- [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.