Located in Burnaby, BC, this nine hole practice course at the British Columbia Institute of technology is the ideal spot to hone in on skills and do some safari golf! Although there are not designated tee pads, most locals seem to throw from basket to basket. Although I found a few nice level spots near baskets to tee from, I chose to use the forest and elevation nearby to add to the challenge and overall enjoyment of the area. Holes one through three, along with hole nine, are all near the tennis courts/school where the other five holes has players playing clockwise around the track and field. The baskets are all Mach II and in excellent shape, making it perfect for putting. Each basket has a laminated number attached to the basket as well to help with navigation.

Without using the area surrounding the course to help create some unique layout options this course really has little to offer to the competitive disc golfer. If you are a course bagger like myself, learning the sport, or are just trying to break in some new plastic and/or work on your game, then this is the ideal place. It just important that you know this truly is a practice area and not a course. It must be part of the physical education program here at the institute or was created to give more recreational activities on campus. Either way, it serves a purpose!

As the description says, the baskets were indeed placed in high traffic areas so it is imperative that throwers be on alert when playing to avoid injuries to nearby pedestrians. Especially when throwing near the tennis courts/classrooms.

Parking costs $4.50 which was a bit steep considering it takes maybe 30 minutes to play the area but doing it once wasn't really a big deal. I suggest looking for street parking or planning to stay a couple of hours to practice so you get your money's worth. There is ample parking however and at least the pay machine takes change.

Like the other practice courses I have played over the years, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and yet was still pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed making up my own tee pads allowing for some ace runs as well as some long par fours. Like championship caliber or recreational courses, practice courses have a purpose too in the disc golf world. It allows folks in the community to experience the sport in a casual way without the crowds and aggressive players. It is ideal for families, friends, or even a date. Although I doubt I will be back, I was glad I had the opportunity to play at the BC Institute of Technology.