn't just here.

Like, people maintain it, [laughs] and people have made it so accessible and take care of it.

And honestly, joining the Trailblazers was another excuse to go camping once a month, but also I've met some really amazing people.

So I'm out with my friend Robin.

It's her first time today.

It's a great place to introduce people to being outside because it is accessible.

There's a lot of water sources, and it's a great place to test out gear and just kind of get away for a night or a weekend without having to drive super far.

- [Steve] No, it's gonna be decades, probably.

- So great.

Having these national forests and these places that we can go and be in the outside and really take it all in is such a beautiful gift.

And so, oh, I get teared up.

So it's just so lovely that we can come in and really help out and contribute back to the community and the people who came before.

This was the first time I got to like get on a cross saw and be part of a team doing that.

So that was really fun.

- I work with kids outdoors, so we do a lot of work, you know, primitive skills.

We do wood crafting and things like that.

And so joining the saw crew was kind of a natural extension for me to work with more cutting tools.

- Keep 'em up here.

- It'll still rise, yeah.

- It'll still go?

- And your hands will go lower.

- [Kathryn] Okay, cool.

So pull towards you.

- As other volunteers kind of move through, they get to learn the things that I was learning, you know, eight months ago, a year ago.

It's just a great experience even for them, even for me, whether it's the teaching part or the learning part.

You know, I enjoy both of 'em immensely, so, and I still got a lot to learn.

- [Steve] You can let that go if you have to and move, and Kathryn will hold the saw.

- They're so knowledgeable and can tell us like all the things.

They just look at it and know what's going on.

- [exhales] Oh, ready Matt?

- Yep - Aye.

- We ran up on one, and it was so daunting, and it felt like it was so big, and they were like, "Nope, we just put it all together and make it happen."

And so I really feel accomplished.

I feel like I did something today.

You know, I went for a beautiful hike, but I also did something.

So that feels really, really good.

- [Steve] Watch yourself.

Nice.

- Excellent.

- Nice.

- [Steve] Yeah.

- Whoo-hoo.

- Okay.

You don't have to be in the White Mountains of Hampshire or in the Tetons.

You can enjoy a hike out here almost to the same extent.

It's just beautiful, and it changes all year round.

[volunteers chattering] - The generation before us that worked on conservation and land management, and so a big thank you to the Boy Scouts and Three Rivers Land Trust for all of the work they have done to protect these woods because it could all have been logged and be subdevelopments.

- To volunteer on a Uwharrie trail-building day, go to uwharrietrailblazers.org.

And to find out more about the Year of the Trail, go to greattrailsnc.com.

All right, I made it.

We had a great time out here at Diavolo Disc Golf in Cary, and if you've missed anything in today's show, just remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org.

Have a great North Carolina weekend, everyone.

[upbeat music] ♪ [upbeat music continues] ♪ [upbeat music continues] ♪ [upbeat music continues] ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

- [Announcer] Funding for the North Carolina Year of the Trail Series is provided by... - [Announcer] SECU Foundation, proving how contributions from SECU members can generate the support needed to make a difference across North Carolina in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services.

[piano outtro]