The Palestine Herald, Palestine, Texas

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May 17, 2012

City OKs 27-hole disc golf course at Greens Park

By PAUL STONE Palestine Herald-Press

PALESTINE — Outdoor enthusiasts could be playing disc golf at Greens Park before the end of summer following Monday’s meeting of the Palestine City Council.

After hearing a presentation by City Parks Director Roy Crouch, the board unanimously approved installing a 27-hole disc golf course at Greens Park.

Crouch explained the course would actually consist of nine holes with each hole having three sets of tee boxes to give players 27 holes.

The project’s total cost will be approximately $15,700 and will be funded through local businesses or individuals each paying $1,745 to sponsor a hole, according to Crouch.

The city’s park director said four of the nine holes already had commitments from sponsors.

“We’ll put a signature sign at each hole they sponsor,” Crouch said.

The course will include 27 “tee boxes” which will be 5 feet-by-12 feet with 4-inch thick concrete, according to Crouch.

According to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s web site, the game is played much like traditional golf.

“Instead of balls and clubs, however, players use a flying disc or Frisbee,” according to the PDGA’s web site. “...A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the “hole.” The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is called a Pole Hole, an elevated metal basket.”

The baskets at Greens Park will be steel welded, according to Crouch.

There will be park benches and trash cans on odd-numbered holes, he added.

Disc golf is relatively inexpensive to play, with discs ranging in cost from $8 to $15 each, Crouch said. Some players carry only one or two discs, while more advanced players may have several dozen, he indicated.

Palestine residents would be able to play disc golf at Greens Park at no cost, according to the parks director.

Crouch said the addition of a disc golf course covering 11 or 12 acres at Greens Park will “take some of the pressure off of Reagan Park,” plus it could help alleviate potential criminal activity.

“The more people that use that park,” Crouch said, “the less time that criminal element is in the park.”

Ongoing maintenance costs will be minimal, according to the parks director.

“Basically, it just comes down to us mowing, weed eating and picking up litter,” Crouch said.

Tyler and Nacogdoches both have multiple courses, while Canton and Athens are among other East Texas towns with courses, according to Paul King, a local disc golfer who attended Monday’s meeting.

Crouch said the course could be up and running within six to 10 weeks. Once the disc golf community learns of the new course, he envisions players coming from all over the area to experience Greens Park.

The course could ultimately promote Palestine through sports and help fill the city’s hotels, he stated.

“If we create some two-day tournaments,” Crouch told council members, “we create some heads in beds there.”



Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

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