Olive Branch opens 18-hole disc golf course
Photo: Parks Director Greg Booker (left) and Mayor Ken Adams celebrate the opening of the City Park’s new 18-hole golf course on Friday morning. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Disc golf anyone?
If you’re among the growing number of enthusiasts for the recreational sport, you now have a new course to try. The City of Olive Branch Friday opened a new 18-hole course as part of the City Park near the playground and ball diamonds.
Parks Director Greg Booker said the new addition is a par 56 course of more than 5,300 feet. It winds through the City Park Walking Trail and Mayor Ken Adams said one of the course’s attractions for disc golfers is that it is not a flat course, as found at Southaven’s Central Park or Latimer Lakes Park in Horn Lake. There are hills to walk up and down and the course has “doglegs” like your typical golf course would offer.
One disc golfer at Friday’s ribbon cutting and opening was Leland Mast of Southaven, who said he was excited about the new course opportunities in Olive Branch.
“I’m so glad we have more cities getting in on this, because it just gives more opportunities for people to play,” Mast said. “The great thing about disc golf is you don’t have to be physically fit. In other words, you don’t have to be like a football player or a baseball player. Anybody can come out and throw.”
The Olive Branch course now becomes one of more than 13,000 courses worldwide, with about 80 percent of that number in the United States. The Professional Disc Golf Association boasts about 300,000 registered players in the world last year, up from just 53,000 in 2013. The estimated number of recreational players is in the millions
“We started talking about this about a year and a half ago,” said Booker. “Two years ago, a group approached the city about it, and the more we got into it, we found that there’s a big disc golf community. The more we start working on it, the more I’ve heard from them. So it was really needed and it’s a good addition to the park.”
“Disc golf is more than just a game,” said Mayor Ken Adams. “It’s affordable and accessible to all ages and a great way to enjoy the outdoors, whether you’re a seasoned veteran player, or someone just discovering the sport. It invites people to get active and connect with others outdoors.” He added the city hopes to attract special events, including tournaments, to the course. There is actually a Disco Golf Pro Tour that has been gaining viewership on platforms like ESPN and YouTube. Some pro players have sponsorship deals worth more than $1 million.
The affordability is one of the drawing points for disc golf. Discs are cheap and courses usually have no cost to use. It is accessible to all ages and skill levels and is low-impact exercise.
As part of the Friday’s morning opening, Adams challenged the four aldermen who were there to a disc golf toss with the one with the shortest toss donating $100 to the Olive Branch Food Bank, which Adams would match. Alderwoman Pat Hamilton will join Adams with $100 donations to the food bank by having the shortest toss over aldermen David Wallace, Gil Earhart, and George Collins.
