No doubt, disc golf is a growing phenomenon. It’s cheap, fun to play and you don’t need any special equipment. No fancy brand-name shoes, no jersey, clubs, gloves, sticks, skates, balls or bats, rackets or courts, all you need is an ordinary Frisbee to join in.
Adam Mella is a big proponent of the sport. He came before the park board on Tuesday, October 6, asking the city to explore the option of establishing a disc golf course on 10 acres of woods located on the northern side of the Gunflint Hills Golf course.
Before coming to the park board, Mella discussed the idea with Gunflint Hills golf superintendent Paul Jones and Parks Manager Dave Tersteeg. Jones indicated he was open to the idea, as long it didn’t overlap with the traditional golf course.
Disc golf courses exist within the landscape rather than transforming the natural surroundings, said Mella, who built a disc golf course on his property’s five acres.
There are 243 disc golf courses in the state of Minnesota. In the Northland, Duluth has three, Superior, Wisconsin two; Aurora, Babbitt, Chisholm, Virginia, Eveleth and Buhl all have one. Thunder Bay, Ontario, has two.
The initial costs to build a course are minimal, and long-term costs are the same as maintaining a hiking trail, noted Mella. Volunteers often keep the courses up once they are up and running. Upfront costs include buying baskets and signage, plus finding someone to design a nine-hole course.
Ideally, said Mella, no city staff would be needed to build or maintain the course.
Building fairways (hiking paths) could be done by Mella and his friends who also love the game, he added.
The park board agreed to consider the idea further, but before anything can be done, the city council will first review the proposal and decide whether the city wants to take on another project.
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