'We finally figured it out.' Freeport brewery providing one-of-a-kind fun for customers
For nine years, Generations Brewery has wanted to do something with their 21-acre property to complement the farmland, beehives and wildflower fields on the land. Last month, the “perfect” complement to their business finally opened.
“We always imagined doing something great with it,” said Steven Winter, co-manager of Generations Brewery. “We had the potential to do anything with it. It took us nine years, but we finally figured it out.”
Tons of ideas were passed around, including planting a marijuana field or installing a solar farm, but the team settled on disc golf.
In disc golf, players throw a disc at a target using similar rules to golf. It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country that can be played by people of all ages and abilities, which made it a great fit for the brewery.
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“It’s like any recreational sport. It’s good to get out and spend time in nature,” Steven said.
Steven and Mark Winter, co-managers of Generations Brewery, 1400 S. Adams Ave., finally settled on disc golf in early 2023. In less than six months, the course at Generations Brewery was up and running, thanks to help from two community organizations: the Pretzel City Disc Golf Club and the M.A.D Men.
The Pretzel City Disc Golf Club took the lead in designing and installing the course, using baskets donated by Highland Community College, which recently upgraded its course. M.A.D Men cleared the land.
The course is a pocket course, the only pocket course in Freeport, which consists of 12 holes all of which are par 3, and takes about 40 minutes to play. The holes range in difficulty to appeal to beginners and experts.
Before playing, disc golfers scan a QR code that opens UDisk, a free app that tracks scores, shows the layout of the course, and logs throws. So far, more than 100 rounds have been played on the Generations Brewery course, according to UDisk.
The course already has attracted players from Wisconsin and Michigan.
The response from the community has been “nothing but compliments,” according to Steven Winter.
“All of this is our adventure, but beer is the main focus. It’s just such a great melding of two awesome things,” Winter said.
“Before they play or after, they can stop in and see our beautiful taproom and taste our delicious beers,” Mark Winter said. “That’s the draw.”
Generations Brewery is the only brewery in Illinois with a disc golf course and one of a handful in the country with a course.
Disc golf at Generations Brewery is free to play and open from dawn to dusk. Players can bring their own sets, rent them from inside the Brewery, or grab one from a lost-and-found box.
For more information on disc golf and other events hosted by Generations, visit their Facebook page.
Jena Kleindl is a freelance correspondent.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Freeport's Generations Brewery adds disc golf course to property
