Jonah Girard, Brandon Deuel and Brady Esquibel take aim at one of the holes in the new disc golf course at West Park in Guernsey. The course is in the final stages of completion and will offer something new to do for all ages.

Bruce Heimbuck

Contributing writer

The new nine-hole disc golf course in West Park is now a reality with all nine holes (baskets) in place and just a few more things to be done for final completion. The new course comes in at just under 2900 feet with one short hole of 210 feet and several much closer to 400 feet. The course is par three except for several longer holes at par four. Par and distance will be posted on the tee signs. Trees, the street and the river also add some obstacles that make the course more interesting. Disc golf can be played year-round.

Three tee boxes have been completed and the other six will be completed in the near future. The tee signs and sponsor signs will also be added in the next few weeks. The course lays out well starting and finishing near the parking area in West Park. Holes one and two head to the south. Golfers then come back to three heading north and four going south along the west edge of the park. Holes five, six and seven head north and holes eight and nine bring you back to the parking lot. Tee signs will help know which basket you are throwing at and show you a few of the obstacles in the fairway. A formal grand opening is being planned for the near future when all the work is done. The Professional Disc Golf Association listed all the courses in the county and the Guernsey course will be listed there soon so people can see we have a course and come and play a round or two.

The course was funded by Community Gas donations that the town had earmarked for improvements to West Park and also by sponsors for six of the baskets. Signs will be placed on each hole to recognize the sponsor of the hole. The town also placed three picnic tables in the park so there is a place to sit and relax during your round of disc golf.

The Disc Golf Association say that disc golf is an incredibly addictive game that can be played by anyone who can throw a disc. The sport provides a fun and challenging outdoor activity that tests a player’s mental skills of concentration, focus and patience. Disc golf is becoming popular in elementary schools, junior highs, high schools and college campuses as well with older adults that enjoy the outdoors. Disc Golf provides a low-impact exercise that requires focus on mental strategy and provides an avenue for people of every skill level to play together. Several adults in the community have played disc golf in other communities and are pleased to see it coming to Guernsey. Bob Tuck has played in the area as well as in Arizona in the winter. When walking the course, he comments that he had read about the course in the paper and thought that it would be very narrow, but upon seeing it first hand, he noted that it looked great and he was anxious to play it. Dan McCabe has also played a bit of disc golf and is looking forward to having a course close by so he can get a little exercise and have a bit of fun.

While regular Frisbees may be used, special disc golf discs make play even more interesting and competitive. Disc golf discs are available at Register Cliff Pharmacy if you want to get them in town. You may also find them on the internet and stores in the area. Plan on stopping by to try your hand at a round or two and see if you get the disc golf bug.