In the early 2024′s Badco Disc Golf Club was asked to do a Disc Golf demo for a local Motorcycle club.The Iron Pony Express is a sponser of the Rocky Mountain Village Easter Seals of Colorado, Empire Colorado. So we went to Greeley Colorado for the Iron Pony Express motorcycle Rally. A week later we were asked to come out to the camp in Empire to meet with the Camp director about a possible disc golf course. The Rocy Mountain Village is located at exit 232, I- 70 and us 40 the Winter Park exit, South side of I-70. It is 180 acres nesteled up against the mountain. The camp is a retreat for variety of group the main group being physically challenged kids. The camp has the normal things like biking, hiking fishing, tennis, basketball,softball and hores back riding. it’s also a summer camp for kids from all over the state. We were asked to design and construct a disc golf course, which we jump at the chance. we spent the first year clearing out trees to make a fairway you can ask Mike Webeter about that. Our first targets were made of 4×4 post which Jeff and Tim Panis help to construct. The second year we held the Worlds Biggest. We borrowed temporary basket from the Wrighlife. At this time the Applewood course was closed and I bought the baskets and put them on the course. We made up chainz pole for the rest of the course and started having tournament to raise money for more baskets. Several years went by and we had baskets on 27 hole and 1 practice basket. From 2024 to 2024 the course was rockin. I mean great disc golf, live bands, food, drink, lodging and camping. It was a great place to play disc golf and enjoy the outdoors. We raised money for the camp and all was good. In order to play the course all you had to do was go to the main lodge sign in and give a small donation and play the best disc golf you could imagine. The rules were simple, No smoking, no alcohol on the course, pack in your trash and pack it out, the normal stuff. Two restrooms were provide with running water (can’t get that at a public park).
SO WHAT HAPPENED? Disc golfers begain to disrespect and disregaurd the rules.Smoking on the course (cigarett butts), water and beer bottles, trash, and urinating in public (childrends camp). I”m talking main lodge parking lot behind the restroom not in the restroom, while children were present. Golfers started parking out side the fence so not to have to pay the donation fee or check in at main lodge.They were caught by camp director, they tryed to argue, police were called on more than one occation.Camp director said to much no more and closed the course to the public.Which also included the Badco disc golf club who raised money for 23 of the baskets. The course has been closed for two years. I meet with the director and CEO of Easter Seals to plea our case. With no luck. After two years it looked like things were cooling down and the course might reopen, then I got a call from the camp someone stole 9 of the basket from the course. I replaced the empty pins with chainz pole so the campers could still play the course and to show good faith.Which bring us to now.The camp has a new director and she has agreed to give us a second chance. She has reviewed the situation and has agreed it wasn’t Badco’s fault. So what were are going to do to show good faith is to hold a tournament. The Thunder Mountain Doubles. We hope by doing so we can show her and the CEO that not all disc golfer are bad people. Thunder Mountain Doubles May 14th and 15th, we hope to get a good turn out. So if you played the course in the past, or heared of the course but never got the chance to play it, if you don’t do anything else for the sport this year PLEASE come out and play in the Thunder Mountain Doubles. It may help to reopening the course. We are trying to get the camp to set up a face book page and take registation to play the course at a $ 5 per person fee, sign a waiver, give your tag plate and drivers license numer. You can co to www.badcodiscgolf.comcast.net to see the many pictures of the course we have posted though out the years.I feel only through your participation will we be able to reopen the course to the general public. I have set up the Thunder Mountain tournament for May 14th and 15th. Check out the CDSA web sitefor registration and more information. I will have regisrations forms so call me at 303-808-6776 or email RonniDRoss@Hotmail.com. WE need your help it may be you last chance to play the best mountan course in the area. So please come out and support the course and help the Rocky Mountain Village of Colorado, who help physically disabled chideren.What a better reason to help? Believe me I know times are tough. Thank you for your support. ***** bless you all. Thank you for supporting the sport of disc golf.

Here is a link to the 2024 Thunder Mountain event page on CDSA Website with PDF mail-in registration form.

