Disc golf organizers seek donations for new Carson City course

Members of the Eagle Valley Disc Golf Association (EVDGA) are currently out in the community seeking donations to help construct a disc golf course in East Carson City, said Carson City Parks and Recreation Senior Planner Vern Krahn.

At its September meeting, the Carson City Planning Commission approved a special use permit (SUP) application for a disc golf course to be constructed on county property along Flint Drive.

According to the Planning Commission’s September agenda, the SUP seeks permission to build three disc golf courses located at 3600 Flint Drive on land currently zoned Public Regional (PR). The public parcel is owned by the city.

Plans call for two 18-hole championship disc golf courses and one nine-hole short course, the agenda report stated.

Included in the SUP proposal is a 50-space parking lot, covered picnic area, bathroom facilities, and signage.

The proposed recreation complex would be located northwest of the Carson City landfill area and southwest of Flint Drive.

A cost estimate is difficult to figure at this time, said Carson City Parks and Recreation Senior Park Planner Vern Krahn, because of the need for community donations to fund a portion of the project.

“It’s all dependent upon the donations we get from the community,” he said. “That’s what’s critical now in the process.”

Krahn said project organizers are currently looking for donations of gravel and fencing materials to construct the parking lot, which is being designed by Carson City Public Works.

He said application will be made in February for a water and land conservation fund grant to help raise money for the development of the disc golf courses.

A partnership between the city and the EVDGA will exist for the upkeep of the facility, which Krahn said is intended to be free to the public for use. There will be a user agreement between the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department and the EVDGA to provide maintenance to the property.

In the mean time, he said development will be completed in phases, starting with the family-friendly short course.

“The plan right now is we want to put in a short course, a nine-hole beginner par 3 course,” Krahn said. “The second course is the tournament course, a par 4 and par 5 18-hole championship course.”

Eventually, a second championship course will be added, he said, bringing the total playing surface to three disc golf courses on the property.

Krahn said the Flint Drive property was selected, in part, because of the topography.

“It’s very diverse with a lot of rock outcroppings,” he said. “The land forms are rolling, with different ravines running through there. Disc golf course people like diverse sites to play on.”

A second reason why the EVDGA and the city settled on this parcel is because of its presentation to players. Krahn said the area is very playable for competitions.

“There are a lot of pinion pines and juniper bushes. People like obstacles to throw around,” he said. “Existing vegetation is fairly low to the ground, making it a lot easier to find the discs when they throw it.”

Views of the city and the Carson Range to the west add aesthetic value for players, too, Krahn added.

“The views up there are really spectacular of the valley and the sierras,” he said.

Krahn said the EVDGA and the city have been working closely together on the project. It’s an ongoing relationship he sees as essential to the success of the disc golf facility.

“They’ve been so patient through the entire process and are working very hard,” Krahn said of the EVDGA. “They’ve been spending a ton of time out there designing the course. The design is very well thought through.”

Gregg Swift of the EVDGA said his group has been working for quite some time to bring disc golf to Carson City. Now that things are moving forward, he said disc golf can continue growing in the region.

“We’re trying to get this project going in our area,” he said. “Disc golf is the fastest growing support in U.S. with over 5,000 courses throughout the country.”

He said the sport is appealing because of its convenience and affordability.

“It’s inexpensive and not super time consuming,” Swift said.

Another benefit to the sport is that it promotes outside activity as well as an appreciation for natural surroundings.

“One of our priorities is to get the youth outside and interested in the natural environment,” Swift said.

The EVDGA intends to attract championship tournaments to Carson City with the new recreation complex, he said. This will, in turn, have additional benefits to the area’s sports tourism economy.

“We definitely will be having some tournaments,” said Swift, who added that there are an average of 40-50 tournaments played each weekend nationwide.

The new disc golf complex will offer free public use, Swift said, and be open from dawn to dusk every day.