On Sept. 5 the disc golf course at Grapevine’s Bear Creek Park closed to make way for the city’s new and first dog park.

The park, located at 3230 S. SH 360, was determined to be the best location for the dog park by parks and recreation staff. The creation of a dog park is a development requested by many Grapevine residents, but to make room for the dog park the city had to remove the disc golf course formerly in the same area. The baskets for the course have all been removed, and parks and recreation staff said the baskets are not for sale.

Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Mitchell said after the dog park is built, staff will evaluate a new location for the disc golf course or if it is possible to insert a partial disc golf course at the same location. Mitchell said that decision depends on feedback from residents.

“The citizen survey is what led to the creation of the dog park at Bear Creek [Park],” Mitchell said in an email. “We are very responsive to the needs and wants of the Grapevine citizens.”

Disc golf is a sport for which players will often drive outside of where they live to play. But even with the potential to lose travelers who may come to play disc golf, Mitchell said the course closing will have no economic impact on the city.

“It was a free disc golf course, and there are no stores or restaurants remotely close to that location,” he said in an email.

The new dog park is set to take up 15 of the 44 acres at Bear Creek Park. At the Sept. 19 Grapevine City Council meeting, shade areas and a splash pad were some of the features council approved for the park. The park will also feature enclosed dog-walking fields and a picnic area. Parks and recreation department staff said the space is there to allow dogs to be leash-free and able to participate in agility training while at the park. City and parks and recreation staff also walked the 15 acres of the area at Bear Creek Park to examine fencing lines and what the city can do to preserve trees in the new dog park area.

Construction on the dog park is scheduled to begin in October with a late spring completion date. After the dog park is finished, parks and recreation staff said the department will bring in local disc golf organizations and subject matter experts to evaluate the area and see what might be brought back as a partial disc golf course. Parks and recreation staff said re-evaluating the space will be the main course of action unless a more ideal location for the disc golf course can be found.