Disc golf course opens at Beach City Dam
Bill Griffith, left, course designer, is joined by Col. Jayson Putnam and Hunter Simmons of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Linda Chen of the Stark County Audubon Society in a ceremonial disc toss to officially open the Beach City Dam Disc Golf Course.
On Monday, Sept. 23, a ribbon-cutting ceremony heralded the public opening of a disc golf course at the Beach City Dam. Designed by Bill Griffith and Dan Kilgore of Design Experience and Hacker ‘n Hyzer, the 18-basket course is one of many projects brought to life by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Handshake Program.
According to Col. Jayson Putnam, the Corps’ Handshake Program has awarded more than $3.6 million in grants to fund projects that engage local communities in worthwhile projects on public land since its inception in 2004.
Putnam said those projects include trails, wildlife habitats, wetland creation and other ventures that help the Corps accomplish mission objectives ranging from wildlife protection to recreational opportunities.
Putnam addressed an audience that included Corps officials, representatives of the Stark County Professional Disc Golf Association, volunteers and a number of partners who were instrumental in developing the course. Putnam thanked the partners who made the new course possible: Rural Action, the Stark County Disc Golf Association, Design Experience, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, Tuscarawas County Disc Golf Association, Canton Audubon Society, RaceBrimstone, Ohio Bluebird Society and Hammer Sports Relics.
Disc golf is a sport that began in California in the 1970s. Like pickleball, disc golf is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and new courses seem to be popping up everywhere.
What is disc golf?
Similar to golf, disc golf is played on courses featuring nine or 18 holes, which are actually buckets designed to catch Frisbee-style discs. Players compete by tossing a disc from a tee pad toward a basket, then throwing it again from where the previous throw landed until the basket is reached. The player with the lowest score wins.
Most courses are built in natural environments that require minimal maintenance. “This is spillway land, so we are limited in the ways we can use it,” said Brian Maca, chief of public affairs for the Huntington District. “There are plans to add some landscaping, pollinator fields and other features.”
Hunter Simmons, a park ranger with the Corps, said the idea of installing a disc golf course at the dam goes back to his first day of work as a natural resource specialist when he found a business card for Bill Griffith, disc golf course designer, in his new desk.
“Three years and seven months later, and here we are,” Simmons said. “It has been a great journey, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it grows from here.”
In his remarks to the audience, Putnam said, “Anything we can do to get people to realize what we have available helps preserve it for the future.”
Scott Watkins and Donnie Tinder, both avid disc golf players, also were instrumental in developing the course. Watkins, who started playing two years ago, said disc golf has given him a lot of positives and that this was his chance to give back.
Tinder has been playing for 19 years. He and Watkins met at the Hall of Chains tournament in Massillon two years ago. “I’ve won one tournament so far, the Parmageddon tournament in July,” Tinder said. “That was a milestone I wanted to reach.”
While disc golf can be played at the professional level, Griffith said most people play just for the fun of it. “There are people who play for money, but we’re amateurs here. He who has the most fun wins.”
The Beach City Dam is located at 5449 state Route 250 NE in Beach City. The course is open for free play from dawn to dusk and is cart- and dog-friendly. More information can be found on the Beach City Dam Disc Golf Facebook page.