Disc golf ‘holing out’ at Mozingo

CITY OF MARYVILLE
A map of where the proposed 18-hole disc golf course will go at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Like a flying disc coming to rest suspended in the chains or ‘holing out’ in a basket, a disc golf course is coming to Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.

The City Council last month approved the purchase of disc golf equipment for $10,362 from Dynamic Discs to make up a disc golf course at the park.

During the council’s regular meeting on June 27, Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland credited Gentry Martin with being the driving force behind the idea for a course. Over the past several months, city staff have been working on the plan, and in May met with Eric McCabe, a former Professional Disc Golf Association champion and a professional disc golf course designer, about the course.

The 18-hole course will go in at The Point, where Heiland said the course can take advantage of existing parking lots, restrooms, shelters and unique terrain. The course itself was designed to be welcoming for newcomers but provide some challenges for experienced players.

The sport, which is basically golf but with Frisbee-like discs to throw and baskets instead of holes, has exploded in popularity recently, Heiland said, with 70 percent of all disc golf courses built in the last decade.

“One of the reasons for that is the low barrier to entry,” Heiland said. “The equipment’s pretty cheap, disc golf courses are usually free, located on park lands and it’s just really kind of a fun sport for all different ages and abilities to play.”

Heiland said depending on when the baskets arrive, the course could be up and ready to go for nine holes within a couple of months.