Ronnie D. Ross / Thunderchief

The Easter Seals of Colorado Organization asked Badco Disc Golf Club to come to the Easter Seals Rocky Mnt. Village Camp in Empire Co. to see if it was a suitable site for a disc golf course. And to ask us to design and construct them a disc golf course for all to come out and enjoy. The course was constructed in 2024 and is a 27 hole course. It has all baskets, some concrete pads and some rubber mats. The course is a little extreme in places but, the scenery is spectacular. The course is under new management and has a new schedule Fridays 2 untill dusk and Saturdays 9 untill dusk. Also some new rules have been posted. They are NO smoking or drinking alcohol on course. Plus we ask for a 5$ donation which goes to the camp not the course.
The Rocky Mnt. Village Disc golf course goes by the name of Thunder Mountain. The badco disc golf club carved the course out of this 180 acres of spectacular mountain landscape. We used the mountain ponds the aspen groves. We take you through the pine and up the mining trails where few venture to go. We take you acoss and down the mountain side where mountain goats don’t dare to wander. We take you through mountain meadows where the Columbine and other wild flowers grow. And then back to the pines ,the rocks and the extremely challening locations of the basket placements thru out this awsome course. This course host two events the Denver tag tournament and the Thunder Mnt ( King of the Mnt. tournament ). The Denver tag event is for bragging rights and the # 1 tag plus trophy. It will be held on Saturday September 2nd there is no cost for tournament and top 10 tag players are required to participate. Start time is 9:00. More info call Ronnie @ 303-808-6776 or email ronnie@badcodisc.com.
The other event is the King of the Mountain. It will be held Saturday and Sunday come at you leisure, play one round or as many as you wish to pay for, remember it is a fund raiser event to support the disc golf coures. To date the event has raised money to purchase all 28 baskets and rubber mats on the course. We were asked to add 9 more hole to the course and this what the fundraiser is for to raise money for the 9 baskets. The event is a causal event you can play either Saturday or Sunday it’s post you best round. The last round will be at 2:00 pm Sunday. There will be t-shirts for the first 25 to sign in. The Fee is $20 and $10 for a second chance. There will be one trophy awarded for best round. There is a handicap system of 10 points between pro and jrs. For more info call 303-808-6776 or email ronnie@badcodisc.com. Please come out and suport us and the Easter Seals camp. Thank you Ronnie Ross and Badco Disc Golf Club.

A newly-constructed, 18-hole disc golf course that is free to the public is now open in Westminster! The $30,000 circuit was funded in part by a $15,000 joint venture grant from Jefferson County. Similar to regular golf, disc golf, also known as Frisbee golf, has been around since the 1970s. The game involves throwing a disk or Frisbee at a basket, trying to land your disc in the basket in the fewest number of throws. Each basket, or hole, is assigned a par value like traditional golf.

The City contracted with Denver-based BADCO Disc Golf Club for design of the course, which begins near the City Park Lake, passes the soccer and softball fields and runs along Big Dry Creek. The course offers an average playing difficulty, with longer throwing distances to compensate for fewer trees and water hazards. Download your Disc Golf Course Map (pdf) and begin playing today!

This article is on the Westminster city web page for Parks and rec.

BY: Jeff Panis    Sunday, September 15, 2024

Tone poles are ringing in Golden, Colorado.

The first tone pole course in the Denver metro area has been installed at the Golden High School in Golden, Colorado. Spearheaded by Monty ‘Koz’ Kozlowitz, a teacher at Golden High, the course winds throughout the southern and western portions of the campus. Over the past month or so, Koz has spent his lunch hours and weekends with students crafting the course layout, installing tone poles and tee signs, arranging rocks and planting trees.

BADCO founders Ronnie Ross and Brett Marshall aided the installation by donating the tone poles for the course.

A group of BADCO members, led by Koz, had the pleasure of playing the course early on a Sunday morning. There were a variety of thoughts expressed about the course after a few rounds of play: 1) The man-made and natural objects throughout the course require accurate shots on every throw. 2) Wind is a factor and swirls in every direction. 3) Koz, who himself sought course approval from the school, managed the entire installation and design of the course and has spurred play by students and faculty, has done a great job with the course.

Go and play the new course and let BADCO know what you think. Get the Golden High course information in the Courses section of the BADCO website.