At its Nov. 13 meeting, City Council approved the fees for renting out the future course, one of the final steps before it opens in the recently renovated Breckinridge Park.
“I'm happy that we have one more [amenity] option in our city,” Mayor Pro Tem Arefin Shamsul said at the meeting.
In a nutshell
The park was one of three considered in the city. Chosen for its amenities, space and minimal environmental impact, it will soon be home to an 18-basket disc golf course, set to soft open around the Thanksgiving holiday, according to a presentation by newly appointed Parks and Recreation Director Yvonne Falgout.
Designed by Eric McCabe, a Professional Disc Golf Association world champion, the 35-acre course will feature baskets of par 3 to par 4 that range from 175-728 feet. Work began on the project in August, after city approval and hosting multiple tournaments at a temporary site at Breckinridge over the past three years, Falgout said..
“If you hire the right consultant, that name recognition helps promote your course as well,” Falgout said at the meeting. “People will travel because of who your builder is, and we’re fortunate enough to get a consultant who is highly reputable and very well known in the industry.”
What you need to know
The new course will be open to the public from sunrise to sunset seven days per week. In the first year, city staff plans to host at least three tournament-style events and rent out the course and two existing pavilions at the park for $250 for a five-hour period. However, in order to determine engagement and to keep the course open for players, city staff plans only allow five resident-only rentals in the first year.
“We want to allow for limited course rentals because we want to be cautious of not taking the course offline too frequently,” Falgout said. “We want to make sure during those peak hours that general users have the opportunity to play the course.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is currently planned for Jan. 6.
What to expect
Expected revenue—at $250 per rental slot—for the city in the first year is only $1,250. Funding for the project, one of those identified in the City Council’s goals that were recently passed, is expected to cost around $32,000, which includes the placement of tee boxes, baskets and signage around the park indicating the direction of play and providing safety awareness to other park users.
After opening the course, the parks and recreation department plans to host programming to boost awareness of the sport in the city, along with teaching fundamentals and etiquette, Falgout said at the meeting.
“The play is very sportsman-like and very courteous. ... That's one of the great things about disc golf players,” Falgout said.
