Below are testimonials from SLV residents and others sharing why they love Black Mouse and yearn for its return. Please take a moment to learn why Black Mouse means so much to so many- and scroll down to see the pictures some shared.
Moving my young family to Felton a few years back was challenging, but it was spending weekends with my son and our new neighbors exploring Black Mouse that I knew we had found home. Playing that beautiful course allowed my son and I to stretch our legs and connect with the natural world, all while giving Mama a much needed breather from the boys.
Please bring back this wonderful course, a place where local Feltonians call home.
What can I say about Black Mouse? I discovered it as it was being constructed whilst out on a run with my SLV cross country team. I immediately started helping and playing multiple rounds a day.
Without Black Mouse, I would not be able to say I’ve played disc golf in 18 countries. I worked for a private pay-to-play course in Ireland. When I lived in San Diego for college, I would make day trips just to play a couple rounds at The Mouse, just to drive directly back. I met a man in England at a tournament who saw my Black Mouse Disc and started telling ME about it!! It’s known worldwide.
It’s home, it’s family, it’s our history, I LOVE THE MOUSE!!
For many people, Black Mouse is one of the best courses around to aid in diabetes and heart health management because of its widely varied elevations between holes. Not everyone likes to go inside a germ-filled gym to get their steps. This course is an awesome benefit to the health of those who play it.
Black Mouse has long been my favorite disc golf course since I started playing about 20 years ago. I grew up in the area, but moved away for my medical training. Throughout medical school and residency, disc golf helped keep me sane. The perfect blend of natural beauty and physical exercise always spoke to me.
Since returning to the area and living in Scotts Valley, I was very disappointed to hear it had closed. I have taken my girls there since they were infants; the eldest is now 6. Black Mouse is the perfect course because it is technical enough for the expert or advanced player, yet short enough that even novice players can enjoy themselves, even without throwing far at all.
I hope the course can return so my family and I can continue to enjoy it and give it the respect it deserved.
Save Black Mouse. Please.
Disc golf at Black Mouse has been the highlight of my week. I was able to take my daughter out there for some awesome father-daughter bonding. Also, it’s great exercise.
My daughter asks me every weekend when we can go to Black Mouse again.
I live in Santa Cruz and work in Scotts Valley. Once I played my first round at Black Mouse, I fell in love with the course.
I started playing in the casual monthly tournaments once I heard about them and gained many new friends. After a short time, I started to help run them and I love doing it. We all miss Black Mouse!
Being a disc golfer from Felton, this was my daily workout Now I have to wade through the crowds at DeLaveaga in Santa Cruz. We need Black Mouse back.
I hear the baskets beckoning
from the forest floor
And every time I answer them
It soothes me to my core
The chains awaiting patiently,
My disc that I will fling
To fill that void of silence
And then to hear them sing
The sweetest song of victory
The anthem of my life;
Letting go of doubtfulness,
Sufferings and strife
Hard reset for my soul
Clean slate for here and now
Disc Golf- you are beautiful
Go ahead and take a bow
Take my boredom, take my talents,
Take my money, take my time
Just promise me that forever
My husband and I started playing disc golf in 2000. We’d heard there was a new course behind our old school so we got a babysitter and had our first official date as parents up there. Got a few cheap discs and left all of our worries behind. Being in those magical woods throwing round circles at chains became the highlight of our week and over the next 20 years we developed quite a bond with our community there.
Getting to see our Black Mouse friends once a week was like getting to see the sun after 6 days of rain. This ritual is the reason we’ve never moved to somewhere more affordable. There’s a hundred and one reasons to move but one reason to stay, and that was Black Mouse. Since its been gone, I’ve felt detached to the very mountains I grew up in and raised my kids in.
I pass my Black Mouse crew on the road or catch a glimpse of them in stores and have to choke back tears. When I drive past SLV, I hear the song, “This used to be my playground” and “nothing compares to you.” It’s hard for me to show up on Instagram because I’m @faithofthemouse but what am I now?
I painted the owl box in the garden by hole 1, the sign on hole 1, made bag tags for years, designed logos for fundraiser discs which were sold in tournaments up there to raise funds for hurting community members to help ease their pain. I hid kindness rocks up there to bring joy to others which brought joy to me.
There is a gigantic hole in my heart where Black Mouse belongs and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help bring it back. The greatest need we all have is just to belong. I found that up there and miss it like nobody’s business.
The hardest part is getting the right people to care so thank you so much for listening to all these words. Chapter book by Faith Green of Brookdale, aka FaithOfTheMouse
My wife and I live in Santa Cruz, and Black Mouse is by far our favorite disc golf course. We enjoy stopping at Rocky’s Café for breakfast before an early round and at the Empire Grill or Cowboy Bar and Grill after later ones.
As retirees in our 60’s, disc golf provides us with an excellent source of low-impact exercise, fresh air, and mental stimulation. And now, our grandkids are getting into it and especially love the redwoods. We can’t wait to play Black Mouse again soon!
Play DiscGolf 