At the end of June, we packed up and headed to Steinhatchee, Florida, for some family time and one of the things this little Gulf Coast town is known for—scallop season!
Disc golf wasn’t really part of the plan. But apparently, we don’t know how to travel anymore without eventually asking, “Is there a disc golf course around here?” 😂 Turns out there was. But first, we had some scallops to find.
Scallop Season in Steinhatchee 🤿
If you’ve never been scalloping, think of it like an underwater treasure hunt. You take the boat out, find a good spot, jump in and start searching through the seagrass for scallops.
I’m getting better at it every year, but getting comfortable in the water is still the hardest part for me. I’m not a big fan of anything covering my face or making my breathing feel restricted, so snorkeling and diving take me a little time to get used to. Every year starts with me reminding myself, Okay, Quita. You can breathe. Put your face in the water. 😂
But every year, I get a little better. This time I actually got comfortable enough to dive down and grab scallops myself! And here’s the funny part: once I get past those first few nervous minutes, good luck getting me OUT of the water.
There’s something so satisfying about spotting a scallop hiding in the grass, diving down, grabbing it and coming back up like you just discovered buried treasure. Got one! 🙌🏽 Then you’re immediately looking for another.
We spent time out on the boat, scalloping, laughing and hanging with family and friends. Honestly, that would’ve been enough to make it a great trip.
Then somebody checked for nearby disc golf courses.
Of course we did. 😂
Wait… Steinhatchee Has Disc Golf?! 🥏
That’s when we discovered Stingray’s DGC, a newer nine-hole disc golf course in Steinhatchee established in 2025. It’s free to play and has both short and long tee options.
Obviously, we had to check it out. At least that’s what we thought…until we pulled up. 😂
It was HOT. I’m talking Florida-summer, sun-beating-down, where-is-the-shade?! hot. 🥵☀️ The first part of the course is pretty wide open, which normally means plenty of room to let your discs fly. That day? All we saw was a whole lot of sunshine.
We looked at the field, looked at each other and basically had the same thought:
Do we REALLY love disc golf this much?
Apparently, yes.
We grabbed the discs.
Nine Holes. We Can Do Nine.
Stingray’s turned out to be perfect for the kind of round we wanted. It’s not an intimidating course. You get plenty of open space to throw during the first part, and the last few holes get shorter with a few more obstacles coming into play.
If you’re newer to disc golf or just looking for a casual vacation round, I think that’s part of its charm. For us, the mission was simple: play nine, throw some good shots, make a few putts, drink plenty of water and try not to melt. 😂
And I’m glad we played.
Finding courses like this has become one of my favorite parts of traveling. Sometimes disc golf is the reason for the trip. Other times we’re visiting family, exploring somewhere new or doing something completely unrelated…and somehow the discs still make it out of the car.
This time, that decision gave us one more story to tell.
Because Trey got an ace.
Well…maybe. 👀
Disc Golfers, We Need a Ruling 😂
Trey threw his original shot and then grabbed another disc. You know the throw: “Let me try something real quick.”
He lets it go. We’re watching. It’s looking GOOD.
CHAINS. Straight into the basket. 🚨
I’m calling ACE!
Trey immediately says, “That doesn’t count.” His argument? It wasn’t his actual first throw.
Okay. Technically, I understand. 😂 It’s obviously not going on the scorecard as a one. BUT COME ON. You stood on the tee and threw a disc directly into the basket! I’m at least giving the man an honorary ace.
Trey refuses to claim it, so I’m bringing this one to the disc golf community:
If your second throw from the tee goes straight into the basket, are you calling it an ace—or is it first throw or it doesn’t count?
Let us know in the comments because apparently, we need an official ruling. 😂
If You’re Planning a Steinhatchee Adventure
One thing this trip taught me is that scalloping AND disc golf in the Florida summer requires some preparation. If I were packing for this trip again, I’d make sure we had a comfortable snorkel and mask, mesh scallop bag, water shoes, sunscreen, insulated water bottles and cooling towels.
Especially the cooling towels. Stingray’s had me wishing I had one wrapped around my entire body. 😂
A few things I’d pack again:
- Snorkel and comfortable mask
- Mesh scallop bag
- Water shoes
- Reef-friendly sunscreen
- Insulated water bottle
- Cooling towels
- A small disc golf bag with just the discs you actually need
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Another Adventure for the Books ❤️
That’s what I loved most about this trip. We didn’t go to Steinhatchee for disc golf. We went for family and scalloping. I pushed myself a little further in the water and got better at something that doesn’t always come naturally to me.
Then we randomly discovered a disc golf course and decided that, yes, apparently we DO love this sport enough to walk around a wide-open field under the Florida summer sun. 😂
Scallops. Family. Disc golf. And one questionable ace.
I’d say that was a pretty good trip.
If you’re headed to Steinhatchee for scallop season and you’ve got some discs in the car, give Stingray’s DGC a throw. Bring plenty of water, bring sunscreen…and maybe wait for a cloud. 😂☀️🥏
And if you enjoy following along as we find new courses, travel with the family and see where the Disc Golf Bug takes us next, subscribe to the blog and come along for the next adventure.
Until the next one,
Disc Golf Bug 🐞🥏
P.S. I’m still counting Trey’s ace. 😂 What do YOU say?
