Flying Disc Company

When Tony Waldron and his wife Gillian began searching in 2018 for a “country retreat” as a weekend escape from their busy lives, they had no idea how the road ahead of them would unfold, but sometimes the best trips of our lives are the ones we never saw coming. In particular, the Waldrons were hoping to find land with some sort of water feature and a good location for a tiny home. Being an avid online scavenger, Tony came across a promising find in Caswell County, listed as an equestrian farm with a “dilapidated rural hangout.” With a cabin already on site, as well as a pond, Gillian and Tony were excited to see the property. What they found was nothing close to a horse farm, but in the end, exactly what they never knew they needed.

Back to Life

In Tony’s words, “It was pretty rundown, there were trees encroaching on all sides of the cabin, chinking eroding and water damage, which probably scared other potential buyers away.” But what others saw as insurmountable odds, Tony and Gillian saw as a challenge with great potential and looked forward to salvaging the old buildings on the land that they believed deserved a second life. In their mind, it wouldn’t be “that much work.” While that sentiment didn’t exactly prove to be true, they now realize the hard work was worth the effort. They’ve cut trees down and used them to repair the building, with the goal of keeping it as true to its original build as possible. After five years of work, Tony says it finally looked good enough to turn it into a business, and what a business it’s become.

Change of Plans

When Tony and Gillian originally purchased the land and building, they didn’t have any plans of making it a business. Then Covid hit and their world changed. As a clinical research associate at Duke University Hospital, Tony’s job took him all over the world, demanded every waking hour, and included fielding 260 emails a day. While working on the cabin as much as possible and finding solace in the quiet of their newly acquired property, Tony and Gillian realized they had an opportunity to do something different and decided to convert their purchase into a business.

In August of 2021, Tony left his career and began to pour all of his effort into building what is now Flying Disc Company (FDC). Originally, it began as a wedding venue, but Covid squelched that quickly. When the Waldrons went to get an ABC permit for the wedding business, they decided they would be better served to use that license for more than one day a week, and that’s where the idea of a tap room was born for the clubhouse. Even that was still some cause for concern; realizing Caswell County was not asking for that singular type of business, they went back to the drawing board.

Refining a Business Idea

Since the age of 17, Tony has been a disc golfer. During the pandemic, the sport’s popularity exploded as a means of giving people something to do outside that didn’t a lot of money – free in public parks – and in 2020, a pro-tour golfer hit a hole-in-one “Holy Shot” that went down in the
SportsCenter Top 10, giving the sport worldwide recognition. Understanding the sport intimately, Tony knew people would travel long distances to play at a good course.

Having just over 11 acres, he thought he could squeeze a disc golf course onto his property, and he knew that because of the beauty of the terrain, it could be one of the nicest private courses in the country. According to Tony, “Most public courses are not crafted well; they are just an afterthought by public towns.” He knew by making this his full-time job, he would be able to create something special, even with limited resources and no business loans. Centrally located within 60 miles of major cities like Lynchburg, Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh, it made sense that people would travel for day trips to use the course.

Grand Opening

Flying Disc Company officially opened its doors in June 2023, with people waiting in the parking lot at 10 a.m. for the Grand Opening – and that same scene has repeated itself almost every Saturday since. Tony says 40 to 50 percent of their customers are visiting from outside Caswell County, and others in the county have made FDC their regular weekend hangout. With its family-friendly atmosphere, it’s a great place for adults and children alike to not only play disc golf, but for kids to enjoy the playground and adults to hang out on the clubhouse front porch and enjoy a craft beer, handmade non-alcoholic fountain drink, or a snack together.

Tony’s first job was as a soda jerk in Burlington, and he prides himself on making the best around. I can personally attest to this, having enjoyed one when I visited. There’s truly something for everyone here, whether you decide to try your hand at disc golf or not. Tony promises me that disc golf is fun and easy to learn, even if you’ve never played it, and a great way to spend time with people you enjoy.

A Little History

At the heart of FDC is the cabin that has officially been dubbed “the clubhouse.” Locals over a certain age (I’ll leave that to your discretion) may have fond memories of this location. The original birthdate of the building is etched in stone on the front step:  May 4, 1936. There is also a backward Y and a backward 4. Tony isn’t exactly sure what those stand for, but the mystery makes it all the more intriguing.

Originally built as a WPA project under the Roosevelt administration, it was a town hall, but was quickly sold in 1941 because the town couldn’t afford to maintain the property. From that time until 2006, the property belonged to the Rotary Club, and it was their pride and joy. From club meetings to any type of celebration, the cabin was often hopping on weekends.

As one of, if not the only, local buildings used for public engagements, it was a popular gathering space for chaperoned school dances, weddings, birthday parties, and private and public meetings alike. A band played every Friday night, and a local band called the Circuit Riders played regularly from the late 1960s to early ‘70s. From 2006  until the Waldrons purchased it in 2018, the building was abandoned and began to fall into disrepair.

Tony says they have found all kinds of relics in the woods and by the creek that were left over from parties. He explained that they’ve found, “Glass bottles, wedding cake toppers, farm equipment, tractor parts, plates, dishes, really kind of like a treasure hunt that makes you angry and then you find something perfectly preserved to make up for it.” Since they are asking their customers to come in and use their beautiful woods, they are on a constant mission to clean up the property and make it safe and usable for the future.

Flying Discs

If you’re interested in playing, FDC offers several types of tournaments. With regular weekend tournaments, from singles to random doubles where you will be partnered with someone else. Every Saturday at noon, there is the High Noon Tournament, with Captain’s Choice. It only costs $5 to play and if you spend $5 in the clubhouse, you can play for free. The Waldrons’ goal is to get you to play and enjoy the sport and the property, which is why the entry fee is so low.

Tony says the original deed to the building stated that “as long as water flows and grass grows the building would be used for the community,” and he and his wife have vowed the same. In addition to their weekend hours, the property is available for rental Monday-Thursday at $100 per hour with a three-hour minimum. It’s used regularly for private business meetings, retreats, and bands can use it as a recording space. Private events aren’t allowed on weekends, due to people driving distances to play on the disc golf course.

Keeping It Local

The taproom in the clubhouse features 11 craft beers on draft, all from other small businesses. Tony and Gillian think it’s important to keep their money from going to large corporations and they want to support other small business owners like themselves. They also have 50 bottle and can options from micro-breweries, as well as 10 different homemade soda options from fresh-squeezed juices. You can also take home your favorite four or six packs of drinks. If you get hungry, they offer snacks and are working on getting their food license to be able to offer a larger selection, like hot dogs, Frito pies, and pepperoni rolls in the near future.

Future Plans

Their current 18-hole course has two tee pads on each disc golf hole depending on skill level, and an infinite number of layouts for playing. There are also plans to expand the course; they are currently building tee pads for the newly opened back nine.

Plans for the property also include building hiking trails as an addition to adjacent county trails already in existence. The trail currently starts behind Yoder’s Country Market, connects to the FDC property, and goes to the Caswell County Senior Center. A grant made possible the rebuilding of 15 wooden bridges along the trail and those are about 40 percent complete. This will be an ongoing project and an amazing opportunity for the community.

The Waldrons also plan to expand their site for overnight accommodations.

Tony and Gillian truly hope everyone that visits their location feels welcome, and they love to see families and friends enjoy time together on site.  Dogs are also welcome, as long as they are on a leash. Run, don’t walk, to come visit this true Caswell gem!

515 Club House Rd
Blanch, NC 27212
[email protected]
(336) 933-1907
www.FlyingDiscBeer.com
** Despite the Blanch mailing address, we are in fact located in Yanceyville! **