Parks & Recreation Celebrates Five Years of Disc Golf
By: Orange County Communications Department
On June 18, 2024, the Orange County Disc Golf Course celebrated its fifth - year anniversary! Traditionally known as the “ wood anniversary ” the course is ironically known for being one of the least - wooded courses in the area. Located in the Thomas E. Lee Industrial Park, the course was installed on a mostly - cleared parcel deemed less suitable for economic development uses due to its rolling, hilly terrain. Orange County Parks & Recreation (OCPR) had already been considering the establishment of a disc
The inaugural first throw at the grand opening event! Pictured L to R: Jayson Woods, OCPR, Doug Rogers, EDA Chairman; R. Mark Johnson, District 1 Supervisor; Tim Moubray, OCPR Director
golf course - with the goal of creating a free recreational opportunity for residents and visitors - when former Orange County Economic Development Director Thomas Miller first floated the idea of using the location in the Industrial Park. The Economic Development Authority (EDA) was supportive of the idea, along with the subsequent Economic Development Director Phillip Geer. Following a Memorandum of Understanding between the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the EDA on March 27, 2018, barely a year transpired before the course held its grand opening in 2019! That year was characterized by a flurry of activity making the Orange County Disc Golf Course a reality. Though approved, establishing the course was not a budgeted project, and fundraising became the primary goal. Assisted by the sale of walnut lumber from additional trees removed from the course (which contributed the necessary funds for a parking lot), the course was made possible, financially, by the generous support of our community. Through the Orange County Parks & Recreation Foundation, a 501(c) 3 organization with the purpose of supporting the programs and facilities of the Parks & Recreation Department, donations and sponsorships were accepted and earmarked for course development. Eighteen businesses and organizations agreed to sponsor holes on the course for $500 each, receiving recognition on the course. Additional businesses contributed thousands of dollars worth of in - kind donations, such as gravel, lumber, concrete, and equipment usage. To further spread community awareness at the individual and family level, the “ Founder ’ s Club ” was created. For just $20, each Founder ’ s Club member received a unique commemorative disc and recognition on a permanent sign at the course. More than $11,000 was raised through fundraising, which allowed the purchase of equipment needed for the course.
Concurrent with fundraising projects was the actual planning of the course. From the very beginning Parks & Recreation staff knew that the goal should be a course welcoming to beginners; after all, they were regularly asked, “ What ’ s disc golf? ” while seeking hole sponsorships. With that in mind, they laid out the course using the rise and fall of the course ’ s hills as the primary obstacles, supported by sparse stands of trees and bushes. For simplicity, only one tee box and basket was set for each hole,
Turf tee pads were installed in 2021.
and each group of nine holes (front and back) can be played separately in loops that lead back to the parking area. Distances are kept short, with only a single par four hole. The result of this deliberate planning is a course that 1) encourages short (even lunch break - length) outings, 2) minimizes the frustration and cost of losing discs, 3) provides a perfect location to learn the game or refine shot technique, and 4) welcomes families and players of all ages. To further remove any obstacles to play, there is no fee to play except for organized events, and the Parks & Recreation Department created a loaner disc program to allow new players to borrow a set of discs rather than buying their own.
Page 7 | July 2024
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