Right on target

The first full, permanent 18-hole disc golf course in Pittsburg was completed and opened this week in Schlanger Park, just in time for the Pitt Open this weekend.

And the course’s construction was a long time coming, many local disc golfers said.

“I’m glad this was here. All we had was Lincoln Park. That’s a pitch-and-putt course, and it’s only nine holes,” said Dano Craig, Arcadia. “This is more expansive. It’s what Pittsburg needed. They’ve needed it for a long time.”

It wasn’t easy to get to this point, either. Pittsburg Parks and Recreation used two grants to help pay for the course, a $10,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation and a $1,000 grant from LiveWell Crawford County.

“There’s still work to be done,” said Kim Vogel, Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Director. “In the fall, when it slows down a bit, we’ll have the opportunity to come in and finish the course. The ground softening up a bit will help too.”

Pitt Disc Golf founder Kevin Elrod said the new course knows exactly what a course like this can mean for the city and for disc golfers in the area.

For one, it makes a great course to host the third annual Pitt Open, a Tier C tournament for the Professional Disc Golf Association, drawing professionally ranked disc golfers.

“We’re closer to being able to attract the big tournaments. This is something we can hold bigger and larger tournaments for,” Elrod said. “We’ve had club tournaments. Something this grand, down the line, it’ll be more attractive to play. The thing that sets it apart for me is you could go out there, and stand in one spot and watch five or six different holes at one time.”

The 11th-ranked player in the nation was scheduled to come this weekend, but had to back out because of a family illness.

Instead, that will leave the field wide open for a number of challengers, and a number of challenges on the course will await them.

The holes range from 195 to more than 500 yards. Several competitors said that hole 12 is particularly tricky, where the basket is in the thick of trees, and there is only a small alley that allows a shot. Others listed hole 6 or hole 9 are the trickiest or their favorites. But Elrod said he had a particular favorite.

“My favorite is No. 10. The basket sits elevated. My son and I came out and spent about five hours on that. The city gave us the rocks, and we built it. That hole means a lot to me,” Elrod said.

While the course will be tough for even the more experienced disc golfers, it also sets up well for amateurs, or even fun for a family outing. That’s the idea, Vogel said.

“Our first goal is to get a program in the park to get adults active and out here. That will help police the park and it’ll be good to have adults in the park in the evenings,” Vogel said. “It’s a long course, so you get good exercise. It’s accessible even for people with mobility issues. Unlike Lincoln Park, which is pretty hilly, it’s not all flat, but the majority of them are here. So everybody should be able to enjoy it.”

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.