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Several years ago, an effort was made to establish a disc golf course in the county. The main site looked at was the Gunflint Hills golf course—or, shall I say, the periphery of the Gunflint Hills Golf Course. After some thought, it was decided it wouldn’t work, and the idea was put on the shelf. However, a core group of disc golf enthusiasts have been meeting online to discuss once again creating a disc golf course in the county.
Taking the disc and running with it sort of speak are Andrew Beaver and Peter Mott who appeared at the Tuesday, April 25 Cook County Commissioner’s meeting. Mott and Beavers proposed making a disc golf course on county-owned land during the opening public comment period.
Beavers told commissioners he had played disc golf for more than 20 years. He touted disc golf as a low-impact sport accessible to anyone who wanted to play, noting that 90 percent of disc golf courses were free to play and the cost of purchasing discs was minimal.
In 2022 Beavers said that in the U.S. 4.3 disc golf courses were opened each day, and 9,465 disc golf courses are now spread across the country. He told commissioners that a diverse group of people across the county enthusiastically hopes a course can be made here.
Peter Mott asked commissioners to consider letting the new disc golf group use a portion of the old Devil Track airstrip. He noted that other user groups were involved with that land, but he said he felt the disc golf group could work with them.
To do this, the commissioners would have to alter the Master Plan for the former airstrip land, but both Mott and Beavers said if the commissioners backed the plan, it could work.
Beavers said he hoped a course could be made this summer at the former Devil Track Airport site.
So, what the heck is disc golf?
According to urban legend, disc golf evolved from people caught up in the Frisbee craze. According to the Disc Golf League (DGA), “The game started with people using Frisbees and aiming at targets made up of trees, trash cans, light poles, pipes, and whatever was handy.”
The DGA started in 1976 and sanctions leagues for $25, and leagues, should Cook County get involved, are often formed by random draws.
How do you play?
Instead of using golf clubs and golf balls, players throw a disc at a basket. Each throw counts as a stroke, and the hole is finished when the disc comes to rest in the basket.
Just like in regular golf, there are fairways. Fairway throws must be made behind the lie with a normal run-up and release allowed unless the lie is within 10 meters of the basket (hole).
A Mandatory, or mando, means that one or more trees or poles have been designated in the fairway and must be passed on one side or the other as indicated by an arrow. If the thrown disc fails to cross on the correct side of the pole, a player must resume from the previous lie or a marked drop zone area and add a one-throw penalty. Penalties can be incurred from a disc landing higher than two meters off the ground.
Rules also consider out-of-bounds throws, water hazards, public roads, etc.
There are birdies and eagles, roughs, hazards, pin high, rules to allow play through, and terms shared with regular golf. But then there is a slew of terms only disc golfers use. Some of those are knee knockers, making minis, nomez, noodle arm, paper plate, sky roller, worm burner, flippy, death-putt, phantom branch, puddle top, and hey, disc golf even has its anthem, Rocking the Brock by Unique Syntax.
Beavers discussed how disc golf fits Cook County’s natural surroundings and outdoor theme.
Now it will be up to the commissioners to see if they will make this an agenda item and discuss it further. Beaver said he hopes a course can be up in time to play sometime this summer.
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