Turns out that a small town setting is just right for the big throwers in the Sudbury disc golf scene.

Looking to add to the current Sudbury disc golf offerings at Selkirk Park (Lions Club of Sudbury Disc Golf Course - 22 holes) and a family-friendly six hole course at Kivi Park, Nickel City Disc Golf has found a home in Coniston.

Working in tandem with the existing Twin Stacks Golf Course, the group recently unveiled an 18-hole disc course that provides a nice contrast to what already exists.

"Disc golf on ball golf courses has been a growing trend," noted NCDG president Alicia Hums. "We like the long, open fairways. That's where the disc golf game has been evolving. It used to be all tight, technical courses similar to Selkirk."

"We want to throw far and open it up even more."

Two years ago, Joshua Gravelle enjoyed his start in disc golf at Selkirk, just as so many locals have experienced since the venue first opened back in 2009 (completed in 2011).

"I bought two discs, went out and threw some plastic and just loved it," said Gravelle, one of several competitors who were on hand at Twin Stacks a couple of weeks ago for Monday night disc golf play.

"I just found that I was really enjoying the sport, first of all, and I was always outside. It's almost like you're going for a little hike and throwing some frisbees while you're doing it."

Despite being a relative newcomer to the sport, Gravelle echoed the comparison of venues that Hums had shared.

"Selkirk is a bit shorter but more technical," he said. "This course has holes that are long bombs."

And while there are pragmatics that must be sorted out, including avoiding overlapping tee-times for ball golfers and disc golfers, the fact is that there is some allure to the more traditional settings for the new kids on the block.

"One of the appeals of Coniston is that it's a nine hole course," explained Hums. "A disc golf hole is about half a ball golf fairway. Generalizing, you can fit two disc golf holes for every golf ball hole - so we can do the loop of the golf course here to get our full eighteen in."

"We like to go with the flow of the golfers - but a lot of the space that we use is the golf rough," Hums continued. "And we love the trees. We look for those tree shots, those funnels. Where is the gap that we can shoot through."

In many ways, it is the give and take between the two sports that helps make it work for practitioners of both activities.

"In regular golf, you think of the bunkers and the water and you get to bring those elements into play," said Hums. "We try and avoid the golf greens but we like to have the bunkers come into play, to have the water that you have to carry - all of those extra challenges that you would have on a ball golf course."

Though the creation of the Twin Stacks Disc Golf Course was spurred on in part by those avid competitors looking to up their game, course creators recognized that there needed to be a broader appeal in order to continue to grow disc golf in Sudbury.

"The course is designed with long and short tee pads, so for both beginners and experienced players," stated Hums. "Anyone is welcome to come out and play. On Monday nights, we have a league and we run four different divisions of play."

"You don't have to be a member. Just drop in, pay $15 and play."

For more information on Nickel City Disc Golf and the new course in Coniston, visit the group's website at "https://nickelcitydiscgolf.com/"