Rosskopf Monte Cavallo disc golf course 2

During my holiday in Trentino Alto Adige I went to Rosskopf Monte Cavallo disc golf course in Vipiteno, right on the border with Austria. Before a quick review of the course, here’s what I found out about this project by talking to Philipp who works for the company that runs the lifts.

I: When was the course started and how did you get to know about disc golf? What convinced you to invest in a disc golf course for the summer time?

P: In 2013. It was not expensive and we were able to co-finance through sponsors.

I: Is it true that access to the course is free for those arriving at the ski lift station?

P: Yes, to play disc golf you only pay the deposit for the frisbee, certainly those who want to get to the starting point of the route must have the ticket for the lift. The Montecavallo road is not open to the public.

I: What do your guests say about the 18-hole course? What are its attractions ?

P: Unfortunately, the disc golf game is not known at all in South Tyrol. We got suggestions from the president of the Austrian disc golf association. When we play with the guests, most of them are surprised at how enjoyable it is.

I: Is this initiative giving you satisfaction? Who comes to play the “Rosskopf Monte Cavallo course”?

P: There was not a big expense from the economic point of view. Yet unfortunately there is a lack of acceptance of the game by the majority of people which in turn is not very promoted very much by ours collaborators and partners.

I: What would you say to another tourist entrepreneur of other ski resorts like yours, who is interested in creating a golf course?

P: Montecavallo in the summer is a mountain suitable for free time activities, with no risks for its environment. Each ski resort must see if this game could be suitable for them.

I thank Philipp and I go to play …

From the center of Vipiteno you take the Brennero state road towards the border and after a few miles you will find the Rosskopf Monte Cavallo valley station. With the lift, it reaches 1860 meters above sea level, and touches 2000 meters with the chairlift. At the mountain station, you can get a scorecard with a map of the course and borrow the discs if you do not have any (leaving a deposit). As soon as you get off the chairlift,you can find the tee of hole 1. As a general guide, I recommend trekking shoes that support the ankle because you walk often across the slope in the middle of the blueberry bushes, suncream on clear days (there is no shade at all), and a small water supply. Talking about discs, leave your tournament bag and choose “easy mode” with a couple of more or less stable putters and approaches, a midrange and, if you really want, a fairway driver for the few uphill throws. However, keep in mind that you could find wind …

Before describing the holes a bit, I will tell you that in general what is waiting for you is a course of only PAR 3 with 18 baskets (all Innova Discatcher!). It is not a loop course, but it is played downhill from the arrival to the departure of the chairlift. The 18 tees are made of rubber and are more than adequate. Signage is good with well-readable signs that also report the rules of the game; This should not be surprising because the course is especially designed for tourists who can find in the summer an alternative way of spending some hours with friends or family. Nevertheless even an experienced player finds in Rosskopf Monte Cavallo everything he needs for a stimulating and entertaining game. The distance of the holes is in fact limited on average, but slopes and air currents, which can change at any time of the day, add enough to make the game interesting. The pro players, I’m sure, will enjoy the panorama and try to ace every hole…

The path begins in a somewhat repetitive way, in the sense that the first holes are pretty similar. From 1 to 10 you get zigzag from right to left of the chairlift along the ski slope. The distances range from 50 to 88 meters, while the drop (unpublished) always varies from “slight uphill” to “discreet downhill”. You will find it particularly useful to alternate sidearm to backhand to have the fade against the slope and not the valley!

From 11 to 16 we find the “red” holes: those declared as difficult. In fact we finally find serious uphill shots and some blind holes though fairly short. In addition hazelnut and pine trees could make life more difficult for those who move away from the fairway.

Hole number 17 is really short and straight with the peculiarity of some rope games placed just in front of the basket (I had to pass over some kids with my putt, but it was fun!). Hole 18 is again uphill and with an insidious slope if you attack it with a backhand throw.

Finally: I had a lot of fun and I’m very grateful to those who run these facilities and have done it with care and expertise. I can’t wait to go back with friends for a casual round (of course, more than one!). You can find references and contacts on our “where to play” page.